India has added 483 new faunal species to its biodiversity database, with Kerala recording the highest number of discoveries at 98, according to the 'Animal Discoveries – 2025' report released by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) on Tuesday, marking its 111th foundation day. The report documents 226 species recorded for the first time in the country, alongside a total of 709 new faunal records added to the national database.
India's Faunal Diversity Reaches 1,05,953 Species
With these additions, India's documented faunal diversity has reached 1,05,953 species, reaffirming its status as one of the world's leading megadiverse nations. The ZSI has been compiling data on faunal discoveries since 2007 and publishes the 'Animal Discoveries' document annually. The 2025 edition highlights contributions from across states, with West Bengal recording 76 new species, Karnataka 67, and Arunachal Pradesh 65.
Kerala Tops the Chart for Second Consecutive Year
Kerala maintained its lead for the second year in a row, having recorded the maximum number of new species in 2024 as well. In 2024, the ZSI report documented 683 species, of which 459 were globally new and 224 were new records for India. In comparison, 641 species were recorded in 2022 and 631 in 2023.
Plant Discoveries 2025 Adds 353 New Species
The 'Plant Discoveries 2025' report, the nineteenth edition of the series, added 353 new plant species to the Indian flora during 2025. This includes 339 species and 14 infraspecific taxa new to Indian flora, with 221 taxa new to science and 132 new distributional records from India.
Union Minister Launches PaleoIndia Portal
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav also launched the PaleoIndia Portal, a digital platform jointly developed by ZSI and the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, using geological datasets from the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The portal documents fossil fauna across all 28 states and 8 Union Territories, currently hosting information on more than 5,000 fossil specimens. These include mammals, reptiles, birds, fishes, amphibians, molluscs, arthropods, foraminifera, echinoderms, and ichnofossils. The portal features a real-time data upload system to facilitate field-based documentation and citizen science participation.
