Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 18 March 2026
Rare gynandromorphic Vela carli crab discovered in Silent Valley, Kerala.
Exam-focused facts from the 18 March 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- The freshwater crab species Vela carli was found exhibiting both male and female traits in Silent Valley National Park, Kerala.
- Researchers from MES Mampad College, Kerala conducted the study that documented this rare case of gynandromorphy.
- Scientists Dr. K.S. Anoop Das and K.T. Fahis from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) identified the crab during routine fieldwork inside a tree cavity.
- Gynandromorphy in this crab results from an early cell-division error, causing different body parts to develop as male and female rather than creating a functional hermaphrodite.