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List of Animals
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1.Gharial
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), sometimes called
the Indian gharial or gavial, is one of two
surviving members of the family Gavialidae, a
long-established group of crocodile-like reptiles with
long, narrow jaws. The gharial is the second-longest of
all living crocodilians: a large male can approach 6
meters in length.
Place of Occurance : Bharatpur & Chambal
2. Gangetic Dolphin
The Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica
gangetica) and Indus River Dolphin (Platanista
gangetica minor) are two sub-species of freshwater or
river dolphins found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and
Pakistan. The Ganges River Dolphin is primarily found in
the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers and their tributaries in
India, Bangladesh and Nepal while the Indus River Dolphin
is only found in the Indus river in Pakistan. From the
1970s until 1998 they were regarded as separate species,
however in 1998 their classification was changed from two
separate species to subspecies of a single species .
Place of occurance : Sundarbans
3. Smooth-coated Otter
The Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)
is a species of otter, the only extant representative of
the genus Lutrogale. The species is found from India east
to Southeast Asia, and there is a disjunct population in
Iraq. As its name indicates, the fur of this species is
smoother and shorter than that of other otters.
Place of Occurance : National Chambal sanctuary
4. Rudy Sheldock
The Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea is a member of the
duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the
shelduck subfamily Tadorninae. In India it is known as the
Brahminy duck.There are very small resident populations of
this species in north west Africa and Ethiopia, but the
main breeding area of this species is from south east
Europe across central Asia to southeast China. These birds
are mostly migratory, wintering in southern Asia.
This is a bird of open country, and it will breed in
burrows, tree holes or crevices distant from water, laying
6-16 creamy-white eggs, incubated for 30 days. The Ruddy
Shelduck is usually found in pairs or small groups and
rarely forms large flocks. However, moulting and wintering
gatherings on chosen lakes or slow rivers can be very
large.
Place of Occurance : National Chambal Sanctuary
5. Hyena
Although hyenas bear some physical resemblance to canids,
they make up a separate biological family that is most
closely related to Herpestidae (the family of mongooses
and meerkats), though not all scientists
agree.[attribution needed] With the exception of the
insectivorous Aardwolf, hyenas have among the strongest
jaws in the animal kingdom, and an adult of the species
has only the big cats (e.g. lions or leopards) to fear.
All species have a distinctly bear-like gait due to their
front legs being longer than their back legs. The
Aardwolf, striped hyena and brown hyena have luxurious,
striped pelts and manes lining the top of their necks
which erect when frightened. The spotted hyena's fur is
considerably shorter and is spotted rather than striped.
Unlike other species, its mane is reversed forwards.
Place of Occurance : Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, and
Chambal
6. Cheetal
The chital (or cheetal) deer, also known as the
spotted
deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded
regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and most of
India. It is the most common deer species in Indian
forests. Its coat is reddish fawn, marked with white
spots, and its underparts are white. Its antlers, which it
sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in a
lyre shape and may extend to 75 cm. It has a protracted
breeding season due in part to the tropical climate, and
births can occur throughout the year. For this reason,
males do not have their antler cycles in synchrony and
there are some fertile females at all times of the year.
Males sporting hard antlers are dominant over those in
velvet or those without antlers, irrespective of their
size and other factors.
Chital most commonly occur in herds of ten to fifty
individuals comprised of one or two stags and a number of
females and young. They are often fairly tolerant of
approach by humans and vehicles, especially where they are
accustomed to human disturbance. They do not occur at
higher elevation forests where they are usually replaced
by other species such as the Sambar deer.
Place of Occurance : Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench , Chambal
Ranthambore
7. Nilgai
The Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is an antelope which
is one of the most commonly seen wild animals of northern
India and eastern Pakistan. It appears ox-like and is also
known as a Blue bull.
Nilgai stand 1.2-1.5 meters (4-5 feet) at the shoulder and
are 1.8-2 meters (6-6.6 feet) long. Their tails are 40-45
centimeters. Mature nilgai typically weigh 120-240
kilograms. The largest males in Texas can weigh over 272
kilograms (600 pounds).
