6. Critically endangered reptiles of India
ļ
Red-crowned Roofed Turtle or
the Bengal Roof Turtle (Batagur
kachuga) is a critically endangered
turtle mainly restricted to the
Ganga basin. Males have a bright
red coloration during the breeding
season.
ā¢ Habitat: Deep, flowing rivers but
with terrestrial nest sites.
ā¢ Distribution: Found in India,
Bangladesh and Nepal. In India it
resides basically in the watershed
of the Ganga.
ā¢ Threats: Water development
projects, water pollution, human
disturbance and poaching for the
illegal wildlife market.
7. ā¢ Four-toed River Terrapin
or River Terrapin (Batagur
baska) is a critically
endangered turtle.
ā¢ Habitat: Freshwater rivers
and lakes.
ā¢ Distribution: Bangladesh,
India
ā¢ Threats: Use of flesh for
medicinal purposes,
demand for eggs, which
are considered a delicacy
8. EndAngered reptiles of India
ā¢ Assam roofed turtle
(Pangshura sylhetensis):
Habitat: terrestrial and
freshwater habitats in areas with
upland tropical moist forest, and
fast-flowing streams and also
small rivers.
Distribution: Bangladesh, India
Threat:.The forest stream habitat
is being impacted by conversion
to tea plantations.
12. Critically endangered amphibians
ā¢ Bufoides meghalayanus
Habitat: occurs in montane
forest dominated by screw
pine trees and is found in
crevices inside sandstone
boulders
Distribution: cherrapunjee
area, East khasi hills,
Meghalaya
Threats: extensive rock-
blasting and stone quarrying in
the vicinity of Cherrapunjee.
Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary
and Tura in Garo hills,
Meghalaya, are thought to
suffer from habitat loss due to
logging.
13. ā¢ Pedostibes kempi
Habitat: arboreal species associated
with semi-evergreen forest.
Distribution: Garo Hills, Meghalaya,
north-eastern India
Threats: unknown.
ā¢ Philautus garo
Habitat: associated with bushy areas
close to perennial streams, in moist
tropical forest.
Distribution: recorded from the Garo
Hills in Assam and Meghalaya, and
from Dzulake in Nagaland, India.
Threats: habitat loss due to
commercial logging (clear-cutting).
14. ā¢ Limnonectes
mawlyndipi
Habitat: it is likely to live
in montane forest and
presumably breeds by
larval development in
water.
Distribution: known only
from the type locality in
the Khasi Hills in
Meghalaya State, India
Threats: unknown
15. ā¢ Philautus kempiae
Habitat: associated with the
undergrowth of moist
evergreen forest.
Distribution: Garo Hills in
Meghalaya State, in north-
east India.
Threats: not known.
16. Endangered Amphibians of India
ā¢ Ichthyophis bombayensis
Habitat: adults are subterranean
and partially aquatic, and associated
with the humus and decaying wood
substrate of tropical wet evergreen
forests.
Distribution: distributed throughout
the Western Ghats region in India.
Threats: habitat destruction, the use
of agrochemicals, changes in soil
chemistry, collection of humus by
local people.
ā¢ Rhacophorus lateralis
Habitat: It inhabits tropical moist
evergreen forest and deciduous forest.
Distribution: restricted to two small
areas of the southern Western Ghats
of India in Kerala and Karnataka
Threats: It is threatened by the
conversion of forest areas to cultivated
land
17. ā¢ Megophrys robusta
Habitat: This species is
associated with riparian
vegetation in tropical moist
forest. Breeding takes place in
forest streams.
Distribution: restricted to four
areas of north-eastern India:
Mouling National Park, and
northern West Siang District,
both in Arunachal Pradesh;
Darjeeling and Kalimpong in
West Bengal; and the Garo Hills
and Tura Hills in Meghalaya
Threats:The threats to this
species are not known.
18. List of endemic birds of India
ā¢ Nicobar Megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis)
ā¢ Grey Junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii)
ā¢ Rock Bush Quail (Perdicula argoondah)
ā¢ Painted Bush Quail (Perdicula erythrorhyncha)
ā¢ Nicobar Sparrowhawk (Accipiter butleri)
ā¢ Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgeni)
ā¢ Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)
ā¢ Andaman Crake (Rallina canningi )
ā¢ Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
ā¢ Nilgiri Woodpigeon (Columba elphinstonii)
ā¢ Andaman Woodpigeon (Columba palumboides)
ā¢ Andaman Cuckoo Dove (Macropygia rufipennis)
21. Critically Endangered birds
ā¢ White bellied heron (Ardea
insignis):
Habitat: recorded from small or large
rivers, usually with sand or gravel bars,
often within or adjacent to subtropical
broadleaved forest
Distribution: known from the eastern
Himalayan foothills in Bhutan and
north-east India to the hills
of Bangladesh , north Myanmar.
