Take a wild guess at what dwells in the mangroves of Chorao island in Goa

The little island of Chorao, in North Goa, is known for the dense mangroves which border the Mandovi river, and which are inhabited by a diverse group of bird, animal and plant species, some of which are ...

GREAT CRESTED TERN

The great crested tern (Thalasseus bergii), also called swift tern, is a tropical bird which is a resident of this mangrove.

WHITE THROATED KINGFISHER

With its vivid colours, the white throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) is another resident of Chorao’s mangroves.

BENGAL MONITOR LIZARD

The Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) is a large lizard, commonly found in the Indian subcontinent.

SMOOTH COATED OTTER

The smooth coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) has been listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of threatened species since 1996.

DOG FACED SEA SNAKE

The dog faced sea snake (Cerberus rynchops) is a mildly venomous species found in these dense mangroves.

MUD CRAB

The aggressive mud crab (Scylla serrate) lives in burrows among the roots at the base of mangrove trees.

MUDSKIPPER

Mudskippers (Boleophthalmus dussumieri) are often mistaken for frogs or snakes.

MANGROVE CLAM

Mangrove clam (Polymesoda erosa) are widely found in tropical and subtropical mangrove forests.

MUGGER CROCODILE

The mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) gets the name ‘Mugger’ from a corruption of the Hindi word, magar, which means ‘water monster’.

COMMON SANDPIPER

The common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is one of many migratory birds found in Chorao’s mangroves.

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