Place of Occurance : Kanha, Pench and Chambal
8.Monitor Lizard
Monitor lizards are the family Varanidae, a group of
carnivorous lizards which includes the largest living
lizard, the Komodo Dragon. Varanidae contains only a
single genus: Varanus. In Australia, monitor lizards are
known as goannas
The genus name, "Varanus" is derived from the Arabic word
waral ورل, which is translated to English as "monitor". It
has been suggested that the occasional habit of varanids
to stand on their two hind legs and to appear to "monitor"
their surroundings led to the original Arabic name.
According to legend, these lizards were supposed to warn
people that crocodiles were nearby.
Place of Occurance : Ranthambore
9. Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or
quills, that defend them from predators. The porcupines
include the third largest rodent, after the capybara, and
beaver, and are not to be confused with hedgehogs which
are Erinaceomorphs. Most porcupines are about 25-36 inches
(60-90 cm) long, with a 8-10 inch (20-25 cm) long tail.
Weighing between 12-35 pounds (5-16 kg), they are rounded,
large and slow. Porcupines come in various shades of
brown, grey, and the unusual white. The name "porcupine"
comes from Middle French porc d'épine "thorny pork", hence
the nickname "quill pig" for the animal.
Place of Occurance : Sariska , Chambal, Kanha and
Bandhavgarh
10. Wild Cat
The Wildcat (Felis silvestris), sometimes Wild Cat or
Wild-cat, is a small predator native to Europe, the
western part of Asia, and Africa. It is a hunter of small
mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar size.
There are several subspecies distributed in different
regions. Sometimes included is the ubiquitous domestic cat
(Felis silvestris catus), which has been introduced to
every habitable continent and most of the world's larger
islands, and has become feral in many of those
environments.
Place of Occurance : Sariska, Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench
11. Civet
Civets are mammals, most of which are species in the
family Viverridae. They are small, lithe-bodied, mostly
arboreal members of the order Carnivora. General
appearance is broadly cat-like, but the muzzle is extended
and often pointed, rather like an otter or a mongoose.
Civets range in length, excluding its long tail, from
about 17 to 28 in (400 to 700 mm) and in weight from about
3 to 10 lb (1 to 5 kg).
Place of Occurance : Sariska, Kanha and Bandhavgarh
12. Jackel
A jackal (from Turkish çakal, via Persian shaghal
ultimately from Sanskrit sgāla is any of three
(sometimes four) small to medium-sized members of the
family Canidae, found in Africa, Asia and Southeastern
Europe. Jackals fill a similar ecological niche to the
Coyote in North America, that of scavengers and lesser
predators. Their long legs and curved canine teeth are
adapted for hunting small mammals, birds and reptiles.
Blunt feet and fused leg bones give them a long-distance
runner's physique, capable of maintaining speeds of 16km/h
(10mph) (just over 6 min/mile) for extended periods of
time. They are nocturnal, most active at dawn and dusk.
Place of Occurance : Bharatpur, Kanha and Bandhavgar
13. Black-naped Hare
The Indian Hare (Lepus nigricollis), also known as the
Black-naped Hare, is a common species of hare found in
South Asia.
Place of Occurance : Bharatpur, kanha and Pench
14. Keelback
The Keelback (Tropidonophis mairii) is a harmless snake
found throughout Northern Australia; it is also known as
the freshwater snake. It resembles two venomous snakes,
the Taipan and the Rough scaled snake, and this has
obviously assisted its evolution. It rarely grows over one
metre and feeds mainly on amphibians and small lizards. It
is also one of the only snakes that can eat Cane Toads
without effect.
Place of Occurance : Sultanpur , Chambal.
15. Holock Gibbon
The hoolock gibbons (Hoolock), also known as hoolocks, are
two primate species from the family of the gibbons (Hylobatidae).
Hoolocks are the second largest of the gibbons, after the
Siamang. They reach a size of 60 to 90 cm and weigh 6 to 9
kg. The genders are about the same size, but they differ
considerably in coloration: males are black colored with
remarkable white brows, while females have a grey-brown
fur, which is darker at the chest and neck. White rings
around the eyes and around the mouth give their face a
mask-like appearance.
Place of Occurance : Namdapha, Kaziranga
16. Leaf Deer
The leaf muntjac or leaf deer (Muntiacus putaoensis) is a
small species of muntjac. It was discovered very recently,
in 1997, by biologist Alan Rabinowitz during his field
study in the isolated Hukawng Valley in Myanmar. He
managed to obtain specimens, from which DNA analysis
revealed a new cervid species
Place of Occurance : Namdapha
17. Red Panda
The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat"), is a
mostly herbivorous mammal, specialized as a bamboo feeder.
