A night survey of herpes, birds and butterflies held at Mattumantha public cemetery here on Sunday uncovered a diverse range of species, including 64 types of birds, 30 butterfly and moth species, 20 frog species, and over 24 herptiles and amphibians.Mattumantha public cemetery has transformed into a thriving green oasis in Palakkad town. Once a neglected space teeming with wildlife like monitor lizards, wild boars, foxes and snakes, it was revitalized through a reforestation effort led by local nature enthusiasts.Sunday’s nocturnal survey was conducted jointly by Punarjani Palakkad, Natural History Society of Palakkad, Biodiversity Management Committee of Akathethara panchayat, Sahyadri Nature Organisation, and Paristhithi Aikya Vedi of Palakkad.Painted jezebel butterfly found during the night survey.Among the birds found during the survey were the fish owl, dark jungle fowl and big-eared nightjar. The butterflies, moths and odonates included Southern birdwing, Pygmy scrub hopper, Yellow bush dart, Pygmy dartlet, Green marsh hawk and Wandering glider. “Wandering glider is an indicator for migration of the species,” said Lijo Panangadan, secretary of the Natural History Society of Palakkad.The survey started at 4 p.m. and continued till midnight. Two dozen enthusiasts took part in the survey held as part of a wider initiative led the Natural History Society of Palakkd to document the biodiversity of different green islets in Palakkad district.Apart from Mr. Panangadan, Aswathy R., Vivek Vaidyanathan, Arun S. and Vivek Sudhakaran led the survey.The participants included Latika Anoth, Rajesh Radhakrishnan, Sethumadhavan, Nandan Kottayi, Deepam Suresh, Boban Mattumantha, Aswajith, Ajeesh, Rudra, Venu, Anuroop, Abhijith Mohan, Ravi Kavunkal, Navaneet Nambiar, Radhakrishnan, Hari, R. Satheesh and K. Rajesh.Published - October 14, 2025 06:25 pm IST