Threats: widespread loss, degradation
and disturbance of forest and
wetlands. Wetlands have become
degraded as a result of pollution, rapid
growth of aquatic vegetation, and the
over-exploitation of resources.
22. ā¢ Great Indian bustard ( Ardeotis
nigriceps)
Habitat: inhabits arid and semi-arid
grasslands with scattered short scrub,
bushes and low intensity cultivation in flat
or gently undulating terrain.
Distribution: occurs in the Indian
Subcontinent, with former strongholds in
the Thar desert in the north-west and the
Deccan tableland of the Peninsula
Threats: 1) widespread agricultural
expansion and mechanization of farming;
2) infrastructural development such as
irrigation, roads, electricity pylons, wind
turbines and constructions; 3) mining and
industrialization; 4) well intended but ill-
informed habitat management (Singh et al.
2006, Anon 2011); and 5) lack of
community support (P. Patil in litt. 2011,
2013, 2015).
23. ā¢ Baerās pochard (Aythya
baeri)
Habitat: It breeds around lakes with
rich aquatic vegetation in dense grass
or flooded tussock/shrubby meadows.
Distribution: mainly in eastern and
southern mainland
China, India, Bangladesh.
Threats:hunting and wetland
destruction in its breeding,
wintering and staging grounds
are probably the reasons for its
decline.
24. ā¢ Siberian crane ( Grus
leucogeranus):
Habitat: uses wetlands for
feeding, nesting and roosting,
preferring wide areas of
shallow fresh water with
good visibility .
Distribution:eastern
population that breeds in the
northeast of Siberia and
migrates 3,100 miles to the
Yangtze River in China to
overwinter.
Threats: habitat loss and
degradation in the wintering
grounds, migratory stopover
sites and breeding grounds.
25. ā¢ Indian vulture (Gyps indicus ):
Habitat: found in cities, towns
and villages near cultivated
areas, and in open and wooded
areas
Distribution: breeds in south-
east Pakistan and
peninsular India south of the
Gangetic plain, north to Delhi,
east through Madhya Pradesh,
south to the Nilgiris, and
occasionally further south
Threats: anti-inflammatory drug
diclofenac, used to treat
domestic livestock, has been
identified as the cause of
mortality
26. ā¢ Bengal florican (Houbaropsis
bengalensis):
Habitat: natural and semi-natural
grasslands, often interspersed with
scattered scrub or patchy open
forest.
Distribution: two disjunct
populations, one in the Indian
Subcontinent, the other in South-
East Asia (BirdLife International
2001)
Threats: extensive loss and
modification of grasslands through
drainage, conversion to agriculture
and plantations, overgrazing,
inappropriate cutting, burning, heavy
flooding, invasion of alien species,
scrub expansion, dam construction
and inappropriate and illegal
development
27. Endangered birds
ā¢ Narcondam hornbill
(Rhyticeros
narcondami):
Habitat: open mixed
forest
Distribution: island of
Narcondam, east of the
Andaman Islands, India.
Threats: small police
outpost was established
on the island in 1969.