It is slightly larger than a domestic cat (40 - 60 cm
long, 3 - 6 kg weight). The Red Panda is endemic to the
Himalayas in Bhutan, southern China, India, Laos, Nepal,
and Myanmar. Red Panda is the state animal in the Indian
state of Sikkim. It is also the mascot of the Darjeeling
international festivals. There is an estimated population
of less than 2,500 mature individuals. Their population
continues to decline due to habitat fragmentation.
Place of Occurance : Manas & Kanchenjunga National Park
18.Hispid hare
The Hispid Hare, Caprolagus hispidus, is a leporid native
to the foothills of the Himalaya. This hare was formerly
widely distributed but its habitat is much reduced and
degraded by deforestation, cultivation, and human
settlement, and now it is confined to isolated regions in
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. It is one of
the world's rarest mammals.
Other names include Bristly Rabbit and Assam Rabbit.
Place of Occurance : Manas, Kaziranga
19. Pigmy Hog
Pygmy hogs (Sus salvanius) are an endangered species of
small wild pig, previously spread across India, Nepal, and
Bhutan but now only found in Assam. The current world
population is about 100-150 individuals.
They are about 55 to 71 cm long and stand at 20-30 cm with
a tail of 2.5 cm. They weigh 6.6 to 11.8 kilograms. Their
skin is dark brownish black and the fur is dark. Piglets
are born grayish-pink becoming brown with yellow stripes
along the body length. The head is sharply tapered and
they have a slight crest of hair on the forehead and on
the back of the neck. Adult males have the upper canines
visible on the sides of the mouth. They live for about 8
years, becoming sexually mature at 1-2 years. They breed
seasonally before the monsoons giving birth to a litter of
3-6 after a gestation of 100 days.
In the wild they make small nests by digging a small
trench and lining it with vegetation. During the heat of
the day they stay within these nests.
They feed on roots, tubers, insects, rodents, and small
reptiles. Efforts to breed them in captivity have been
made. Conservation of the species has not been effective
due to the lack of public support, unlike that for
charismatic South Asian mammals like the Bengal Tiger or
Indian Rhino. Their rarity contrasts greatly with the
massive population of wild boars (Sus scrofa) in India.
Place of Occurance : Manas
20. Clouded Leopard
The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized
cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in) long and weighing
between 15 and 23 kg (33 to 50 lb). It has a tan or tawny
coat, and is distinctively marked with large,
irregularly-shaped, dark-edged ellipses which are said to
be shaped like clouds, hence both its common and original
scientific name. It is found in southern China, the
eastern Himalayas, north-east India and south-east Asia.
The Bornean Clouded Leopard, Neofelis diardi, is a
separate species found on the Sumatra, Borneo and the Batu
Islands. Because of their distinct skull structure, the
two species are considered sufficiently different to be
the only members of their genus.
Place of Occurance : Kanchenjunga National Park
21. Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica; also known as
Iranian Lion) is a subspecies of the lion found today only
in India. They ranged once from the Mediterranean to
India, covering most of Southwest Asia where it was also
known as the Persian Lion.
The current wild population consists of around 300
restricted to the Gir Forest in the state of Gujarat,
India. There are plans to re-introduce some into the wild
in Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the neighboring
Indian State of Madhya Pradesh.
The historic distribution included the Caucasus to Yemen
and from Macedon to present-day India through Iran
(Persia).
Place of Occurance : Gir
22. Leopard Cat
The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a small wild
cat of Southeast Asia. On average it is as large as a
domestic cat, but there are considerable regional
differences: in Indonesia the average size is 45 cm (18
in), plus 20 cm (8 in) tail, while it is 60 cm/40 cm
(24/16 in) in the Amur region. The shoulder height is 41
cm (16 in) and the weight is 4.5-6.8 kg (10-15 lbs). The
fur is also quite variable: it is yellow in the southern
populations, but silver-grey in the northern ones. The
chest and the lower part of the head are white. The
Leopard Cat bears black markings that may be - dependent
on the subspecies - spots or rosettes. It is usually a
solitary animal except for the mating season. It has
litters of 2 to 4 kittens and the gestation period can
vary from 65 to 70 days.
