Five zoogeographical divisions of Pakistan are proposed on the basis of the composition of their fish fauna: (I) the High Asian Division; (II) the Aba-Sinh Division; (III) the Northwestern Montane Division; (IV) the Indus plain and adjoining hills Division; and (V) the Northwestern Baluchistan Division.

1. by
Ifra Nawaz
(Lecturer in Zoology)

2. Fauna of Pakistan
• The wildlife of Pakistan comprises a diverse flora
and fauna. It is found in a wide of habitats from
sea level to high elevation areas in the
mountains. Wildlife of Pakis includes 174
mammal and 660 bird species. This diverse
composition of the countr fauna is associated
with its location in the transitional zone. This
zone is present betwe two major
zoogeographical regions,
• Palearctic
• Oriental

3. FAUNA OF PAKISTAN
Habitat of Pakistan is divided into following
regions. These regions contain different flora
and fauna.
1. Northern highlands and plains
2. Indus plains and deserts of Sindh
3.Western highlands, plains and desesrts
4. Wetlands, coastal regions and marine life

4. 1. Northern highlands and plains
The northern highlands include
a) lower elevation areas of Potohar and
Azad Jammu
b) The higher elevation areas include the
foothills of Himalayan, Karakorum and
Hindukush mountain ranges. These areas
provide an e) excellent habitat for wildlife in
the form of alpine grazing lands, alpine
scrub (type of alpine forest) and temperate
forests.

5. Fauna
• Many wildlife species are found in northern
mountainous areas and Pothohar Plateau.
• Bharal (sheep like mammal)
• Eurasian lynx
• Himalayan goral (goat-antelopes)
• Marco polo sheep
• Marmot
• Yellow thorated marten

6. Bharal Eurasian lynx Himalayan goral
Marco polo sheep Marmot Yellow thorated marten

7. Northern highlands and plains
Threatened species
Threatened species include snow leopard,
Himalayan brown bear, Indian wolf, Rhesus .
macaque, Markhor, Siberian ibex, white-
bellied musk deer (killed for musk pod).
Bird species present are cheer pheasant,
peregrine falcon and western tragopan.

8. Snow leapord Himalayan brown bear Indian wolf
Rhesus monkey Markhor Siberian ibex

9. Cheer pheasant Peregrine falcon
Western tragopan

10. 2. Indus plains and deserts of Sindh
Indus and has numerous eastern
tributaries. These Chenab, Ravi,
Sutlej, Jhelum and Beas. These
rivers are spread across most of
Punjab.

11. Fauna
Some of the non-threatened mammal
species includes nilgai, red fox and wild
boar.
Bird species of Alexandrine parakeet, barn
owl, black kite, myna, hoopoe, Indian
peafowl, red-vented bulbul, rock pigeon,
shelduck and shikra.

12. Nilgai Red fox Wild boar

13. Alexandrine parakeet Barn owl Black kite Hoopoe
Indian peafowl Red-vented bulbul Rock pigeon

14. Fauna
Some reptile species are Indian cobra,
Indian star tortoise, Sindh krait and yellow
monitor lizard
Amphibian species are Indus Valley bullfrog
and Indus Valley toad.

15. Indian cobra Sindh krait Indian star tortoise
Yellow monitor lizard Indus Valley bullfrog Indus Valley toad.

16. • Threatened species
Mammals
• Axis deer
• Blackbuck (Present in capitivity)
• Hog deer
• Dholes
• Indian pangolin
• Punjab Urial
• Sindh ibex

17. Axis deer Blackbuck Hog deer
Dholes Indian pangolin Punjab Urial

18. Threatened species
Birds
White backed vulture
Reptile species
• Black pond turtle
• Gharial

19. Fauna
Grey partridge is one of the few birds that can be
found in the Cholistan desert.
The Tharparkar desert supports a fair population of
the Chinkara. Wild boar numbers have increased
because of immunity in a Muslim society that
forbids its consumption by humans.
Mugger crocodiles inhabit Deh Akro-II Desert
Wetland Complex, Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary,
Chotiari Reservoir and Haleji Lake.

