TRANSPARENT TADPOLES VIDEO

This is the first report of transparent tadpoles in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. These tadpoles belong to the species Microhyla ornata. The internal organs of these tadpoles are visible due to its transparent nature. The presence of these tadpoles in pools are revealed only at certain times of the day when the sun shines at a special angle. Otherwise, they are not seen and gets merged with the colour of water. The groups of tadpoles immediately sink to the bottom of the pool when disturbed. This particular species was found in a small pool in District Pithoragarh by a forest officer, Mr.Manoj Chandran IFS, who was serving as a Working Plan Officer of Pithoragarh Forest Division in the year 2011-12.

The costliest medicinal herb of Himalayas - Yartsa Gambu / Cordyceps sinensis

Yar-tsa Gam-bu or the Chinese caterpillar mushroom (Cordyceps sinensis) is the costliest medicinal herb of the Himalayas. It is an entomophagous fungi, Cordyceps sinensis growing on the caterpillar of a moth of the Genus Hepialus. It is collected at an altitude above 3800m during the month of June when the snow melts and the fruiting body of the fungi just emerges out of the soil from the mouth end of the dead caterpillar. Around 3000-4000 pieces makes one kilogram of produce which costs between INR 2.5 lakh to 10 lakhs depending on the grade of produce, demand and supply. 

The main use seems to be by atheletes as the drug is not detected in dope tests. Just before the London Olympics, the rate was upto INR 10 lakhs/kg in the Kathmandu market in Nepal. The trade route is from Kathmandu to Hongkong and then elsewhere in the world. The produce is found throughout the Himalayas in India, Nepal, Bhutan and also in Yunnan and Sichuan province in China. It is also supposed to be a cure-all herb and is widely used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH

Jimba - A rather unexplored subalpine meadow in the Uttarakhand Himalayas

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This is the rather unexplored Jimba meadow in Munsyari Tehsil of Pithoragarh. It is enroute the traditional Kailash route not used nowadays except by the people of Munsyari and Dharchula. It is a two day walk from Sobala near Dharchula or from Bauna near Madkot. The area is rich in Musk deer and Himalayan Black bears in addition to the other diverse flora and fauna.