UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Rescue, Medical and Surgical Management of Severe Cervical Snare Trauma in an Indian Monitor Lizard (Varanus bengalensis)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An adult Indian monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) weighing approximately 2.4 kg was rescued by Telangana Forest Department personnel from Veerpur village, Telangana, after entrapment in a nylon snare around the neck. On presentation to the Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Science, Korutla, the animal was depressed, dehydrated and minimally responsive, with clinical signs of circulatory shock. Examination revealed a contaminated circumferential cervical laceration involving the skin, subcutaneous tissue and superficial cervical musculature. Emergency management comprised thermal support, subcutaneous Ringer's lactate solution (20 mL/kg), antimicrobial and analgesic therapy, wound irrigation and protective bandaging. Following clinical stabilisation, surgical debridement and repair were undertaken under intramuscular ketamine anaesthesia (20 mg/kg) with local lignocaine administration. Devitalised tissue was removed, the muscle was sutured with absorbable polyglactin 910, and the skin was apposed with polyamide using a horizontal mattress pattern. Post-operative care included ceftriaxone (25 mg/kg intramuscularly) for 10 days, meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg intramuscularly) for 5 days, daily wound dressing and environmental support. By the tenth post-operative day, satisfactory tissue union permitted removal of the skin sutures. During rehabilitation, the lizard resumed voluntary feeding and demonstrated coordinated locomotion, neck mobility and normal responsiveness. After clinical examination, it was released into a suitable natural habitat near the rescue site. This case describes successful short-term clinical management and rehabilitation following severe cervical snare trauma.

Integrated Assessment of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Ottapalam, Palakkad, Kerala

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The present multi-component observational and exploratory study assessed reported mosquito-borne disease patterns, community knowledge and preventive practices, household larval indices, and a pilot device-exposure experiment in Ottapalam, Palakkad, Kerala. Local annual case counts for 2021-2025 were abstracted from Primary Health Centre (PHC) Lakkidi records and interpreted alongside official state and national surveillance data. A community survey included 105 participants recruited through Google Forms and face-to-face interviews, and entomological surveillance covered 100 households in Wards 13, 14 and 15. The PHC summary recorded dengue cases of 11, 7, 21, 45 and 10 from 2021 through 2025, respectively. One malaria case was recorded in 2022 and two in 2024; values for 2021, 2023 and 2025 were not stated in the available local summary. No chikungunya cases were recorded in that summary. Survey responses indicated high general awareness but less consistent routine source-reduction behaviour. Six of 100 houses and six of 50 observed containers were positive for mosquito larvae, yielding a House Index of 6%, Container Index of 12% and Breteau Index of 6; no pupae were detected. In the pilot experiment, 20 Aedes albopictus eggs were assigned to each condition. Hatching began on day 5 under device-exposure conditions and on day 8 in the control condition, and the observed developmental stages were shorter under device exposure. No ovicidal or larvicidal effect was observed. Because acoustic dose was not calibrated, independent vessel replication was not documented, and a small device-associated temperature increase was observed, acoustic and thermal contributions cannot be separated. The findings support continued source reduction, community engagement, surveillance and integrated vector management, while acoustic approaches should remain experimental until tested under calibrated, independently replicated and temperature-controlled conditions.

Effect of Organophosphate Pesticide Dimethoate on Ascorbic Acid Levels in Various Tissues of Freshwater Fish Channa punctatus

