India Discovers 709 Animal Species in 2025, Sets New National Record

Every expedition into a rainforest, mountain valley, or island creek begins with a simple question: What if something here has never been documented before?

In 2025, that question was answered 709 times.

From a bat in the Himalayas to a snake on Great Nicobar Island and two colourful lizards in Arunachal Pradesh, scientists across India recorded the country's highest-ever annual count of animal discoveries.

According to the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), 709 animal species were added to India's records in 2025, surpassing the previous record of 683 species documented in 2024.

Of these, 483 are species new to science, while another 226 were recorded in India for the first time.

At a time when biodiversity is under increasing pressure worldwide, the milestone is a reminder that nature still holds many secrets waiting to be uncovered.

A record year for wildlife discoveries

The findings were released in the report Animal Discoveries: New Species, New Records during the Zoological Survey of India's 111th Foundation Day celebrations.

With these additions, India's documented faunal diversity has reached 105,953 species and subspecies, accounting for about 5.3% of the world's recorded animal diversity.

India also continues to be recognised as one of the world's 17 mega-diverse countries, home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife.

Among the most notable discoveries was Myotis himalaicus, a Himalayan long-tailed bat identified in Uttarakhand.

Scientists also described Lycodon irwini, or Irwin's wolf snake, a non-venomous species discovered on Great Nicobar Island and named in honour of late conservationist Steve Irwin.

Arunachal Pradesh yielded two new green fan-throated lizards: Ptyctolaemus namdaphaensis and Ptyctolaemus siangensis.

Where scientists made the discoveries

Kerala recorded the highest number of new animal discoveries in 2025, with the Western Ghats once again proving to be one of India's richest biodiversity hotspots. West Bengal, Karnataka, and Arunachal Pradesh followed closely.

Many of these regions have been studied for decades, yet they continue to reveal species previously unknown to science. The findings highlight that biodiversity is constantly evolving, and there is still much left to discover.

Speaking about the report, ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee said the discoveries represent much more than new names in scientific records.

"They signify knowledge that not only helps improve our understanding of biodiversity, but also serves as a key contribution to global efforts to deal with the biodiversity crisis."

She also stressed the importance of continued investment in biodiversity research and scientific capacity.

Plants tell a similar story

The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) also reported significant discoveries in 2025, documenting 353 plant taxa, including 221 species new to science and 132 new records for the country.