India, lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, hosts significant biodiversity; it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2% of reptilian, and 6.0% of flowering plant species.^[1] Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, also exhibit extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic.^[2][3] India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and Northeast India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.^[4] Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded the Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1122x750, 364 KB) Panthera tigris tigris, Bengaltiger, Indischer Tiger oder Königstiger Public Domain from http://images. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... . ... Glimpses of biodiversity India is one of the high biodiversity regions of the world with three biodiversity hotspots - the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas and the Indo-Burma regions. ... The class Mammalia (the Mammals) is divided into two subclasses based on reproductive techniques: egg laying mammals (the Monotremes); and mammals which give live birth. ... This is a list of the bird species recorded in India. ... This is a list of the fish species found in India and is based on FishBase. ... // Butterflies of India Approximately 1439 species of butterfly have been described from India. ... The following is a list of the moths of India. ... Conservation Areas in India refer to well-demarcated large geographical entities with an established conservation plan, and were part of a joint Indo-US project on landscape management and protection. The project ran from 1996 to 2002. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Andaman Islands rain forests (India) Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests (India) Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests (India, Myanmar) Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests (India) Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests (Bhutan, India, Nepal) Malabar Coast moist forests (India) Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests... Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Government of India is an internationally renowned premiere institution in India which trains wildlife managers and wildlife researchers. ... This is a list of all national parks of India. ... The Indian government has established 4 Biosphere Reserves (UNESCO categories roughly corresponding to IUCN Category V Protected areas), which protect larger areas of natural habitat (than a National Park or Animal Sanctuary), and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer zones that are open to... A reserved forest (also called reserve forest) or a protected forest in India are terms denoting forests accorded a certain degree of protection. ... The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests is a cabinet ministry in the Government of India, and is responsible for the planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country. ... The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is one of the All India Services of the Government of India; some other important services being the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS). ... Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal (IIFM) (founded 1982) is an autonomous institution located at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, India, established by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India with assistance from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. ... Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers. ... Project Elephant was launched in 1992 by the Government of India to assist states having free ranging population of wild elephants. ... The Indian Forest Act, 1927 was largely based on previous Indian Forest Acts implemented under the British. ... The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of India. ... List of Zoos in India: Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA) is the Governing Authority of all Zoos in India Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad Indira Gandhi Park Jijamata Udyaan, Mumbai Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur Zoo), Chennai Alipore Zoological Gardens, Kolkata Mysore Zoo, Karnataka Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1122x750, 364 KB) Panthera tigris tigris, Bengaltiger, Indischer Tiger oder Königstiger Public Domain from http://images. ... The Asiatic Black Bear Afghanistan has long been known for its rich and diverse wildlife, as recorded in the memoirs of Babur, founder of the Mughal dynasty that ruled the country from 1483 to 1530. ... Armenian rock lizard Wildlife of Armenia includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... The Karabakh horse The Caucasian goat can be found at the mountains of Caucasus. ... Wildlife of Bangladesh includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Wildlife of Bhutan includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Agile Gibbon Tiger Cambodia is home to a diverse array of wildlife. ... Chinese Mountain Cat Wildlife of China includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Wildlife of Iran includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Wildlife of Iraq includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Arabian Oryx Wildlife of Israel includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Hokkaido (dog) Wildlife of Japan includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Arabian Oryx Wildlife of Jordan includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Eurasian lynx Parnassius delphius Wildlife of Kazakhstan includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Indochinese Tiger Saltwater crocodile An incomplete list of flora and fauna of Laos. ... Indochinese Tiger Saltwater crocodile Wildlife of Malaysia includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Insert non-formatted text here Wildlife of Myanmar (formerly Burma) includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Wildlife of Nepal includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Wildlife of Pakistan includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Wildlife of Sri Lanka includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Leopard cat Wildlife of Thailand includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... Indochinese Tiger Saltwater crocodile Wildlife of Vietnam includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. ... The Indomalaya Ecozone was previously called the Oriental region. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Shola is a type of high-altitude stunted evergreen forest found in southern India. ... The South Western Ghats montane rain forests are an ecoregion of southern India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats range in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, at elevations over 1000 meters. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... Tropic wet forests in the World Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical wet forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome. ... This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... The Agasthiyamalai range of the Western Ghats The Western Ghats are a mountain range in India. ... The Himalayas in Sikkim North-East India is the easternmost region of India consisting of the contiguous Seven Sister States and the state of Sikkim. ... Pine forests are an example of a temperate coniferous forests Temperate coniferous forests are a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. ... Binomial name Shorea robusta Roth Sal (Shorea robusta) is a species of tree native to southern Asia, ranging south of the Himalaya, from Myanmar in the east to India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. ... Tropic wet forests in the World Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical wet forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome. ... Species Tectona grandis Tectona hamiltoniana Tectona philippinensis Teak (Tectona), also called jati, is a genus of tropical hardwood trees in the family Verbenaceae, native to the south and southeast of Asia, and is commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation. ... Trinidad and Tobago dry forest on Chacachacare showing the dry-season deciduous nature of the vegetation The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. ... Binomial name Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ... In isolation, Hawaiis Silverswords have adapted to xeric microclimates within volcanic craters, trapping and channeling dew and protecting leaves with reflective hairs. ... Binomial name Azadirachta indica A.Juss. ... Dioscorides’ Materia Medica, c. ... Binomial name Ficus religiosa L. The Sacred Fig Ficus religiosa, also known as Bo, Pipal (Peepul) or Ashwattha tree, is a species of banyan fig native to India, southwest China and Indochina east to Vietnam. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus albipila - Abbey Tree or tandiran Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis - Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina - Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica - Common Fig Ficus citrifolia - Strangler Fig Ficus coronata Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus erecta Ficus glaberrima Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii... Mohenjo-daro (literally, mound of the dead), like Harappa, was a city of the Indus Valley civilization. ... Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ...

Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, to which India originally belonged. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.^[5] Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya.^[4] As a result, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians.^[1] Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species.^[6] These include the Asiatic lion, the Bengal tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle. A taxon (plural taxa) is an element of a taxonomy, e. ... Gondwanaland redirects here. ...  The Indian plate, shown in red Due to continental drift, the India Plate split from Madagascar and collided with the Eurasian Plate resulting in the formation of the Himalayas. ... The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. ... Laurasia was a supercontinent that most recently existed as a part of the split of the Pangaean supercontinent in the late Mesozoic era. ... The Deccan Traps is a large igneous province located in west-central India and is one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. ... The Dodo, shown here in a 1651 illustration by Jan Savery, is an often-cited[1] example of modern extinction. ... Zoogeography is the branch of the science of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of animal species. ... Binomial name Trachypithecus johnii (J. Fischer, 1829) Nilgiri Langur (Trachypithecus johni) is a lutung (a type of Old World monkey) found in the Nilgiri hills of the Western Ghats in South India. ... Binomial name Bufo beddomii Günther, 1876 Beddomes Toad Bufo beddomii is a species of toad found in the Western Ghats of India. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Trinomial name Panthera leo persica Meyer, 1826 Current distribution of the Asiatic Lion in the wild Synonyms Leo leo goojratensis (India) Leo leo persicus (Persia) The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica; also known as Indian Lion) is a subspecies of the lion found only in India. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Binomial name Gyps bengalensis (Gmelin, 1788) The Indian White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. ... Diclofenac (marketed as Voltaren®, Voltarol®, Diclon®, Dicloflex® Difen and Cataflam®) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) taken to reduce inflammation and an analgesic reducing pain in conditions such as in arthritis or acute injury. ...

In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated in the 1980s. Along with over 500 wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts 14 biosphere reserves, four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; 25 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention. This is a list of all national parks of India. ... The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of India. ... Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers. ... India has over 500 animal sanctuaries, referred to as Wildlife Sanctuaries (IUCN Category IV Protected Area). ... The Indian government has established 4 Biosphere Reserves (UNESCO categories roughly corresponding to IUCN Category V Protected areas), which protect larger areas of natural habitat (than a National Park or Animal Sanctuary), and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer zones that are open to... The World Network of Biosphere Reserves was established at the International Conference on Biosphere Reserves in Seville in 1995. ... The list of Ramsar Sites in India comprises Indian wetlands deemed to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. ... The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i. ...

Common name for wilderness in India is Jungle which was adopted by the British colonialists to the English language. The word has been also made famous in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Box Log Falls, Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia Jungle usually refers to a dense forest in a hot climate, such as a tropical rainforest. ... Colonialism is a system in which a state claims sovereignty over territory and people outside its own boundaries, often to facilitate economic domination over their resources, labor, and often markets. ... Embossed cover from the original MacMillan edition of The Jungle Book, 1894, based on art by John Lockwood Kipling (Rudyards father) For other uses, see The Jungle Book (disambiguation). ... This article is about the British author. ...