R. Y. Bhandare, A. J. Kharat, K. T. Paithane, T. S. Pathan — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Pesticide contamination may disturb biochemical homeostasis in freshwater fish; however, tissue-specific responses of antioxidant metabolites to prolonged dimethoate exposure remain poorly understood. In the present study, changes in ascorbic acid levels in the liver, gills, and muscle tissues of Channa punctatus exposed to three sublethal concentrations of dimethoate (53.4, 26.6, and 17.8 ppm) were examined. A colourimetric hydrazine-based technique was used to quantify ascorbic acid in dried tissues, and responses were compared with those of control tissues. Dimethoate caused significant, tissue-specific changes in ascorbic acid. Hepatic concentrations increased significantly from 5.6487 ± 0.4048 mg/100 mg dry weight in controls to 7.6054 ± 0.3092, 7.4705 ± 0.2024, and 7.4300 ± 0.2142 mg/100 mg at 53.4, 26.6, and 17.8 ppm, respectively. Muscle concentrations also increased, reaching 7.2681 ± 0.4048 mg/100 mg at the highest exposure. Gill concentrations, in contrast, decreased significantly and were lowest at 53.4 ppm. These divergent responses demonstrate marked tissue specificity in ascorbate homeostasis during chronic sublethal pesticide stress. The results support the use of tissue-resolved ascorbic acid responses as informative biochemical indicators of dimethoate-induced stress in freshwater fish and suggest their potential inclusion alongside other ecotoxicological assessments of freshwater contamination.

Weather-associated Seasonal Activity of Mustard Aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) Monitored through Yellow Sticky Traps in Two Different Agro-ecological Conditions

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), is an important pest of rapeseed-mustard, and monitoring its alate population is useful for understanding its seasonal activity. The present investigation was conducted during Rabi 2024–25 and 2025–26 at Banda University of Agriculture and Technology (BUAT), Banda (India) and at a farmer-managed mustard field, to monitor the seasonal abundance of alate mustard aphids using yellow sticky traps and to assess their association with weather parameters. Two yellow sticky traps (21 × 15 cm) were installed at each location (300 m²), and aphid catches were recorded at weekly intervals. Maximum temperature, minimum temperature, average temperature, relative humidity and rainfall data were obtained from the Agro-meteorological Observatory, BUAT, and correlation coefficients were calculated separately for each location and season. During Rabi 2024–25, alate aphid activity commenced in the 1st standard meteorological week (SMW), with peak catches of 125.00 and 148.50 aphids trap⁻¹ at the university farm, BUAT and the farmer-managed field, respectively, during the 6th SMW. During Rabi 2025–26, activity commenced earlier, in the 50th SMW, and again peaked during the 6th SMW, reaching 156.50 and 208.00 aphids trap⁻¹ at BUAT and the farmer-managed field, respectively. Thereafter, aphid catches declined towards crop maturity. Alate aphid catches showed negative correlations with maximum, minimum and average temperature, whereas relative humidity showed positive correlations and rainfall showed weak negative correlations. Significant negative correlations with minimum temperature (r = −0.555) and average temperature (r = −0.515) were observed only at the farmer-managed field during Rabi 2024–25; all other correlations were non-significant. The aphid catches were higher at the farmer-managed field than at the university farm.

Novel Bacterial Shell Disease Syndrome in the Mud Crab Scylla serrata (Forskål, 1775) from the Pichavaram Mangrove Ecosystem, Southeast Coast of India

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Shell disease syndrome is characterised by progressive alterations of the crustacean cuticle and may involve interactions among the host, microorganisms, and environmental conditions. This study aimed to (i) characterize the morphological and histopathological changes associated with shell lesions in the wild mud crab Scylla serrata and (ii) characterize lesion-associated Aeromonas through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. A crab exhibiting conspicuous rust-brown to dark-brown lesions on the appendages and ventral body surface was collected from Mudasalodai Fishing Harbour adjacent to the Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem, southeast coast of India. Gross pathological observations were recorded, and tissue samples were fixed, processed by routine histological procedures, sectioned, and examined microscopically to assess tissue and cellular alterations. For molecular characterisation, DNA from lesion-associated material was subjected to PCR amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, followed by sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis with reference Aeromonas sequences. Histological examination revealed disruption of the gill cuticle and underlying epithelium, infiltration of eosinophilic granular haemocytes, and formation of haemocyte plugs or nodules. The hepatopancreas showed an increased abundance of B-cells around the basal lamina and the tubular lumen. Two 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from lesion-associated material, designated AH01 and AH02, occupied different positions within the Aeromonas sequence dataset, with bootstrap support values of 64% and 79%, respectively, and were provisionally identified as Aeromonas hydrophila. The findings demonstrate an association between external shell lesions, internal tissue responses, and lesion-associated Aeromonas DNA in the examined crab. However, because the study was restricted to a single specimen and bacterial causality was not experimentally established, further sampling, bacterial isolation, and molecular confirmation are required to determine the potential role of Aeromonas in shell disease of wild S. serrata.

