Ecosystem and

Biodiversity
Unit 3 part 5
Indian Biodiversity

 Species diversity of India

 Endemic species of India
 Endangered species of India
Species Diversity of India
 India contains a great wealth of biological diversity in forests, its
wetlands and in its marine areas.
  India displays significant biodiversity.

Group No. of Species No. of Species a/b(%)

in India in the world
Mammals 350 4,629 7.6
Birds 1,224 9,702 12.6
Reptiles 408 6,550 6.2
Amphibians 197 4,522 4.4
Fishes 2,546 21,730 11.7
Flowering 15,000 2,50,000 6.0
Plants
Endemic Species of India
Endemic species are those that are found in just one region and nowhere else in
the world. For example, kangaroos are originally endemic to Australia and are
found nowhere else in the world. 
A list of the endemic species of India is mentioned below:
Asiatic Lion, Gir Forest
Asiatic Lion is also known as the Indian Lion and can be only found in and
around Gir Forest National Park of Gujarat. These are listed as endangered
species. These are one of the five big cats found in India, the others being
Indian Leopards and Bengal Tigers.
Kashmir Stag, Kashmir Valley
Also known as Hangul, Kashmir Stag is found in the dense forests of Dachigum
National Park, Kasmir Valley and Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh.
Lion-Tailed, Western Ghats
It is the rarest and the most threatened and endangered species found only in
the Western Ghats of Southern India.
 Purple Frog, Western Ghats
 The purple frog, also known as Pignose frog is only found
in the rainforests of western ghats in India. It spends most
of its life underground.
 Sangai Deer, Loktak Lake
 It is also known as Brow Antlered Deer exclusively found in
Keibul Lamjao National Park of Manipur. This park is a
marshy wetland located in the southern parts of Loktak
lake.
 Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Hills
 It is a wild sheep species, endangered and endemic to the
Nilgiri Hills of Western Gats
Other endemic species of India include:

 Pygmy Hog, Assam

 Bronzeback Vine Snake, Western Ghats
 Nilgiri Blue Robin, Nilgiri Hills
 Malabar Civet, Western Ghats
 Anaimalai Gliding Frog, Anaimalai Hills
 Namdapha Flying Squirrel, Arunachal Pradesh
 Indian Giant Squirrel
 Bonnet Macaque
Endangered species of India

 International Union for Conservation of Nature

(IUCN) enlisted some species as endangered
species. Endangered species can be defined as those
species whose life is under risk or threat. In other
words, species which are about to be extinct.
 India contains 172 species (2.9% of the worlds total
number of threatened species ) of animals considered
globally threatened .
 These include 53 species of mammals , 69 birds, 23
reptiles and 3 amphibians.
here’s a list of some endangered animals
that you can find in different parts of India.

 Bengal Tiger
The Bengal Tiger is the national animal of both, India and
Bangladesh. The tiger’s coat is yellow to light orange,
with stripes ranging from dark brown to black. The
number of tigers has reduced dramatically in the past
few years, due to poaching and human-tiger conflict.
Can be spotted at: Tadoba National Park, Ranthambore
National Park, Sundarbans National Park, Sariska Tiger
Reserve, Jim Corbett National Park, Bandhavgarh
National Park
  Asiatic Lion
 Asiatic Lion are the Indian Lion or Persian Lion is a lion
subspecies that is endangered. It differs from the
African lion by less inflated auditory bullae, a larger tail
tuft and a less developed mane.
 Can be spotted at: Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat
Snow Leopard
 The snow leopard is a large cat native to the mountain ranges
in Central and South Asia. Snow leopards have long, thick fur,
and their base color varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan,
with whitish underparts.
 Can be spotted at: Hemis National Park, Ladakh, Nanda Devi
National Park, Uttarakhand, Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary,
Arunachal Pradesh, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Lahaul Spiti,
Himachal Pradesh, Pin Valley National Park, Lahaul Spiti,
Himachal Pradesh, Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu,
Himachal Pradesh.
Blackbuck
 The Blackbuck is an ungulate species of antelope and it is near
threatened. The main threat to this species is poaching,
predation, habitat destruction, overgrazing, inbreeding and
sanctuary visitors.
Red Panda
 Red Panda is also known as a lesser panda or red cat-bear. It is an
arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas. Red Panda’s
population is on a decrease given to habitat loss and fragmentation,
poaching, and inbreeding depression.
 Can be spotted at: Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal’s
One Horned Rhinoceros
 The One-horned rhino is a large mammal, found in Assam. Excessive
hunting has reduced the number of this species. These rhinos are killed to
saw off their horns, which are sold at a very high value.
 Can be spotted at: Kaziranga National Park, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve,
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
The Nilgiri Tahr
 The Nilgiri Tahr is an ungulate, endemic to the Nilgiri Hills.
Nilgiri tahrs are stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a
bristly mane.
 Can be spotted at: Eravikulam National Park, Nilgiri Hills,
Anaimalai Hills, Periyar National Park, Palni Hills
Kashmir Red Stag (Hangul)
 The Kashmir stag, also known as Hangul, is a critically endangered
species. This deer has a light rump patch without including the tail.
Each of its antlers consists of 5 tines.
 Can be spotted at: Dachigam National Park, Rajparian Wildlife
Sanctuary, Overa Aru, Sind Valley, and in the forests of Kishtwar and
Bhaderwah, all of which are a part of Jammu and Kashmir.