| Delphinidae | Steno bredanensis | Rough-toothed dolphin | The Rough-toothed Dolphin (''Steno bredanensis'') is a fairly large dolphin that can be found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world. The species is social. Group sizes are commonly as large as fifty and groups as large as 100 have been reported. Rough-toothed dolphins adapt well to captivity and have proven to be intelligent and creative. Less than a dozen Rough-toothed dolphins live in various dolphinariums around the world. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Delphinidae | Tursiops truncatus | Bottle-nosed dolphin | ''Tursiops truncatus'', commonly known as the Common Bottlenose Dolphin, is the most well-known species from the family Delphinidae. Common bottlenose dolphins are the most familiar dolphins due to the wide exposure they receive in captivity in marine parks, dolphinarias, in movies, and television programs.
''T. truncatus'' are the largest species of the beaked dolphins. They have a bigger brain than humans. There have been numerous investigations of Common Bottlenose Dolphin intelligence, including tests of mimicry, use of artificial language, object categorization, and self-recognition. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Delphinidae | Stenella longirostris | Spinner dolphin | The Spinner Dolphin (''Stenella longirostris'') is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which they spin longitudinally along their axis as they leap through the air. A possible reason for the animal's spinning is that males spin to attract females. Another suggestion is that the bubbles may act as a target for echolocation by other individuals in the school. Spinning may also be play. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Dugongidae | Dugong dugon | Dugong | The dugong (''Dugong dugon'') is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order ''Sirenia''. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's Sea Cow (''Hydrodamalis gigas''), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. It is also the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of at least 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific,though the majority of dugongs live in the northern waters of Australia. The dugong is the only strictly-marine herbivorous mammal, as all species of manatee utilize fresh water to some degree. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Elephantidae | Elephas maximus | Indian Elephant, Asian Elephant | The Asian or Asiatic Elephant (''Elephas maximus''), sometimes known by the name of one of its subspecies, the Indian Elephant, is one of the three living species of elephant, and the only living species of the genus ''Elephas''. It is the largest living land animal in Asia. The species is found primarily in India, Sri Lanka, Burma and parts of Nepal and Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China, Bhutan, and Sumatra. It is considered endangered due to habitat loss and poaching, with between 41,410 and 52,345 elephants left in the wild. Asian elephants are rather long-lived, with a maximum recorded life span of 86 years. This animal is widely domesticated, and has been used in forestry in South and Southeast Asia for centuries and also in ceremonial purposes. Historical sources indicate that they were sometimes used during the harvest season primarily for milling. Wild elephants attract tourist money to the areas where they can most readily be seen, but damage crops, and may enter villages to raid gardens. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Equidae | Equus hemionus | Dziggetai, Onager, Wild Asian Ass | The Onager (''Equus hemionus'') is a large member of the genus Equus of the family Equidae (horse family) native to the deserts of Syria, Iran, Pakistan, India, Israel and Tibet. It is sometimes known as the Wild Asian Ass. Onagers are a little larger than donkeys and they are notoriously untameable. |
| Equidae | Equus kiang | Kiang, Tibetan wild ass | The kiang (''Equus kiang'') is the largest of the wild asses. This equine is native to the Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabits montane and alpine grasslands from 4,000 to 7,000 meters elevation. Its current range is restricted to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, plains of the Tibetan plateau and northern Nepal along the Tibetan border.