Fauna

Now the world's rarest monkey, the golden langur typifies the precarious survival of much of India's megafauna.

Main article: Fauna of India

India is home to several well known large mammals including the Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard and Indian Rhinoceros, often engrained culturally and religiously often being associated with deities. Other well known large Indian mammals include ungulates such as the Water Buffalo, Nilgai, Gaur and several species of deer and antelope. Some members of the dog family such as the Indian Wolf, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal and the Dhole or Wild Dogs are also widely distributed. It is also home to the Striped Hyaena, Macaques, Langurs and Mongoose species.

Image File history File links Trachypithecus-geei-cropped. ... Image File history File links Trachypithecus-geei-cropped. ... Binomial name Trachypithecus geei (Khajuria, 1956) Gees Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei) or simply the Golden Langur is an Old World monkey found primarily in the foothills of the Himalayas along the Assam Bhutan border. ... Glimpses of biodiversity India is one of the high biodiversity regions of the world with three biodiversity hotspots - the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas and the Indo-Burma regions. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Asian Elephant range The Asian or Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus), sometimes known by the name of its nominate subspecies (the Indian Elephant), is one of the three living species of elephant, and the only living species of the genus Elephas. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Trinomial name Panthera leo persica Meyer, 1826 Current distribution of the Asiatic Lion in the wild Synonyms Leo leo goojratensis (India) Leo leo persicus (Persia) The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica; also known as Indian Lion) is a subspecies of the lion found only in India. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis pardus Linnaeus, 1758 The Leopard (Panthera pardus) is an Old World mammal of the Felidae family and one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera, along with the tiger, the lion and the jaguar. ... Binomial name Rhinoceros unicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) Indian Rhinoceros range The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is a large mammal found in Nepal and in Assam, India. ... For the controversy at the University of Pennsylvania, see Water buffalo incident. ... Binomial name Boselaphus tragocamelus Pall. ... Binomial name Bos gaurus H. Smith, 1827 Range map The Gaur (IPA gauɹ) (Bos gaurus, previously Bibos gauris) is a large, dark-coated ox of South Asia and Southeast Asia. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus pallipes (Reginald Innes Pocock, 1941) Present distribution of Indian wolf in light blue The Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), also known as the Indian Gray Wolf or the Peninsular Gray Wolf, is the small subspecies of the Grey Wolf. ... Binomial name Vulpes bengalensis (Shaw, 1800) // Range and Habitat The Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis) is a fox endemic to the Indian subcontinent and is found from the Himalayan foothills and Terai of Nepal through southern India and from southern and eastern Pakistan to eastern India and southeastern Bangladesh Appearance Vulpes... Binomial name Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 Golden Jackals (Canis aureus), also called Asiatic or Common Jackals, are small jackals native to northern and central Africa and southern Asia. ... Binomial name Cuon alpinus (Pallas, 1811) The Dhole (Cuon alpinus) is a species of wild dog of the Canidae family. ... Binomial name Hyaena hyaena (Linnaeus, 1758) The Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is closely related to the Brown Hyena, but lives in northern Africa, the Middle East, and western India. ... Type species Simia inuus Linnaeus, 1758 = Simia sylvanus Linnaeus, 1758 Species See text. ... Subfamilies Cercopithecinae - 11 genera Colobinae - 9 genera The Old World monkeys or Cercopithecidae are a group of primates, falling in the superfamily Cercopithecoidea in the clade Catarrhini. ... Subfamiles Herpestinae A mongoose is a member of the family of small cat-like carnivores. ...

