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Status and Conservation of Mammalian Diversity in Indian

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Biological Forum – An International Journal 6(2): 273-299(2015) ISSN No. (Print): 0975-1130 ISSN No. (Online): 2249-3239 Status and Conservation of Mammalian Diversity in Indian Himalaya Gaurav Sharma*, Kamalakannan M.*, Debashree Dam*and Akhlaq Husain** *Zoological Survey of India, M Block, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, New Alipore, Kolkata (WB) **41, Hari Vihar, Vijay Park, Dehra Dun (Uttarakhand). (Corresponding author: Gaurav Sharma) (Received 11 September, 2014, Accepted 14 November, 2014) ABSTRACT: The Himalaya is the great range of mountains that spreads over a west-northwest to east- southeast distance of about 2,500 km covering political administrative regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. About 5,416 species of mammal have been reported from the globe and 428 species from India, in that about 291 species of Mammals recorded so far from Indian Himalaya. From the different zones of Himalaya, the studies reported 40 species of Mammals from Indian Trans-Himalaya, 77 species from North-West Himalaya, 102 species from Western Himalaya and 172 species from Eastern Himalaya. Most of the Mammalian species of India are given protection in different Schedules of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, listed in different categories of IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and CITES and these information are provided in this paper. In this paper, the efforts were made to provide status and conservation of Mammalian diversity in Himalaya, from studies conducted, past literature, museum records and other lesser-known sources of information. Key words: Mammals, Diversity, Himalaya, India. INTRODUCTION Eastern Himalaya, covering three biotic provinces viz., Central Himalaya (Sikkim and Darjeeling District, India is very rich in terms of Biodiversity due to its West Bengal), East Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh) and unique biogeographic location, diversified climatic North-Eastern Hills (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, conditions and enormous ecodiversity and geodiversity. Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) and these all comes The Indian landmass is bounded by the Himalaya in the under three biogeographic zones viz., Trans-Himalayan; North, the Bay of Bengal in the East, the Arabian Sea in Himalayan (part) and North-East India. the West, and Indian Ocean in the South. In terms of In this paper, the efforts were made to provide status landmass, it is the seventh largest country and one of and conservation of Faunal Diversity of India with the 17 mega biodiversity countries in the world. The special reference to Mammalian diversity in Himalaya, Himalaya is the great range of mountains that spreads from studies conducted, past literature, museum records over a west-northwest to east-southeast distance of and other lesser-known sources of information. about 2,500 km covering political administrative regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan RESULTS AND DISCUSSION and China. Considering both geographic and About 5,416 species of mammal have been reported biogeographic divisions, the Indian Himalaya is divided from the globe (Wilson and Reeder, 2005), in that 428 into four zones for the convenience of biodiversity species reported from India, which is about 7.81% of analysis of the mountain ecosystems of India i.e. Trans- the global mammalian species, representing 48 families Himalaya which includes upper region of Jammu and and 14 orders (Sharma et al., 2014). Out of 428 species, Kashmir (districts of Ladakh and Kargil) and Himachal about 291 species belongs to 39 families and 13 orders Pradesh (Spiti Valley, Lahaul Valley, district Kinnaur); of class Mammalia recorded so far from Indian North-West Himalaya which