Two or three hectares
of forest have been lost
28. List of Endemic Mammals of India
ā¢ South Indian Tree Shrew(Anathana ellioti )
ā¢ Nicobar Tree Shrew(Tupaia nicobarica)
ā¢ Bonnet Macaque(Macaca radiata)
ā¢ Liontailed Macaque(Macaca silenus )
ā¢ Southern Plains Gray Langur (Semnopithecus dussumieri )
ā¢ Blackfooted Gray Langur(Semnopithecus hypoleucos)
ā¢ Nilgiri Langur(Trachypithecus johnii)
ā¢ Madras Hedgehog(Paraechinus nudiventris)
ā¢ Miller's Andaman Spiny Shrew(Crocidura andamanensis)
ā¢ Andaman Spiny Shrew(Crocidura hispida)
ā¢ Jenkin's Andaman Spiny Shrew(Crocidura jenkins )
ā¢ Nicobar Shrew(Crocidura nicobarica)
29. ā¢ Day's Shrew(Suncus dayi)
ā¢ Assam Mole Shrew(Anourosorex assamensis )
ā¢ Salim Ali's Fruit Bat(Latidens salimalii )
ā¢ Nicobar Flying Fox (Pteropus faunulus )
ā¢ Andaman Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus cognatus)
ā¢ Mitred Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus mitratus )
ā¢ Khajuria's Leafnosed Bat (Hipposideros durgadasi)
ā¢ Kolar Leafnosed Bat (Hipposideros hypophyllus)
ā¢ Sombre Bat (Eptesicus tatei )
ā¢ Peters's Tubenosed Bat (Murina grisea )
ā¢ Brown Palm Civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni)
31. Critically Endangered mammals
ā¢ Namdapha flying squirrel
(Biswamoyopterus
biswasi):
Habitat:arboreal species, dry
deciduous montane forests
Distribution: Namdapha
National Park ,Tirap District,
Arunachal Pradesh,
northeastern India (Saha
1981).
Threats: Poaching of animals
for food within the park
(Molur et al. 2005).
32. ā¢ Andaman Shrew
(Crocidura
andamanensis):
Habitat: tropical moist
deciduous and
evergreen forests
Distribution: India in
the eastern Indian
Ocean
Threats: habitat loss
due to anthropogenic
activities on the island,
except within the
National Park
33. ā¢ Nicobar shrew
(Crocidura nicobarica):
Habitat: nocturnal and
semi fossorial species,
which lives among leaf litter
in tropical moist deciduous
forest (Molur et al. 2005).
Distribution: from the
southern tip of Greater
Nicobar Island (India) in the
Bay of Bengal.
Threats: habitat loss due to
selective logging, general
anthropogenic activities
and tsunami events
34. ā¢ Pygmy hog (Porcula salvania):
Habitat: dependent on early
successional riverine communities,
typically comprising dense tall
grasslands, commonly referred to as
'thatchlandā
Distribution: northern West Bengal
and north-western Assam in India, it
is now confined to a very few
locations in and around Manas
National Park in north-western
Assam.
Threats: loss and degradation of
habitat due to human settlements,
agricultural encroachments, dry-
season burning, livestock grazing,
commercial forestry and flood
control schemes.
35. ā¢ Chinese pangolin (Manis
pentadactyla):
Habitat: primary and secondary
tropical forests, limestone
forests, bamboo forests, broad-
leaf and coniferous forests,
grasslands and agricultural
fields.
Distribution: Himalayan foothills
of Nepal, southern Bhutan and
north and northeastern India,
possibly northeastern
Bangladesh, northern and
western Myanmar
Threats: hunting and poaching,
both targeted and untargeted,
for local, i.e. national level use
as well as international trade
36. Endangered Mammals
ā¢ Asiatic lion (Panthera
leo persica):
Habitat: dry deciduous
forest, thorny forest and
savanna
Distribution: The Gir
National Park and Wildlife
Sanctuary in Western Gujarat
Threats: poaching
37. Ganges river Dolphin(Platanista
gangetica gangetica):
Habitat: concentrated in counter-
current pools below channel
convergences and sharp
meanders
Distribution: Indus, Ganges-
Brahmaputra-Megna, and
Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of
the South Asian subcontinent,
Threats: Water development
projects, Pollutant loads,
Deliberate killing,
38. ā¢ Hoolock Gibbons
(Hoolock spp.):
Habitat: forest-dweller ,inhabits
tropical evergreen rainforests,
tropical mixed deciduous
forests, and subtropical
broadleaf hill forests.
Distribution: eastern
Bangladesh, northeastern India
(Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, and Tripura), and
northwestern Myanmar.
Threats: combined effects of
habitat loss, fragmentation,
human interference and
hunting
39. ā¢ Indian elephant(Elephas
maximus indicus):
Habitat: occur in grassland,
tropical evergreen forest,
semi-evergreen forest, moist
deciduous forest, dry
deciduous forested and dry
thorn forest
Distribution: West Asia along
the Iranian coast into the
Indian subcontinent,
eastwards into South-east
Asia including Sumatra, Java,
and Borneo, and into China
Threats: habitat loss,
degradation
40. ā¢ Lion ātailed
macaque(Macaca
silenus):
Habitat: arboreal, this
species prefers the upper
canopy of primary tropical
evergreen rainforest
Distribution: India
(Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu)
Threats: habitat
fragmentation, Hunting