Other common names for this species include Tibetan wild ass, khyang, and gorkhar. |
| Felidae | Acinonyx jubatus | Cheetah | The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae) that is unique in its speed, while lacking strong climbing abilities. The species is the only living member of the genus Acinonyx. It is the fastest land animal, reaching speeds between 112 and 120 km/h in short bursts covering distances up to 460 m, and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 103 km/h in three seconds, faster than most supercars. '''''The word "cheetah" is derived from the Sanskrit word citrakāyaḥ, meaning "variegated", via the Hindi चीता cītā.''''' It is possible, though doubtful, that some cheetahs remain in India. The popular belief is that Cheetahs are extinct in India since 1940s. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Lynx lynx | European lynx, Common lynx , Northern lynx, Siberian lynx, Russian lynx | The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, where it is one of the predators. It is also known as the European lynx, Common lynx , the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx. The species is considered "Near threatened" by IUCN. In India, the Lynx is found primarily in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Caracal caracal | Caracal, Persian Cat | The caracal (Caracal caracal, pronounced /ˈkærəkæl/) is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia and Africa. The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh (स्याहगोष/سیاحگوش) or shyahgosh, which is a Persian-derived term meaning black ears. Although it has traditionally had the alternative names Persian Lynx, Egyptian Lynx and African Lynx, it is no longer considered to be an actual lynx. Instead, it is now believed to be closely related to the African golden cat and the serval. The caracal is classified as a small cat, yet is amongst the heaviest of all small cats, as well as the quickest, being nearly as fast as the serval. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Panthera pardus | Leopard | The leopard (pronounced /ˈlɛpərd/), ''Panthera pardus'', is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion and jaguar. It is chiefly found in sub-Saharan Africa; there are also fragmented populations in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malaysia, and China. Because of its declining range and population, it is listed as a "Near Threatened" species by the IUCN. The species' success in the wild is in part due to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to habitats, its ability to run at speeds approaching 58 kilometres per hour, its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass, and its notorious ability for stealth. The leopard consumes virtually any animal it can hunt down and catch. Its habitat ranges from rainforest to desert terrains. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Neofelis nebulosa | Clouded Leopard | The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN. Its total population size is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, with a decreasing population trend and no single population numbering more than 1,000 adults. |
| Felidae | Prionailurus rubiginosus | Rusty-spotted cat | The Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is the cat family's smallest member and found only in India and Sri Lanka. Being one of the lesser studied South Asian carnivores it has been listed as Vulnerable by IUCN only in 2002. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Panthera tigris | Tiger | The tiger (''Panthera tigris''), a member of the Felidae family, is the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore. Tigers are among the most recognizable and popular of the world's charismatic megafauna. They have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Tigers appear on many flags and coats of arms, as mascots for sporting teams, and as the national animal of several Asian nations, including India. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Prionailurus bengalensis | Leopard Cat | The Leopard Cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') is a small wild cat of Southeast Asia (south to Java and east to the Philippines), the Indian Subcontinent, eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and southeastern Russia. There are eleven subspecies of Leopard Cat, which differ widely in appearance. The Leopard Cat's name is derived from the leopard-like spots prevalent in all subspecies, but its relation to the leopard is distant, as the leopard is a member of a different genus, ''Panthera''. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Prionailurus viverrinus | Fishing Cat | The Fishing Cat (''Prionailurus viverrinus'') is a medium-sized cat whose disjunct global range extends from eastern Pakistan through portions of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, throughout Bangladesh and Mainland Southeast Asia to Sumatra and Java. Like its closest relative, the Leopard Cat, the Fishing Cat lives along rivers, streams and mangrove swamps. It is well adapted to this habitat, being an eager and skilled swimmer. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Pardofelis marmorata | Marbled Cat | The Marbled Cat (''Pardofelis marmorata'') is a small cat about which relatively little is known. It is native to the forests of Southeast Asia.
Although distinctive enough to be placed in its own genus, and once considered to belong to the pantherine lineage of "big cats", the Marbled Cat is now believed to be closely related to the Asian Golden Cat and the Bay Cat, members of the genus (Catopuma). It has two generally recognized subspecies, ''P. m. marmorata'' (Southeast Asia) and ''P. m. charltoni'' (Nepal).
It is rarely sighted in its densely forested habitat, and little studied or understood. Its population is estimated at below 10,000 mature individuals. Its forested habitats have been shrinking, accounting for its vulnerable listing in IUCN. The only captive Marbled Cats registered by ISIS are a pair kept at a breeding center in the United Arab Emirates.(Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Uncia uncia | Snow Leopard | The Snow Leopard (''Uncia uncia'' or ''Panthera uncia'') is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and its exact taxonomic position will not be resolved until further studies are conducted.
Snow leopards live between 3,000 and 5,500 metres above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown, but it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild and between 600 and 700 in zoos worldwide. Snow leopards cannot roar, despite possessing some ossification of the hyoid bone. This ossification was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar, but new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard. Snow leopard vocalizations include hisses, chuffing, mews, growls, and wailing. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Felis manul | Pallas's Cat, Manul | Pallas's Cat (''Otocolobus manul'' or ''Felis manul''), also known as the Manul, is a small wild cat of Central Asia. It is named after the naturalist Peter Simon Pallas, who first described the species in 1776.
Pallas's Cat is the oldest living species of a clade of felids that includes the modern genus Felis. This feline, along with the extinct Martelli's Cat, was probably one of the first two modern cats to evolve from ''Pseudaelurus'' approximately 12 million years ago. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Felis chaus | Jungle Cat | The jungle cat (Felis chaus) is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes.
