Learn about unique flora and fauna that get their name from Mumbai

PICS COURTESY/Inaturalist.com; Sachin Rane; Wikimedia Commons

Bombay Bush Frog (Raorchestes Bombayensis)

This little brown friend is an arboreal species, and unsurprisingly faces the threat of loss of habitat. Their other moniker, ‘Typewriter Frog' comes from the rapid tic-tic-tic sounds they make during their mating rituals.

Mumbai Blind Eel (Rakthamichthys Mumba)

The latest addition to the city's famed underground club, this blind subterranean swamp eel was discovered in a well at Jogeshwari in 2021.

Mumbai Jumping Spider (Hasarius Mumbai)

This happy arachnid was first spotted in Aarey in 2017, and was added to the new species in Mumbai.

Bombay Sea Slug / Bombay Dorid (Goniobranchus Bombayanus)

This brightly coloured Pokémon-like marine nudibranch was first discovered in 1946, before going quiet for 70 years. Since 2018, it has become one of the more famous marine residents of Mumbai's shores.

Bombay Groundsel (Senecio Bombayensis)

Yellow, bright, and a monsoon special, you might know it as the Sonki. Despite its delicate appearances, this tough Mumbaikar can grow anywhere from the slopes of the Western Ghats to old roofs, and forgotten trees.

Nature's bookshelf

Check the best green reads across age groups

Kids
>> The Big Book of Poop by Shweta Taneja
>> Be a Neighbourhood Naturalist by Labonie Roy, Vena Kapoor and Suhel Quader
>> The Great Indian Safari by Arefa Tehseen

Adults
>> Rewilding by Bahar Dutt
>> A Life on Our Planet by Sir David Attenborough
>> Rani Bagh: 150 Years by Bittu Sahgal
>> The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh
>> Women in the Wild edited by Anita Mani
>> Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas L Friedman
>> A Walk up the Hill by Madhav Gadgil