Integrated Management of the Bean aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch) on Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus L.) in Rajshahi, Bangladesh

S. M. Ali Ashraf, Zerin Sultana, Shorab Ali, Bidhan Chandra Das — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The bean aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, is one of the major pests of hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus L.). An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of selected components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) against A. craccivora infestation and their effects on bean yield. Admire 200 SL (Imidacloprid) was used as a chemical insecticide, crude tobacco leaf extract as a botanical pesticide (1:10 w/v), larvae of Coccinella transversalis as a biological control agent, and kerosinized ash as a natural control product; these treatments were applied in two rounds. Pre-treatment data on aphid infestation were recorded 1 day before treatment, and post-treatment data were recorded at 1, 3, 7, and 20 days after each treatment. Bean yield was harvested and recorded separately for each treatment plot and sowing date. Across all three sowing dates, the lowest aphid infestation and highest bean yield were obtained from plots treated with two rounds of insecticide (T₁), followed by plots treated with a first-round application of insecticide plus a second-round application of botanical extract (T₂), plots receiving first- and second-round releases of natural enemies (T_3), plots receiving a first-round release of natural enemies and a second-round application of botanical extract (T_4), and plots treated with a first-round application of kerosinized ash plus a second-round application of botanical extract (T₅). The lowest yield and highest aphid infestation were recorded in the control plots treated with two rounds of plain water spray (T₆).

Annelid Fauna of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India

Chandra Kanta Mandal, Dhirendra Nath Das, Bidisha Das — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, has historically had limited locality-specific documentation of annelid diversity. A faunal survey conducted in 2026 assessed earthworms and leeches collected from moist microhabitats across the district. Field collection targeted leaf litter, decaying organic matter, and moist soil, with specimens recovered using pickaxes or spades. Specimens were narcotised, fixed, preserved, and examined using external morphological and internal anatomical characters for taxonomic identification. In total, 102 specimens were examined, comprising 84 earthworms and 18 leeches. Fourteen taxa were recorded: 13 earthworm taxa, of which 12 were identified to species level and one was retained as Perionyx sp., and one leech species. The earthworm material represented seven genera and three families, while the leech material represented one genus and one family. The systematic account reports district-level distributional records and identifies one named species—Perionyx shyamasreetus, as first record from West Bengal. Perionyx sp. is retained as an unidentified taxon and is excluded from formal species-level and state-new-record counts. The material includes taxa collected from Nandigram, Mahishadal, Patashpur, Khejuri, Bhagawanpur, and other localities within Purba Medinipur. Recorded abundance varied among earthworm taxa, while the leech material comprised 18 specimens of Haemadipsa sylvestris. These observations update the district-level annelid inventory and provide locality-specific baseline information on the occurrence and distribution of earthworms and leeches in the surveyed habitats. The findings also support continued systematic sampling to improve documentation of annelid diversity in Purba Medinipur.

Effects of Sickle Bush Pod Meal Supplementation on Nutrient Intake, Apparent Digestibility, and Nitrogen Balance in Blackhead Persian Sheep Fed Rhodes Grass Hay