Felis chaus is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as it is widespread and common particularly in India. Population declines and range contraction are of concern, particularly in Egypt, in the Caucasus, in southwestern, central and Southeast Asia |
| Felidae | Felis silvestris | Common Wild Cat | The wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') is a small cat (Felinae) native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa. It is a hunter of small mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar or smaller size. A study suggests that all current house cats in the world are descendants from a group of self-domesticating wildcats 10,000 years ago, somewhere in the Near East. It is believed that this domestication occurred when the Agricultural Revolution yielded grain, which would be stored in granaries, that attracted rodents, which in turn attracted cats. The closest relative of the wildcat is the Sand Cat (''Felis margarita''). (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Felidae | Catopuma temminckii | Asian Golden Cat, Temminck's Golden Cat | The Asian Golden Cat (''Pardofelis temminckii'', syn. ''Catopuma temminckii''), also called the Asiatic Golden Cat and Temminck's Golden Cat, is a medium-sized wild cat of Southeastern Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified Asian Golden cats as Near Threatened, stating that the species comes close to qualifying as Vulnerable due to hunting pressure and habitat loss, since Southeast Asian forests are undergoing the world's fastest regional deforestation rates. The Asian Golden Cat was named in honor of the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck, who first described the African Golden Cat in 1827. |
| Hyaenidae | Hyaena hyaena | Striped hyaena | The Striped Hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') is a species of true hyena native to North and East Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Middle, Central and Southern Asia. It is listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened, as the global population is estimated to be under 10,000 mature individuals. Striped hyenas are frequently referenced in Middle Eastern literature and folklore, typically as symbols of treachery and stupidity. The image of striped hyenas in Afghanistan, India and Palestine is more varied. Though feared, striped hyenas were also symbolic for love and fertility, leading to numerous varieties of love medicine derived from hyena body parts. Among the Baluch and in northern India, witches or magicians are said to ride striped hyenas at night. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Hylobatidae | Hylobates hoolock | White-browed Gibbon, Hoolock 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. The range of the hoolocks is the most northwestern of all the gibbons, extending from Assam in North-East India, to Myanmar. Small populations (in each case few hundred animals) live also in eastern Bangladesh and in southwest China. |
| Hyperoodontidae | Ziphius cavirostris | Cuvier's beaked whale | Cuvier's beaked whale (''Ziphius cavirostris'') is the most widely distributed of all the beaked whales. It is the only member of the genus Ziphius. Another common name for the species is goose-beaked whale because its head is said to be shaped like the beak of a goose. |
| Kogiidae | Kogia breviceps | Pygmy sperm whale | The Pygmy Sperm Whale (''Kogia breviceps'') is one of three species of toothed whale in the sperm whale family. They are not often sighted at sea, and most of what is known about the creatures comes from the study of washed-up specimens.(Source:Wikipedia) |
| Leporidae | Lepus tolai | Tolai Hare | The Tolai Hare (''Lepus tolai'') is a species of hare found in Central Asia, Mongolia, and Northern and Central China. It inhabits semi-desert, steppes, rocky habitats, and forest meadows. It is relatively common, even in areas with heavy human disturbance, due to its fast reproductive rate. |
| Leporidae | Lepus oiostolus | Woolly Hare | The Woolly Hare (''Lepus oiostolus'') is a species of mammal in the Leporidae family. It is found in China, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Mongolia. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Leporidae | Lepus nigricollis | Indian Hare, 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. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Leporidae | Caprolagus hispidus | Hispid Hare, Bristly Rabbit, Assam Rabbit | The Hispid Hare (''Caprolagus hispidus'') is a leporid native to the foothills of the Himalaya and is also called Bristly Rabbit and Assam Rabbit. This hare was formerly widely distributed but its habitat is much reduced and degraded by deforestation, cultivation, and human settlement. It is one of the world's rarest mammals. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Manidae | Manis pentadactyla | Chinese Pangolin | The Chinese Pangolin (''Manis pentadactyla'') is a pangolin that is found in north India, Nepal, Bhutan, possibly Bangladesh, across Myanmar to northern Indochina, through most of Taiwan and southern China. The Chinese pangolin has been referred to as the scaly anteater because that is what it resembles. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Manidae | Manis crassicaudata | Indian Pangolin | The Indian Pangolin (''Manis crassicaudata'') is a pangolin that is found in many parts of India and some parts of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on the body which act like armour. It can also curl itself into a ball as self defence against predators such as the tiger. It is an insectivore and feeds on ants and termites, digging them out of their mounds using its long claws that are as long as its forelimbs. It lives mainly in burrows and is known to climb trees. It is also considered to be a curious animal and has been killed for so-called medicinal value. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Moschidae | Moschus fuscus | Dusky Musk Deer | The Black Musk Deer or Dusky Musk Deer (''Moschus fuscus'') is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Moschidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.(Source:Wikipedia) |
