Research Article

A current and annotated inventory of the faunal diversity found on the Anna University campus in Tamil Nadu, India

Suruliyandi Vijayan* and Sankarappan Anbalagan

Department of Zoology, Sri Meenakshi Government Arts College for Women (Affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University), Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

*Corresponding author e-mail: svvijay89@gmail.com

(Received: 15/11/2023; Revised: 28/11/2023; Accepted: 28/12/2023; Published: 30/12/2023)

ABSTRACT

The variety of creatures that are endemic or local to a certain area and that reside there is referred to as faunal diversity. It includes platyhelminths, odonatan, reptiles (predators), hymenopteran, lepidopteran (pollinators), molluscan, avifauna and mammals. An assessment of animal variety explains the food, habitat, ecology, and population of the various species. A survey was carried out to assess the condition of the faunal diversity at Anna University in Chennai. The study’s objectives were to list and define the many animal groups belongs to families, genera, and species that inhabit the region, along with information on their habitats and distribution. A total of 85 species, discovered during the course of a year, from May 2023 to November 2023, are included in the study. There were 85 species in 7 phyla. With 55 species, or 64.71% of all species, the Arthropodan has the largest species abundance of any other group. Only one of the 85 species of Platyhelminthes, the hammer-headed worm (Diversibipalium), was found in the vicinity of the university green garden between September and November of 2023 (Vijayan et al., 2023).  The observational study found that the area’s green spaces, diversity of flora, and water features contributed to its importance as a habitat for a range of animal species. In order to promote biodiversity conservation efforts and offer habitat for animal species, the study highlights the importance of maintaining or growing green spaces at educational institutions.

Keywords: Faunal diversity, Predators, Pollinators, Invasive, Endemic, Anna University.