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study evaluated sickle bush (Dichrostachys cinerea) pod meal supplementation of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay in growing Blackhead Persian sheep. Three male sheep with a mean initial body weight of 17.73 ± 0.09 kg (mean ± SD) received hay alone or hay supplemented with 200 or 300 g pod meal/day as fed in a 3 × 3 Latin square. Each period comprised 7 days of adaptation and 5 days of total collection of faeces and urine. Pod meal contained 186.5 g crude protein/kg dry matter (DM), compared with 35.0 g/kg DM in hay. Total DM intake was 296.2, 460.5 and 625.5 g/day in the control, 200 and 300 g/day treatments, respectively (P = 0.0059), with all three means differing in the pairwise comparisons. Organic matter and fibre intakes also differed among all treatments, whereas crude protein intake was greater in both supplemented treatments than in the control but did not differ between supplementation levels. Apparent DM, organic matter and neutral detergent fibre digestibility showed exploratory tendencies toward treatment differences (P = 0.059, 0.057 and 0.069), whereas crude protein digestibility did not differ significantly. The overall treatment effect on acid detergent fibre digestibility was significant (P = 0.048), although no Tukey-adjusted pairwise difference was detected. Nitrogen retention was 0.5, 3.6 and 4.3 g/day, respectively (P = 0.022); both supplemented treatments exceeded the control but did not differ from each other. Nitrogen retention as a percentage of intake showed an exploratory tendency toward treatment differences (P = 0.065), while retention as a percentage of digested nitrogen and body-weight change did not differ significantly. Supplementation increased total nutrient intake and absolute nitrogen retention, without establishing improved nitrogen-use efficiency, a general digestibility benefit or a growth response.

Nesting Habits of the Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus (Linnaeus, 1766) in the Agricultural Landscape of Dharmabad, Nanded District, Maharashtra, India

Sanket Kadam — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The intricate nesting habits of the Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus were studied in the agricultural landscape of Dharmabad, Nanded district, Maharashtra, between April and September 2026. This research focuses on Baya Weaver nesting habits such as nesting sites, nesting colonies, nesting materials, nest construction, nest repair, clay deposits on nest walls, various developmental stages of nests and certain threats to their nests. A total of 70 nests at different developmental stages (wad stage, ring stage, helmet stage, egg-chamber closed stage and complete nest stage) were studied. Of the 70 nests, 42 (60%) were active, 18 (26%) were abandoned and 10 (14%) had fallen to the ground. The Baya Weaver uses leaf fibres of palm fronds (Indian date palm), sugarcane leaves, paddy leaves and coarse grasses as nesting materials and takes an average of 18 days, ranging from 6–48 days, depending on the environmental conditions suitable for nest construction. Various anthropogenic activities, environmental factors (monsoon rain, wind, temperature and humidity), and natural predators such as crows, treepies, raptors, snakes and lizards pose threats to the Baya Weaver. Our research findings suggest that the Baya Weaver possesses specific adaptations for nesting in particular tree species, such as acacia and various tall palm trees. The present study enhances understanding of nesting habits of Baya Weaver and provides insights for the conservation of this species.

Impact of Oil Refinery Spillage on Heavy Metal Contamination and Pollution Indices in Biotic and Abiotic Components in Ennore Creek, India

Anupama Vijay, Madhavi Mookkan, Janani Sridhar — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Heavy metal contamination has rapidly increased in recent decades, having a significant effect on the aquatic environment and the organisms inhabiting it. The principal objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) in water, sediment and biological samples collected before and after the oil spill in Ennore Creek. The commercially consumed fish species Elops saurus and Gerres filamentosus were identified using morphometric characteristics according to an established protocol. Heavy metal concentrations showed marked variation among stations, with Pb exhibiting the highest levels in water and sediment

(320.31 μg/L and 856 mg/kg, respectively), followed by Cr (100 μg/L and 164.2 mg/kg). Among the biological matrices analysed after the oil spill, Elops saurus exhibited greater Cr accumulation (2.09 mg/kg), while polychaetes exhibited comparatively elevated Pb levels (1.60 mg/kg). Overall, the elevated metal concentrations, particularly in sediment and biota, indicate potential bioaccumulation and ecological concern in the study area. Pollution indices, including the geoaccumulation index, pollution load index and bioaccumulation factor, indicated increased pollution following the oil spill. These findings highlight the need to protect and improve aquatic ecosystem health for future generations.