A great variety of vegetation types coupled with the high rainfall and the moderate yearly temperature in the Western Ghats, provide many different habitats. Located at the southwestern continental margin of Peninsular India, extending all the way from Gujarat to Kerala, the Western Ghats are amongst the eight ‘hottest’ biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Therefore, the mountains are an area rich in earthworm, as well as amphibian and reptile diversity.
Scientists have now discovered two new primitive species of earthworm in the Western Ghats mountain ranges in Kerala.
The new earthworm species named Drawida polydiverticulata and Drawida thomasi are distinguished by a set of characters, said researchers at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala and Shoolini University in Himachal Pradesh.
They were found to belong to the primitive family Moniligastridae- Drawida polydiverticulata, has multiple lobes, also called diverticulums is an organ located in the front of its body—are unique amongst the members of the genus. This species was found to be widespread in the protected shola grasslands of the Munnar region, including Eravikulam National Park, Pampadun Shola National Park and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, researchers said. The second new earthworm, Drawida thomasi, was collected at the Kozhippara Waterfalls near Kakkadampoyil, at the border between Malappuram and Kozhikode
, they said.In addition to the new species belonging to the primitive family Moniligastridae, the scientists also report the occurrence of five species of the same genus that have not previously been recorded from the state. To date, there are 73 species of the genus Drawida confirmed to be living in the Indian subcontinent, researchers said.
The present discovery of two new species and five new local records further contributes to the vast species richness of the genus in the state. At present, there are about 200 species known in the genus Drawida. Their habitats are spread across India throughout the Indo-China region to southeastern Asia and up to the north in Japan.
