Wildlife and Avian ecology in  India

 

Source: webindia123.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wildlife in India

 

 

Apes, Monkeys & Lemurs

 

 

Animals

Habitat

  Hoolock Gibbon

Garo and Khasi hills Assam and Manipur

  Bonnet Macaque

The Indian Peninsula from Bombay on the west to Godavari on the East

  Rhesus Macaque

Himalayan region and Northern India

  Pig tailed Macaque

Naga Hills

  Lion-tailed macaque

The western ghats from Kanara to Kerala

  Common langur

Whole of India

  Slow Loris

Assam

  Slender Loris

South India

 Capped Langur

 Assam

 Stumped tailed Macaque

 Assam

 Nilgiri Langur

 Western ghats, Anaimalai , Brahmgiri, Tirunelveli, Bhramgiri, Palani hills

Bears, Hyenas & Sheep

                  

Animals

Habitat

Bears

   Sloth bear

From the Himalayas to extreme south

   Himalayan black bear

Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Himalayas and Assam

  Brown Bear

Higher levels of North western and central Himalayas

  India wild Boar

Nearly Whole of India in the Himalayas upto 10,000ft

  Pig hog

Himalayan Terai forests, Assam

Hyena

  Stripped hyena

Whole of India

Sheep

  Shapu or Urial

Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir (Ladakh)

  Nayan

Kashmir and parts of Himachal Pradesh

  Bharal or blue sheep

Punjab, Himachal Pradesh. Kashmir, Sikkim

 

 

The Cats

 

Animals                                                                            Habitat

Tiger

Throughout India from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari except desert of Rajasthan, Punjab and Kutch

Lion

Gir forests in Kathiawar (Gujarat)

Leopard or Panther

The whole of India from Kashmir in north to Kanyakumari in the south, absent in parts of Punjab

Snow-Leopard

Along the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Sikkim

Clouded Leopard

Sikkim, North Bengal and Assam

Leopard Cat

Punjab , Peninsular India and Assam

Desert Cat

The desert of north west India-extending up to drier of central India

Jungle Cat

All over the country

Caracal

North and north-west hills of Kutch, Punjab, Rajasthan, UP, central India, Peninsular India, Malabar coast

 

Civets, Mongoose & The Dog Tribe

  Animals

Habitat

Civets

   Large Indian civet

Punjab, Upper Bengal, Assam and Orissa

   Small Indian civet

Punjab, Himalayan foot hills southwards up to Kanyakumari

   Malabar civet

Malabar coast

Mongoose

 

   Small India Mongoose

Northern India from Kashmir to Bengal, Orissa, and Assam

   Brown mongoose

Central and southern India

   Stripe necked mongoose.

The western ghats from north Kanara southwards

 The Dog Tribe

 

   Wolf

Kashmir, Punjab extending up to the desert zone and dry plains of peninsular India

   Jackal

Throughout India

   Red Fox

Kashmir and Himalayas extending up to desert zone of north west India

   Desert Fox

Punjab dry districts

   Wild dog

Throughout forest regions of India

Crocodiles, Tortoise & Lizards

 

 

Animals

Habitat

 

Crocodiles

   Gharial

The Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi and their tributaries

   Coast Crocodile

Coast of Eastern India

   Common Indian Crocodile

Throughout India

 

Tortoise

 

   Ganges soft smelt Tortoise

Ganga and its tributaries

   Indian starred Tortoise

Through out India except lower Bengal

   Red-Streaked Kachua

North of the Indian Peninsular

   Logger Sea Turtle

Bay of Bengal (Andaman & Nicobar Islands)

   Green Sea Turtle

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

 

Lizards

 

   Common House Gecko 

Throughout India

   Common Garden Lizard

Throughout India

   Desert Monitor

India generally

   

 

Deers

Animals

Habitat

   Kashmir Stag

North valley of Kashmir and some adjacent valleys

   Brow-antlered deer
   or the Thamin (Dancing deer)

Manipur.

    Sambar

Wooded hill districts upto 10,000 ft in the Himalayas and southern India.

   Swamp deer

The animal with splayed hoofs and larger skull is found in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Sunderbans and the other one with smelter and well knit hoof is found in hard open ground of Madhya Pradesh.

   Hog deer

The sub Himalayan Terai country from parts of Punjab extending to Assam. Not found in Indian peninsula.

   Cheetal or spotted deer

Forests of the base of Himalayas upto 4,000 feet throughout the peninsula wherever there is forest with good grazing and plentiful water. Unknown in arid zone of Punjab, large part of the Rajasthan in eastern Assam and beyond.

   Muntjac or Barking deer

Distributed through out the country-living in thick forests preferably evergreen type.

   Musk Deer

Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Hills of Uttar Pradesh, above 8,000 ft upto 12,000 ft in summer.

   Indian spotted chevrotain or
   Mouse Deer

Forested are of South India at an elevation upto 6,00ft. The 24o latitude is approximately the limit of its northerly range in the peninsular region

Elephants, Buffaloes, Wild Ass & Rhinoceros

Animals

Habitat

 

 

Wild Oxen and Buffaloes

 

 

   Bison

Hill forests in the East and south. Not found in Himalayas

 

   wild buffalo

Grass jungles of Assam, West Bengal, parts of Orissa and Raipur and Bastar districts of Madhya Pradesh

 

   Yak

Valleys of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, East Kumaon

 

   Indian Elephant

Assam-North Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, South Bihar, Orissa, Karnataka, Western Ghat

 

Indian wild Ass

 

 

   Indian wild Ass

The Rann of Kutch and parts, desert zone of north west India

 

One Horned Rhinoceros

 

   Great one Horned 
   Rhinoceros

Assam, parts of West Bengal

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goats, Goat Antelopes & Antelopes

 

 

