A Day with Salamander/Namthing Pokhri/Sittong/Kurseong/Darjeeling/Amphibian/Salamander lake

Описание: Namthing Pokhari is situated in Sittong III GP of Kurseong block of Darjeeling District, West Bengal. Seating at an elevation of 4500 ft above sea level, The Pokhari is seasonal in nature. Apart from being a rare and offbeat attraction in Darjeeling Hills, it is as well a home to rare species many flora and faunas. The depth of water in the lake goes up to 3.5 meters and 10,000 square meters during the times of heavy rainfall. As the monsoon begins to recede, the water level in the Lake immediately starts to dry up. By the end of October, no trace of water can be found in the Lake. It is the natural habitat of rare endangered high-altitude species of Himalayan Salamander (Tylototriton verrucosus), which is locally known as 'Gora'.

Therefore, this unique amphibian is conserved under Schedule II part I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Himalayan Salamander found in Namthing Pokhari is a keystone species of the lentic zones in the Eastern Himalayas. This endangered species belongs to an offshoot of the ancient family Salamandridae, which is known to have existed in Europe during the Miocene age, that is, between 13-25 million years ago. These salamanders are now entirely vanished in the other part of the world. Fortunately, they are still surviving in solitary Namthing Lake of Shelpu Hills.

The lake is the sole breeding site for the endangered species of Himalayan Salamander. The lake remains well-fed during monsoon. During the dry season, the bed of the lake remains blanketed under the grass. Generally, about 4-5 species of grasses thrive in the bed which provides protection and shade to the species. The grass also attracts tiny insects, on which, salamanders later fed on. Apart from finding shades, salamander lay its sticky jelly-like eggs on the grass as laying eggs on clear water is difficult for them. Nonetheless, the sad part is during the formation of the seasonal pool is that some visitors and locals indulge in swimming and enter the lake to click pictures. Entering the lake will have a direct and adverse effect on the natural cycle of salamander. Despite the wire fence and the regulations inscribed on board at the entrance, the majority do not pay heed to the rules and jump to the other side of the restricted area. Also, the locals ignorantly cut the grass on the periphery of the lake. This results in complications for the Salamander to lay their eggs.

The salamanders remain in a state of hibernation during the dry wintertime. Unfortunately, the tourists pay 200 -300 per salamander to the local children. Therefore, the salamander hibernating in the periphery of the lake is searching for and pulled out of their hibernation. The process will create biological destruction and affect the breeding cycle. However, to conserve these endangered species, much awareness is required amongst the masses so as to protect these endangered species from vanishing from the face of the earth.

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Route Direction: By train get down at New Jalpaiguri (NJP). You can hire direct car up to Namthing via Shelphu, Sittong or you may take share taxi up to Kurseong. From there hire car for Namthing via Shelphu, Sittong. It is a journey from NJP around 2 hours.

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