{"id":103702,"date":"2025-06-24T19:47:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=103702"},"modified":"2025-06-24T19:47:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:17:52","slug":"goas-overlooked-eight-legged-arachnids-need-attention-development-needs-to-go-hand-in-hand-with-ecology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=103702","title":{"rendered":"Goa\u2019s overlooked eight-legged arachnids need attention; \u2018Development\u2019 needs to go hand-in-hand with ecology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : Embankments along the national highway in Mollem, home to a rare tarantula species, were wiped away due to road widening projects and heightened the risk of local extinction, according to Prof. Manoj Ramakant Borkar, who at a recent MOG Sunday talk at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne, stressed that development goes hand in hand with ecology. <\/strong><\/p>\n

These tarantulas and other arachnids, Borkar said, are dependent on specific microhabitats and microclimatic regimes, which cannot be replicated beyond the mounds and burrows of the embankment.<\/p>\n

In his talk titled \u2018Whip Spiders, Whip Scorpions & Tarantulas: The \u2018Not-So-Charismatic\u2019 Wildlife of Goa,\u2019 Borkar emphasised that tarantulas have restricted and limited dispersal and that whip spiders and whip scorpions remain largely unaccounted for by major conservation frameworks.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey have not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, nor are they included under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act schedules,\u201d says Borkar, head of the Department of Zoology, Carmel College for Women, South Goa and founder of the Biodiversity Research Cell.<\/p>\n

The talk included detailed insights into the anatomy and traits of these species. The whip scorpion, also known as a vinegaroon, is named after its defence mechanism, in which the creature lifts its whip and sprays a vinegar-smelling substance on the provoker. Another unique feature of the tarantulas, according to Borkar, is their behaviour of layering their burrow with their webs, whether it is a pipe or a crevice in a tree.<\/p>\n

Drawing from ongoing fieldwork, Borkar revealed the elaborate mating behaviour of whip spiders in which the smaller male takes the lead. \u201cWe have established a new hypothesis, where the prey drive is overridden by mating priorities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He believes Goans are extremely eco-conscious and eco-sensitive, but not always vocal. Those who speak up are silenced with incentives. \u201cAll those who speak for the environment are not anti-development. They’re only insisting on sustainable development. You just cannot replace the earth’s capital with manufactured capital,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The talk touched on the role of ecotourism and its potential impact on Goa\u2019s ecology. While it has the potential to raise awareness, Borkar warned that its focus has often shifted toward recreation and commercial gain. \u201cWe need to be ethical in our approach to tourism. Without strong environmental regulation, there can be no sustainability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : Embankments along the national highway in Mollem, home to a rare tarantula species, were wiped away due to road widening projects and heightened the risk of local extinction, according to Prof. Manoj Ramakant Borkar, who at a recent MOG Sunday talk at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne, stressed that development goes hand […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25169,"featured_media":103703,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,6],"tags":[3794],"class_list":["post-103702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-155","category-6","tag-featured"],"read":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/25169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=103702"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103704,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103702\/revisions\/103704"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/103703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=103702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=103702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=103702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}