The Palearctic region is one of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It includes Europe, northern Africa, northern China, Russia, Japan, Iran, Afghanistan, and western Pakistan. The climate is mostly temperate, with both forested and open steppe lands. Zoologically, the region contains many families of mammals like rabbits, hedgehogs, and deer. It also has over 50 families of migratory birds but no parrots. Reptiles include turtles, tortoises, lizards and snakes. Amphibians prominently feature newts and salamanders. Fish include carps, salmon, and eels, with carp being dominant.

1. Palaearctic
region
Submitted by: Syed Usman Abdullah
Roll No: 2712 (148077)
Department: BS-Zoology
Semester: 6th (Evening)

2. Introduction
 The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of
the eight biogeographic realms of the
Earth.
 It was first used in the 19th century,
and is still in use as the basis
for Zoogeographical region.
 The Palearctic is the largest of the
eight realms.

3. Extent:
 It is the largest zoogeographical region
that includes;
◦ whole of Europe,
◦ northern part of Africa,
◦ northern China,
◦ U.S.S.R,
◦ Japan,
◦ Iran,
◦ Afghanistan and
◦ Baluchistan (western province of
Pakistan).

4. Palaearctic Map

5. Physical features
 Palaearctic region is bounded by sea to
the west, north, and east, and by the
Sahara and Himalayas to the south.
 The Palaearctic is therefore, in
continuous land connections with two of
its neigbours, the Ethiopian and
Oriental regions.
 From which it is separated by a desert
in the one case and a high mountain
range in the other.
 From its other neigbour, the nearctic, it
is cut off by sea.

6. Climate
 The climate is more or less
temperate.
 The region includes both wet forest
lands and dry open steppe lands, as
well as, large coniferous forests.
 Wide range of temperature, greater
fluctuation in the rainfall, greater
diversity of surface features are the
characteristics of the Palaearctic
region.

7. Zoological characteristics
Mammals:
 There are 28 families of land
mammals (excluding the numerous
bat families).
 This region does not have any large
spectacular mammals.
 There are moles, shrews, rabbits,
hedgehogs, porcupines, hyaenas,
camels, donkeys, sheeps, oxen,
deers, bears, cats and doges.

8. Unique families of mammals:
 The two families of mammals that are
unique to this region are both are
rodents, namely, and the
 Each family is represented by only one
genus.
 Spalax is a brownish yellow burrowing
rat with no tail.
 Selevinia is mainly remarkable
because it was discovered recently in
1938 in Kazhakstan.

10. Birds:
 There are 53 families of birds most of
which are migratory.
 All birds have wide distribution and are
shared with Nearctic, Oriental and
African regions.
 Birds include hawks, ducks, stork,
cuckoos, kingfishers, swifts, swallows,
thrushes, blackbirds, finches, grebes,
loons etc.
 There are no parrots.
family of bird is
only restricted family of this region.

12. Reptiles:
 The reptilian fauna is characterized
by turtle, tortoises, few lizards and
snakes.
 There is an alligator in China.
 No family is confined to this region.

14. Amphibians:
 Palaearctic is important from the point
of view that is has a large number of
tailed amphibians, the newts and
salamanders.
 Of the tailless amphibia, the common
toads and frogs are widespread.
 Few tree frogs of both the hylid and
polypedatid families.

16. Fishes:
 There are carps, salmon, pikes,
perches, eels and Petromyzon.
 Carp fish is the dominant family.
 There is no endemic fish family in
this region.

18. Thank You