India adds 709 new species to its fauna database

ENVIRONMENT – BIODIVERSITY

1 JULY 2026

• India added 709 species to its fauna in 2025, which includes 483 species new to science and 226 species recorded for the first time in India.
• The country also added 353 taxa to its flora, of which 14 are infraspecific taxa.
• The details of new discoveries and new records by the Zoological Survey of India and Botanical Survey of India were released by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• “India’s total faunal biodiversity now stands at 1,05,953 species, reaffirming its status as one of the world’s premier mega diverse nations,” a press statement from Zoological Survey of India said.

A State-wide analysis of the new animal discoveries point out that Kerala recorded the highest 98 new species of animals, followed by West Bengal with 76 species, Karnataka 67 species and Arunachal Pradesh 65 species of fauna.