| Moschidae | Moschus chrysogaster | Alpine Musk Deer | The Alpine Musk Deer (''Moschus chrysogaster'') is a species of musk deer. It is occurs the highlands of central China, south and west to the Himalayas. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Ochotonidae | Ochotona ladacensis | Ladak Pika | The Ladak Pika (Ochotona ladacensis) is a species of mammal in the Ochotonidae family. It is found in China, India, and Pakistan. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Ochotonidae | Ochotona forresti | Forrest's pika | The Forrest's Pika (''Ochotona forresti'') is a species of mammal in the Ochotonidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Myanmar. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Ochotonidae | Ochotona curzoniae | Plateau pika,Black-lipped Pika | The Plateau Pika (''Ochotona curzoniae''), also known as the Black-lipped Pika is a species of mammal in the Ochotonidae family. It is found in China, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Ochotonidae | Ochotona macrotis | Large-eared pika | The Large-eared Pika (''Ochotona macrotis'') is a species of mammal in the Ochotonidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Ochotonidae | Ochotona thibetana | Moupin Pika, Tibetan Hamster | The Moupin Pika (''Ochotona thibetana'') is a species of mammal in the Ochotonidae family. It is found in China, India, and possibly Bhutan. |
| Ochotonidae | Ochotona roylei | Royle's Pika | The Royle's Pika (''Ochotona roylei'') is a species of mammal in the Ochotonidae family. It is found in China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. |
| Phocoenidae | Neophocaena phocaenoides | Finless porpoise | The Finless Porpoise (''Neophocaena phocaenoides'') is one of six porpoise species. The Finless Porpoise lives in the coastal waters of Asia, especially around Korea, India, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Japan. Throughout their range, the porpoises stay in shallow waters (up to 50 m), close to the shore, in waters with soft or sandy seabeds. In exceptional cases they have been encountered as far as 160 kilometres off-shore in the East China and Yellow Seas, albeit still in shallow water. Like other porpoises, their behaviour tends to be not as energetic and showy as that of dolphins. They do not ride bow waves, and in some areas appear to be shy of boats. (Source:Wikipedia) |
| Physeteridae | Physeter macrocephalus | Sperm whale | The sperm whale, ''Physeter macrocephalus'', is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale (odontocete) having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus ''Physeter''. The species feeds on squid and fish, diving as deep as 3 kilometres, which makes it the deepest diving mammal. Its diet includes giant squid and colossal squid. The sperm whale's clicking vocalization is the loudest sound produced by any animal. Global populations are listed as Vulnerable by IUCN, although when confronted sperm whales have been known to sink ships (Source:Wikipedia). |
| Platanistoidea | Platanista gangetica | Gangetic river dolphin | The South Asian River Dolphin (''Platanista'') is a freshwater or river dolphin found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan which is split into two sub-species, the Ganges River Dolphin ('''''Platanista gangetica gangetica''''') and Indus River Dolphin (''Platanista minor minor'').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 found in the Indus river in Pakistan and its Beas and Sutlej tributaries. 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. '''''The Ganges river dolphin has been recognized by the government of India as its National Aquatic Animal'''''. |
| Rhinocerotidae | Rhinoceros unicornis | Rhinoceros | The Indian Rhinoceros (''Rhinoceros unicornis'') is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family. Listed as a vulnerable species, the large mammal is primarily found in parts of north-eastern India and in protected areas in the Terai of Nepal, where populations are confined to the riverine grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas. The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain but excessive hunting reduced their natural habitat drastically.Today, about 3,000 rhinos live in the wild, 2,000 of which are found in India's Assam alone.(Source:Wikipedia) |
| Soricidae | Crocidura jenkinsi | Jenkin's Shrew | The Jenkin's Shrew ''(Crocidura jenkinsi)'' is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to India and is critically endangered. |
| Soricidae | Crocidura pergrisea | Kashmir rock shrew | The Kashmir White-toothed Shrew ''(Crocidura pullata)'' is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Pakistan, and Thailand. |
| Soricidae | Crocidura hispida | Andaman spiny shrew | The Andaman Spiny Shrew or Andaman Shrew ''(Crocidura hispida)'' is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to India. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. |
| Soricidae | Crocidura andamanensis | Andaman shrew | The Andaman Shrew or Andaman White-toothed Shrew ''(Crocidura andamanensis)'' is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to India and is critically endangered. |
| Soricidae | Crocidura nicobarica | Nicobar Shrew | The Nicobar Shrew or Nicobar White-tailed Shrew ''(Crocidura nicobarica)'' is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to India and is critically endangered. |
| Soricidae | Crocidura fuliginosa | Southeast Asian Shrew | The Southeast Asian Shrew ''(Crocidura fuliginosa)'' is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. |