The habitat of this cat is forests and rainforest both in
low and mountainous areas, usually not arid areas. It
lives close to watercourses and may be found in heights up
to 3000 m. The Leopard Cat can climb trees skilfully. It
is also able to swim, but will seldom do so.
The Leopard Cat is a nocturnal animal hunting for hares,
birds, rodents and other small mammals, and even bats.
When entering villages, it may be a threat to the domestic
poultry.
Place of Occurance : Kanchenjunga National Park
23. Himalayan Tahr
The Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) is a large
ungulate and a close relative to the wild goat. Its native
habitat is in the rugged wooded hills and mountain slopes
of the Himalaya from northern India to Tibet. They spend
the summers grazing in high pastures, then come down the
mountains and form mixed-sex herds in the winter.
The Himalayan Tahr is one of three species of tahr. The
others are the Arabian Tahr of Oman and the Nilgiri Tahr
of southern India.
Place of Occurance : Kanchenjunga National Park
24. Asiatic Black Bear
The Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus or Selenarctos
thibetanus), also known as the Tibetan black bear, the
Himalayan black bear, or the moon bear, is a medium sized,
sharp-clawed, black-coloured bear with a distinctive white
or cream "V" marking on its chest. It is a close relative
of the American black bear with which it is thought to
share a European common ancestor.
Place of Ocurance : Kanchenjunga National Park
25. Barking deer
Muntjac are deer of the genus Muntiacus, also known as
Barking Deer. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing
15-35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene
deposits in France and Germany.
The present-day species are native to Southeast Asia and
can be found from India and Sri Lanka to southern China,
Taiwan and Indonesian islands. Reeves's Muntjac has been
introduced to England and is now common in some areas
there. Being tropical, there is no seasonal rut and mating
can take place at any time of year, a behaviour retained
by populations introduced to temperate countries. Males
have short antlers which can regrow but tend to fight with
their tusks (downward pointing canine teeth) for
territory.
Muntjac are of great interest in evolutionary studies
because of their dramatic chromosome variations and recent
discoveries of several new species.
Place of Occurance: Kanchnjunga National Park.
26. Elaphant
The elephants (Elephantidae) are a family in the order
Proboscidea in the class Mammalia. They were once
classified along with other thick skinned animals in a now
invalid order, Pachydermata. There are three living
species: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest
Elephant (until recently known collectively as the African
Elephant), and the Asian Elephant (also known as the
Indian Elephant). Other species have become extinct since
the last ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago, the
Mammoth being the most well-known of these.
The word "elephant" has its origins in the Greek ἐλέφας,
meaning "ivory" or "elephant".
Elephants are mammals, and the largest land animals alive
today. The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the
longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an
elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms (265 lb). An elephant
may live as long as 70 years, sometimes longer. The
largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956.
This male weighed about 12,000 kg (26,400 lb), with a
shoulder height of 4.2 m (13.8 ft), a metre (3 ft 4 in)
taller than the average male African elephant. The
smallest elephants, about the size of a calf or a large
pig, were a prehistoric species that lived on the island
of Crete during the Pleistocene epoch.
Elephants are symbols of wisdom in Asian cultures, and are
famed for their exceptional memory and very high
intelligence, and are thought to be on par with cetaceans
and hominids. Aristotle once said the elephant was "the
beast which passeth all others in wit and mind."
Place of Occurance : Periyar, Chitwan, Kaziranga and Manas
27. Tiger
The tiger (Panthera tigris) is a mammal of the Felidae
family, the largest of four "big cats" in the Panthera
genus. Native to the mainland of Asia, the tiger is an
apex predator and the largest feline species in the world,
comparable in size to the biggest fossil felids. The
Bengal Tiger is the most common subspecies of tiger,
constituting approximately 80% of the entire tiger
population, and is found in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Myanmar and Nepal. It has disappeared from much of its
former distribution including the Caucasus, Java and Bali.
The tiger is an endangered species, with the majority of
the world's tigers now living in captivity. Several
subspecies are extinct and others critically endangered.
Tigers have featured in ancient mythologies and folklore,
and continue to be depicted in modern films and
literature, as well as appearing on flags, coats of arms
and as mascots for sporting teams. It is the national
animal of India, and some other countries.