20. 3. Western highland, plains and deserts
Western region of Pakistan is mostly
enveloped in Balochistan province.
Wildlife
Balochistan leopard has been described from this region.
Some of the mammal species include caracal, Balochistan
dormouse, Blanford's fox, dromedary camel, goitered
gazelle, Indian crested porcupine, long eared hedgehog,
markhor, ratel, and striped hyena.

21. Caracal Balochistan dormouse Blanford's fox
dromedary camel Goitered gazelle Indian crested
porcupine,
Long eared hedgehog Ratel Striped hyena.

22. Fauna
Bird species: bearded vulture, houbara
bustard.
Reptiles: Leapord gecko, saw scaled vipers
Amphibians: Balochistan toad

23. Bearded vulture
Houbara bustard.
Leapord gecko
Saw scaled viper
Balochistan toad

24. 4. Western, coastal and marine habitat
i) Wetlands
There are a number of protected wetlands (under
Ramsar Convention) in Pakistan, The include:
a)Tanda dam(Kohat) and Thanedar Wala (Bannu
district) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
b) Chashma barrage (Mianwali district
, Taunsa barrage and Uchhali complex in Punjab
c) Haleji lake, Hub dam and Kinjhar lake in Sindh.
d) Miani Hor (lagoon) in Balochistan..

25. Wetlands
The wetlands are habitat of pelicans and
demoiselle crane. Some predatory species
are osprey, common kingfisher, fishing cat
and leopard cat near the coast line.
Chashma and Taunsa Barrage Dolphin
Sanctuary protect threatened species of
Indus river dolphins. It tends to live in
freshwater.

26. Pelicans Demoiselle crane Osprey
Fishing cat Leopard cat Indus river dolphin

27. Western, coastal and marine habitat
ii. Coastal Areas
The coastline of Pakistan is 1,050 km long. It consists of a
variety of habitat types. Thes habitats support a wide range
of animals
a) Continental shelf: There are about 1000 fish species
found in the reefs of its continental shelf.
b) Indus river delta: The east half of the coast of Pakistan
is located in the south Sindh province. It has Indus River
Delta and coast of Great Rann of Kutch. The largest
saltwater wetland in Pakistan is the Indus River Delta. This
delta consists of clay soil and is very swampy (areas with
trees and woody plants).

28. c) West coast of Great Rann of Kutch: It is
east to the Indus River Delta and below
Tharparkar desert. It is one of the few places
where greater flamingos come to breed. It is
also a habitat for endangered species of
lesser florican. Unlike Indus River Delta, this
part of the coast is not as swampy.

29. Fauna of Coastal area:
Mangroves provide nesting grounds for
common snakehead, giant snakehead, and
many species of catfish like rita.
The hilsa swims up from the Arabian Sea to
spawn in freshwater. Some species are
important to people as food. These species
are golden mahseer and large freshwater
shrimp (Macrobrachium species)

30. Snake head fish Rita Hilsa
Golden mahsheer Freshwater shrimp

31. Western, coastal and marine habitat
iii) Western half of Pakistan coast
(Makran)
The west half of the Pakistan coast is in the
south of Balochistan province. It is also
called Makran coast. It has protected sites
like Astola Island and Hingol National Park.
The three major mangrove plantations of
Balochistan coast are Miani Hor, Kalmat
Khor and Gwadar Bay.

32. Fauna
• The shores of Astola and Ormara beaches of
Balochistan and Hawke Bay and Sandspit
beaches of Sindh are nesting sites for five
endangered species of sea turtles.
• These species are green sea, loggerhead,
hawksbill, olive ridley and leatherback. Sea
snakes such as yellow-bellied sea snake are
also found in the pelagic zone of the sea. The
wetlands of Pakistan are also a home to the
mugger crocodile. They prefer freshwater habitat

33. Sea turtle
Yellow bellied sea
snake
mugger crocodile.