Dehradun Dec 19 PTI Uttarakhands first bio-diversity gallery that aims to showcase lesser known aspects of the hill states rich bio-diversity was inaugurated in Haldwani on Sunday with funding from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency Blessed with all three agro climatic zones tropical temperate and alpine and also being at the confluence of the Western and Eastern Himalayas Uttarakhand has an extremely rich bio-diversity in all varieties of flora and fauna Chief Conservator of Forests Research Sanjiv Chaturvedi said However only a few species out of this rich repository are known to people This bio-diversity gallery is an attempt to plug that gap he said The main feature of this gallery is depiction of 101 icons of the states bio-diversity showing threat status and information about their habitat ecological role and uses he said These 101 peculiar species of flora and fauna native to the state include the giant himalayan lily the worlds largest lily rhododendron arboreum the worlds largest species of rhododendron and king cobra the worlds largest venomous snake The himalayan pit viper the highest altitude venomous snake giant himalayan honeybee the worlds largest honeybee atlas moth the largest of its kind in the world yellow-throated marten largest in the world and Indias largest insectivorous bat the great himalayan leaf nosed bat too are part of the gallery Other interesting species naturally found in the state including salty-headed parakeet the only species of parakeet family that migrates in winter himalayan langur the only primate species found in Himalayas interesting species of native insectivorous plants fern moss liverwort grass species and peculiar fauna such as himalayan marmot found on Tibet border thehighest elevation dwelling mammal in the world himalayan pika flying squirrel and yellow-headed tortoise can also be seen at the gallery In addition the gallery comprises eight sections of which one displays abandoned nests of various species such as the weaver bird and king cobra the only reptile species that makes nests Another section displays unique bio-diversity products of the state such as keedajadi the worlds costliest fungus red honey produced by giant honey bees and one of the costliest honeys in the world and bio-diversity products that have been awarded the Geographical Indicator tag such asbutter from cheura tree and Ringal handicraftPTI ALM CJ CJ

Haldwani (Uttarakhand) [India], December 19 (ANI): The biodiversity gallery in Haldwani showcases the lesser-known aspects of the unexplored and rich biodiversity of Uttarakhand.