includes Jammu & Himalaya, in that 40 species of Mammals are known Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh excluding the Trans- from Indian Trans-Himalaya; 77 species from North- Himalayan part; Western Himalaya which includes West Himalaya, 102 species from Western Himalaya Himachal Pradesh (excluding the parts of Trans- and 172 species from Eastern Himalaya (Table 1). Himalaya and North-West Himalaya) and Uttarakhand; Sharma, Kamalakannan, Dam and Husain 274 Some of the representative, characteristic and Gibbon), Presbytis phayrei (Phayre’s Leaf Monkey), threatened species of Mammals of Indian Himalayas Ursus thibetanus laniger (Himalayan Black Bear), are Marmota himalayana and Marmota caudata Ursus acrtos (Brown Bear), Helarctos malayanus (Marmots), Petaurista petaurista (Red Giant Flying (Malayan Sun Bear), Melursus ursinus (Sloth Bear), Squirrel), Ochotona ladacensis (Ladakh Pika), Lepus Ailurus fulgens (Red Panda), Budorcas taxicolor tolai tibetanus (Tibet Hare), Capra siberica (Siberian (Takin), Macaca arctoides (Stump-tailed Macaque), Ibex), Pseudois nayaur (Blue Sheep), Ovis orientalis Nycticebus bengalensis (Bengal Slow Loris), Hoolock vignei (Ladakh Urial or Shapu), Procapra picticaudata hoolock (Western Hoolock Gibbon) and Hoolock (Tibetan Gazelle), Bos mutus (Wild Yak), Equus kiang leuconedys (Eastern Hoolock Gibbon) etc. Platanista (Tibetan Wild Ass or Kiang), Panthera tigris (Tiger), gangetica gangetica (Ganges River Dolphin) is the only Panthera pardus (Leopard), Uncia uncial (Snow aquatic mammalian species of Eastern Himalaya and Leopard), Prionailurus benghalensis (Leopard Cat), confined to Brahmaputra River System. In the last few Manis crassicaudata (Indian Pangolin), Elephas decades Biswamoyopterus biswasi (Namdhapa Flying maximus (Asian Elephant), Vulpes vulpes flavescens Squirrel) and Trachypithecus geei (Gee’s Golden (Mountain Red Fox), Moschus chrysogaster (Alpine Langur) have been discovered. The current Musk Deer), Nemorhaedus goral (Goral), Muntiacus conservation status of the Indian mammals as per muntjak (Barking Deer), Cervus eldi eldi (Brow- Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, IUCN Red list antlered Deer), Caprolagus hispidus (Hispid Hare), Sus of Threatened Species and CITES is provided in Table salvanius (Pygmy Hog), Rhinoceros unicornis (Great 1. One Horned Rhinoceros), Hylobatus hoolock (Hoolock Table 1. Mammals of Himalayas with their Distribution and Conservation Status. I. Order: Proboscidea 1. Family: ELEPHANTIDAE (Elephants) Species and Subspecies (Scientific and Distribution Conservation Status Sl. Common Names) References No. IUCN IW(P)A CITES India Elsewhere (Red list (Schedule) (Appendix) Category) Elephas maximus North East and South Bangladesh, China, 1. Linnaeus, 1758 Asiatic India, Bihar, Combodia, Indonesia, EN I I Alfred et al., 2002, Elephant Jharkhand, Odisha, Laos, Malaysia, 2006; Prater, 1971; Uttarakhand, Uttar Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Wilson and Reeder, Pradesh and West Thailand and Viet Nam 2005 Bengal II. Order: Scandentia 2. Family: TUPAIIDAE (Tree shrews) Tupaia belangeri 2. (Wagner, 1841) North East India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, LC - II Alfred et al., 2002, Northern Tree shrew Sikkim and West Cambodia, China, Laos, 2006; Srinivasulu and Bengal Malaysia, Myanmar, Srinivasulu, 2004; Thailand, Viet Nam and Wilson and Reeder, associated coastal islands 2005 III. Order: Primates 3. Family: LORISIDAE (Lorises) 3. Nycticebus bengalensis North East India and Bangladesh, China, VU I I Alfred et al., 2002, (Lacepede, 1800) West Bengal Malaysia, Myanmar, 2006; Pocock, 1939; Bengal Slow Loris Philippines, Thailand and Prater, 1971; Wilson Viet Nam and Reeder, 2005 4. Family: CERCOPITHECIDAE (Old World monkeys) Macaca arctoides (I. 4. Geoffroy, 1831) North East India Bangladesh east-wards to VU II II Alfred et al., 2002, Stump-tailed Viet Nam, North East to 2006; Wilson and