Animals

Habitat

Goats

 

  Himalayan ibex

Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Kumaon

  Markhor

Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh

  Himalayan Thar

Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir to Sikkim in the Himalayas

  Nilgiri Thar

From Nilgiri to Anaimalai and along western hats from 1219 to 1525 metres

Goat Antelops

 

   Serow

The Himalayas from Kashmir to Assam and naga hills

   Goral

Eastern Himalayas to Assam

   Grey Himalayan

Western Himalayas (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Kumaon)

   Takin

Mishmi Hills, Assam

Antelops

 

  Indian Antelope or blackbuck

Punjab, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and all over Indian Plains except Malabar coast

   Four Horned Antelope

Punjab, Peninsular India, south of Himalayas where the country is not thickly forested. Not found in Malabar coast

   Nilgai or Blue Bull

Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan down to Karnataka. Not found in East India and West coast

   Indian gazelle or Ravine Deer

Plains and low hills of north western and central India extending through the open lands of the Deccan to a little south of Krishna river

 

 

 

 

Snakes

Snakes

Habitat 

   Indian Python 

Indian peninsula and Bengal

   Russels Viper

Throughout India

   Saw Scaled Viper

North-South of Karnataka and Konkan in the Peninsula

   Purple Pit Viper

From the Himalayas to Andaman and Nicobar

   Common Cobra

All over India

   King Cobra

Rarer than common Cobra, found in forests

   Krait

Common in India

   Flower Snake

Throughout  India

   Common Rat Snake

Throughout  India

 

 

The Weasel Tribe, Insectivores, Pangolins & Rodents

 

 

Animals

Habitat

 

The Weasel Tribe

   Common Otter

Punjab, Kashmir, Himalayas and Assam

   Yellow Throated Marten

The Himalayas and Assam Hill ranges

   Nilgiri Marten

Nilgiri, South Coory and Kerala

   The Himalayan Weasel

The Himalayas

   Ratel or Honey Badger

The base of the Himalayas to Kanyakumari

Insectivores

   Indian Hedgehog

Plains of South India

Pangolins

   Pangolin or Scaly Ant Eater

Hills, South of the Himalayas

Rodents

   Brown flying squirrel

Forests of south of Ganga and Peninsular India

   Red flying squirrel

Western Himalayas

   Indian giant squirrel

Peninsular India, south of Ganga -deciduous, mixed deciduous and moist evergreen forests

   Indian Porcupine

From Himalayas to Kanyakumari

   Common hare

From the Himalayas south to Godavari

   Desert Hare

Punjab, Kutch and Rajasthan

 

Some Common Indian Birds

 

Name

Distribution

  Great Indian Bustard

Throughout India except Bengal, Assam and area south of Karnataka. Now rare and restricted to Rajasthan, Gujarat.

  Chloropsis, Jerdon's Coursor

Gangetic plain and Peninsular India

  Chikor

Himalayas

  Common Coot

Practically throughout India upto 2440 m in outer Himalayas

  Common crane

Plains of northern India, south to Deccan and Orissa Winter visitors

  Demoiselle Crane

Northern India, Assam and south to Mysore, winter Visitors

  Sarus Crane

Northern India, Central India, Assam and Gujarat

  Cuckoo, the Koel 

Throughout India

  Andaman Cackoo Dove

Andaman and Nicobar

  Indian Ring Dove

Throughout the dry parts of India

  Comb Duck

Throughout India

  Cotten Teal

Throughout India

  Andaman Teal

Andamans

  Whistling Teal

Throughout India

  White Eyed Poached

Throughout India

  Common Green winged Teal

All over India

  Gargancy Teal

All over India

  Pintail 

All over India

  Bengal Florican

Bengal and Assam

  Lesser Florican

Northern India excluding Assam, Kutch

  The Bar-headed goose

Northern India

  Mallard

Breeds in Kashmir, winter visitor to Northern India except Kashmir

  Grey Heron

Throughout India

  Grey Jungle Fowl

Mount Abu to Baroda, Throughout South India

  Red Jungle Fowl

Northern India, Assam and South to Godavari River

  Common Kingfisher

Throughout India

  Hill Myna

Himalayan foot hills

  Indian Parakeet

Practically throughout India

  Black Partridge

Northern India, East to Manipur and Assam

  Grey Partridge

Dry regions throughout India except Assam

  Painted Partridge

North Central India, South India except Malabar Coast

  Hill Partridge

The Himalayas from Uttar Pradesh to Assam 

  Snow Partridge

The Himalayas from  1000ft to 1700ft 

  Common Peafowl

Throughout India except North east region

  Blue Rock Pigeon

Throughout India

  Common green Pigeon

Throughout India

  Nicobar Pigeon

Andamans and Nicobar

  Nilgiri Wood Pigeon

Nelgiris and other South Indian Hills

  Kalij Pheasant

Throughout Himalayas and Assam

  Cheer Pheasant

Himalayas from Nepal westward Himalayas

  Koklas Pheasant

Himalayas

  Monel Pheasant

Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan

  Black Breasted or Rain Quail

 Throughout India upto 6000ft in the Himalayas

  Common or grey Quail

 Practically throughout India

  Jungle Bush Quail

Throughout India

  Yellow legged Button Quail

Throughout India

  Rotter

Throughout India

  Imperial Sand grouse

Semi desert region of Punjab, Rajasthan, Kutch and Saurashtra

  Painted Sand grouse

Throughout greater part of India

  Common Indian Sand grouse

Dry areas throughout India

  Wood Snipe

Winter visitor to hill ranges of Peninsular India, North to MP

  Common Pintail Snipe

Winter Visitor practically throughout India

  Pintail Snipe

Common in Eastern and Southern

  Swan

Northern India

  Common weaver Bird

Throughout India