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3 September 2022.
Introduction:
Gopal Krishna Hegde, a wildlife enthusiast and photographer, found Ghatiana Dwivarna, a freshwater crab that lives under small rocks in the dense forests of the Western Ghats of Karnataka.
Highlights:
- The name of this new species of crab is derived from a Sanskrit word ‘dwivarna’ which means two-colored.
- This bright hued crab is the 75th fresh water crab of the Western Ghats.
- The size of a full grown female is 29 x 15 mm while the male is 24 x 13 mm.
- It is a hyperactive, but equally shy creature and feeds mainly on algae but also eats small insects of the mosquito family.
- The ‘Kunabi’ tribe that is native to this region knew of this crab already.
- It is a venomous crab and is definitely non-edible species of crab.