Macaque China and Malaysia Reeder, 2005 Macaca assamensis North East India, Nepal to Viet Nam and Alfred et al., 2002, 5. (Mc Clelland, 1840) Sikkim and West China NT II II 2006; Pocock, 1939; Assam Macaque Bengal Prater, 1971; Wilson and Reeder, 2005 Sharma, Kamalakannan, Dam and Husain 275 Macaca leonina (Blyth, 1863) Bangladesh, Cambodia, Wilson and Reeder, 6. Northern Pig-tailed Assam, Meghalaya China, Laos, Myanmar, VU II II 2005 Macaque Thailand and Viet Nam 7. Macaca mulatta Afghanistan, Nepal, Alfred et al., 2002, (Zimmermann, 1780) North and North East Pakistan, Bhutan to LC II II 2006; Pocock, 1939; Rhesus Macaque India Thailand including China Prater, 1971; Wilson and Reeder, 2005 Macaca munzala Sinha, Datta, 8. Madhusudan and Arunachal Pradesh Bhutan and China EN - II Mishra, 2005 Sinha et al.,2005 Arunachal Macaque Semnopithecus ajax 9. (Pocock, 1928) Nepal Wilson and Reeder, Kashmir Gray North West India, EN II I 2005 Langur Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir Semnopithecus entellus (Dufresne, 1797) Throughout India - Alfred et al., 2002, 10. Northern Plains Gray except North East LC II I 2006; Pocock, 1939; Langur India, Himalayas and Prater, 1971; Wilson Uttar Pradesh and Reeder, 2005 11. Semnopithecus hector Uttarakhand, Uttar Bhutan and Nepal Wilson and Reeder, (Pocock, 1928) Pradesh and West NT - I 2005 Tarai Gray Langur Bengal Semnopithecus schistaceus Hodgson, North East India, Wilson and Reeder, 12. 1840 Himachal Pradesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal and LC - I 2005 Nepal Gray Langur Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan Sikkim and Uttarakhand Trachypithecus geei Himalayan foothills 13. Khajuria, 1956 along Assam- Bhutan Bhutan EN I I Alfred et al., 2002, Gee’s Golden Langur border between 2006; Prater, 1971; Sankosh and Manas Wilson and Reeder, rivers 2005 Trachypithecus phayrei Alfred et al., 2002, 14. (Blyth, 1847) Bangladesh, China, Laos, EN I II 2006; Pocock, 1939; Phayre’s Leaf- Assam and Tripura Mynamar, Thailand and Wilson and Reeder, monkey Viet Nam 2005 Alfred et al.,2002, 2006; 15. Trachypithecus
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    • South Asia unites to curb illegal • India ranks highest in Tiger parts Pg 8 trade in endangered wildlife seizure over last decade • Officers from Uttar Pradesh, Pg 3 Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal sharpen skills on wildlife law enforcement • Raja and Jackie: The new ATE champions fighting wildlife Pg 3 crime • World leaders echo support to IN FOCUS ensure doubling of world's wild Pg 4 India TRAFFIC © Tiger population • Efforts augmented to ensure sustainable harvesting and trade Pg 4 TRAFFIC Alert (Latest news on of MAPs illegal wildlife trade in India): Pg 5 • TRAFFIC India's film “Don't Buy T Trouble” now available in Hindi • Guard held with zebra skin Pg 5 TRAFFIC INDIA UPD • Customs officials seize Pg 6 ornamental fish at Coimbatore Airport • Five tonnes of Red Sanders logs Pg 7 • Experts link up to combat illegal Pg 5 seized at Gujarat port wildlife trade in Sri Lanka TRAFFIC ALER • Four tonnes of Sea cucumber Pg 7 seized in Tamil Nadu • Email alerts on CITES related Pg 6 SIGNPOST: Other significant Pg 12 OUTPOST issues now available by subscription news stories to read SIGNPOST Pg 10 NEW SECTION WILD CRY : Illegal wildlife trade threatens the future of many species in the © Ola Jennersten Ola © wild. This section highlights the plight of CITES one such species in trade. UPDATE • Tiger killers will be brought to Pg 6 book, says CITES Secretary General Pangolins in peril TRAFFIC POST march 2011 South Asia unites to curb illegal trade in endangered wildlife he eight countries of South Asia—India, Nepal, Pakistan, TAfghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka— joined forces and established the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) to collaborate and co-operate on strengthening wildlife law enforcement in the region.