Place of Occurance : Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna,
Sariska, Ranthambore, Periyar and Sundarbans.
28. Wild Dog
A handsome reddish hunting dog, with a dark muzzle and a
black tiped tail that normally hunts in packs.
Place of Occurance : Periyar, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench,
Panna, Kaziranga and Manas
29. Wild Boar
The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the
domestic pig. It is native across much of Central Europe,
the Mediterranean Region (including North Africa's Atlas
Mountains) and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia, and
has been widely introduced elsewhere. It is in the same
Suidae biological family as the Warthog and Bushpig of
Africa, the Pygmy Hog of northern India, Babirusa of
Indonesia and others.
Although common in France, the wild boar became extinct in
Great Britain and Ireland by the 17th century, but wild
breeding populations have recently returned in some areas,
particularly the Weald, following escapes from boar farms
Place of Occurance : Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh
30. Sloth Bear
The Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) is a nocturnal bear,
inhabiting the lowland forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The Sloth Bear is the only bear
species classified in genus Melursus
Place of Occurance : Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh
31 . Pangolin
Pangolins (pronounced /pæŋgln/) or scaly anteaters are
mammals in the order Pholidota. There is only one extant
family (Manidae) and one genus (Manis) of pangolins,
comprising eight species. (There are also a number of
extinct taxa within Pholidota.) Pangolins have large
scales on their skin and are found in tropical regions of
Africa and Asia. The name "pangolin" is derived from the
Malay word pengguling ("something that rolls up").
Pangolins are nocturnal animals, using their well
developed sense of smell to find insects. The long-tailed
pangolin is also active by day. Pangolins spend most of
their daytime hours sleeping, curled up into a ball.
In older classifications, pangolins were classified with
various other orders, for example Xenarthra, which
includes the ordinary anteaters, sloths, and the
similar-looking armadillos. Newer genetic evidence,[3]
however, indicates that the closest living relatives of
pangolins are the Carnivora, with which they form a clade,
the Ferae[4]. Some paleontologists have classified the
pangolins in the order Cimolesta, together with several
extinct groups.
Place of Occurance : Pench
32. Barasingha
The Barasingha (sometimes spelt Barasinga) is a type of
deer, native to India and Nepal. In Assam in the
North-East India, Barasingha is traditionally known as
Dolhorina similar to its English name as dol in Assamese
means swamp. In Central India it is called goinjak (male)
or gaoni (female). The most striking feature of a
barasingha is its antlers, with 10-14 tines on a mature
stag, though some have been known to have up to 20.[1] The
name is derived from this and means 12 tined or horned in
Hindi.
The binomial commemorates the French naturalist Alfred
Duvaucel.
Place of Occurance : Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Kaziranga and
Chitwan
33. Leopard
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is an Old World mammal of
the Felidae family and the smallest of the four 'big cats'
of the genus Panthera, along with the tiger, lion, and
jaguar. Leopards that are melanistic, either all-black or
very dark in coloration, are known colloquially as Black
Panthers.
Once distributed across southern Eurasia and Africa, from
Korea to South Africa and Spain, it has disappeared from
much of its former range and now chiefly occurs in
subsaharan Africa. There are fragmented populations in the
Indian subcontinent, Indochina, Malaysia, and western
China. Despite the loss of range and continued population
declines, the cat remains a least concern species; its
numbers are greater than that of the other Panthera
species, all of which face more acute conservation
concerns.
The species' success owes in part to its opportunistic
hunting behaviour and its adaptability to a variety of
habitats. The leopard consumes virtually any animal it can
catch and ranges from rainforest to desert. Its ecological
role resembles that of the similarly-sized cougar in the
Americas. Physically, the spotted cat most closely
resembles the jaguar, although it is of lighter build.
Place of Occurance : Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench,
Ranthambore, Chitwan, Kaziranga, Sundarbans and Periyar
34. Small Mammals
These includes:
- Langur Monkey ( Presbytis entellus)
- Rhesus Macaque ( Macaca mulatta)
- Indian fox ( Vulpes bengalensis)
- Large Indian Civet ( Veverra zibetha)
- Small Indian Civet ( Viverricula indica)
- Common Palm Civet ( Paradxurus hermaphroditus)
- Himalayan Palm Civet ( Paguma larvata)
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