Conservation

These large mammals are important for wildlife tourism in India and several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries cater to these needs. As mega species have increasingly become extinct, Project Tiger started in 1972 is a major effort to conserve the tiger and its habitats.^[7] At the turn of the 20th century, one estimate of the tiger population in India placed the figure at 40,000, yet an Indian tiger census conducted in 1972 revealed the existence of only 1827 tigers. Various pressures in the later part of the 20th century led to the progressive decline of wilderness resulting in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats. At the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) General Assembly meeting in Delhi in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the threat to several species of wildlife and the shrinkage of wilderness in the India. In 1970, a national ban on tiger hunting was imposed and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. The framework was then set up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach. Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Historical distribution of tigers (pale yellow) and 2006 (green). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Decline is change from previously efficient to inefficient organizational functioning, from previously rational to non-rational organizational and individual decision-making, from previously law-abiding to law violating organizational and individual behavior, from previously virtuous to iniquitous individual moral behavior. ... Wilderness is generally defined as a natural environment on Earth that has not been modified by human activity. ... A habitat (from the Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular organism usually lives or grows. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... , Delhi ( , Hindi: , Punjabi: , Urdu: ) sometimes referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis in India after Mumbai with a population of 13 million. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... A threat is a declaration of intention to inflict punishment or harm on another. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ... A poached tiger in Bali, Indonesia Historical Tiger hunting in India, c. ... The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of India. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Launched on April 1, 1973 Project has become one of the most successful conservation ventures in modern history. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tiger reserves' which are representative of various bio-geographical regions falling within India. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in their natural environment. is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Historical distribution of tigers (pale yellow) and 2006 (green). ...

Today, there are 27 Project Tiger wildlife reserves in India covering an area of 37,761 km². A nature reserve is an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. ...

Project Elephant, though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection in India.^[8] Most of India's rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park. Kaziranga National Park (Assamese: কাজিৰাঙ্গা জাতীয় উদ্যান , Assamese IAST: kājirāṅgā jātiya udyāna, Assamese IPA: kɑ/ɟi/rɑŋ/gɑ, Indian English IPA: kɑ/zi/rɑŋ/gɑ) is an Indian national park located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam, India. ...

Recent extinctions

Illustration of a Himalayan Quail from A. O. Hume's work. Last seen in 1876

The exploitation of land and forest resources by humans along with hunting and trapping for food and sport has led to the extinction of many species in India in recent times. These species include mammals such as the Indian / Asiatic Cheetah, Javan Rhinoceros and Sumatran Rhinoceros.^[9] While some of these large mammal species are confirmed extinct, there have been many smaller animal and plant species whose status is harder to determine. Many species have not been seen since their description. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Binomial name Ophrysia superciliosa (Gray,JE, 1846) The Himalayan Quail, Ophrysia superciliosa, is from the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Allan Octavian Hume (June 6, 1829 - July 31, 1912) son of Joseph Hume was a civil servant in British governed India, and a political reformer. ... Trinomial name Acinonyx jubatus venaticus (Griffith, 1821) The Asiatic Cheetah (cheetah from Hindi चीता cītā, derived from Sanskrit word chitraka meaning speckled) (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), also known as the Iranian Cheetah is a rare critically endangered subspecies of the Cheetah found primarily in Iran. ... Binomial name Rhinoceros sondaicus Desmarest, 1822 Javan Rhinoceros Range Subspecies Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis (extinct) Rhinoceros sondaicus sondaicus The Javan Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros sondaicus is one of the rarest and most endangered large mammals anywhere in the world. ... Binomial name Fischer, 1814 Sumatran Rhinoceros range Subspecies Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis †Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis The Sumatran Rhinoceros, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis is the smallest extant rhinoceros species, as well as the one with the most fur, which allows it to survive at very high altitudes in Borneo and Sumatra. ...

Hubbardia heptaneuron, a species of grass that grew in the spray zone of the Jog Falls prior to the construction of the Linganamakki reservoir, was thought to be extinct but a few were rediscovered near Kolhapur. ^[10] Jog Falls (Kannada-ಜೋಗ ಜಲಪಾತ ) is the highest untired waterfalls in India, located in Shimoga District of Karnataka state. ...

Some species of birds have gone extinct in recent times, including the Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) and the Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa). A species of warbler, Acrocephalus orinus, known earlier from a single specimen collected by Allan Octavian Hume from near Rampur in Himachal Pradesh was rediscovered after 139 years in Thailand.^[11][12] Binomial name Netta caryophyllacea (Latham, 1790) Synonyms Anas caryophyllacea Rhodonessa caryophyllacea The Pink-headed Duck (Netta caryophyllacea) is (or was) a large diving duck. ... Binomial name Ophrysia superciliosa (Gray,JE, 1846) The Himalayan Quail, Ophrysia superciliosa, is from the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Binomial name Oberholser, 1905 Large-billed Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus orinus) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. ... Allan Octavian Hume (June 6, 1829 - July 31, 1912) son of Joseph Hume was a civil servant in British governed India, and a political reformer. ...

Asian Elephant Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 309 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photography by Semnoz, July 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Tiger Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1122x750, 364 KB) Panthera tigris tigris, Bengaltiger, Indischer Tiger oder Königstiger Public Domain from http://images. ...

Asiatic Lion Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1503x1011, 178 KB) Asiatischer Löwe (Panthera leo persica) im Tiergarten Nürnberg. ...

Indian Rhinoceros Image File history File links A baby, male, and female (left to right) Indian Rhinoceros at the San Diego Zoos Wild Animal Park in Escondido, CA. This is an original work created by me and released under the following license: (Actually, only the baby rhino here is a male. ...

Flora of India

Main article: Flora of India

There are about 17500 taxa of flowering plants from India. The Indian Forest Act, 1927 helped to improve protection of the natural habitat. . ... The Indian Forest Act, 1927 was largely based on previous Indian Forest Acts implemented under the British. ...

National Animal, National Bird & National Tree of India

National Animal of India is Tiger (Royal Bengal Tiger) & National Bird is Peacock (Indian Peafowl) & Banyan Tree. This is a list of national animals: See also list of national birds Categories: | ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Bengal Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a subspecies of tiger found through the rainforests and grasslands of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, India and Nepal. ... Binomial name Pavo cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 The Indian Peafowl, Pavo cristatus also known as the Common Peafowl or the Blue Peafowl is one of the species of bird in the genus Pavo of the Phasianidae family known as peafowl. ...

Project Tiger

Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers. It was launched on April 1, 1973 and has become one of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves representative of various bio-geographical regions throughout India. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in their natural environment. Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ... The conservation movement is a political and social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Historical distribution of tigers (pale yellow) and 2006 (green). ...

In 2007, there were 28 Project Tiger wildlife reserves covering an area of 37,761 km². Project Tiger helped increased the population of these tigers from 1,200 in the 1970s to 3,500 in 1990s. A nature reserve is an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

Biosphere reserves

The Indian government has established 14 Biosphere Reserves of India which protect larger areas of natural habitat and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life.

Four of the fourteen biosphere reserves are a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list^[13]. The World Network of Biosphere Reserves was established at the International Conference on Biosphere Reserves in Seville in 1995. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
• Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
• Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve
• Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve located in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of southern India. ... Nanda Devi is the second tallest mountain in India (Kangchenjunga is the tallest) and its name means Bliss-Giving Goddess. ... Ganges River Delta, Bangladesh and India The Sundarbans delta is the largest mangrove forest in the world. ... The Gulf of Mannar is an arm of the Indian Ocean, lying between the southern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka at a width of between 160 and 200 km (100 to 125 mi). ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Indira Gandhi Conservation Monitoring Centre (IGCMC), New Delhi and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), World Conservation Monitoring Center, Cambridge, UK. 2001. Biodiversity profile for India.
2. ^ Botanical Survey of India. 1983. Flora and Vegetation of India — An Outline. Botanical Survey of India, Howrah. 24 pp.
3. ^ Valmik Thapar, Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, 1997.
4. ^ ^{a b} Tritsch, M.E. 2001. Wildlife of India Harper Collins, London. 192 pages. ISBN 0-00-711062-6
5. ^ K. Praveen Karanth. (2006). Out-of-India Gondwanan origin of some tropical Asian biota
6. ^ Groombridge, B. (ed). 1993. The 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. lvi + 286 pp.
7. ^ Project Tiger Accessed Feb, 2007
8. ^ Project Elephant Accessed Feb, 2007
9. ^ Vivek Menon (2003). A field guide to Indian mammals. Dorling Kindersley, Delhi. 
10. ^ IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) E-Bulletin - December 2002 [1] Accessed October 2006
11. ^ Threatened birds of Asia [2] Accessed October 2006
12. ^ The Nation, March 6, 2007
13. ^ UNESCO, Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list[3]

External Links

• “Online Photo Galleries” on Nature and Wildlife of India at "India Nature Watch (INW)" - spreading the love of nature and wildlife in India through photography
• Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests

Legislation from Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests

• “Legislations on Environment, Forests, and Wildlife” from the Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests

• “India’s Forest Conservation Legislaton: Acts, Rules, Guidelines”, from the Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests
• Wildlife Legislations, including - “The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act” from the Official website of: Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests