Critically Endangered Animal Species of India 2011 - Mammals

Critically Endangered Animal Species of India 2011 - Mammals

The Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania)
Found: Formerly, the species was more widely distributed along the southern Himalayan foothills but now is restricted to only a single remnant population in Manas Wildlife Sanctuary and its buffer reserves.
Threats: The main threats are loss and degradation of grasslands, dry-season burning, livestock grazing and afforestation of grasslands. Hunting is also a threat to the remnant populations.

Andaman White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura andamanensis)
Found: Mount Harriet in the South Andaman Islands.
Threats:Habitat loss due to selective logging, natural disasters such as the tsunami and drastic weather changes.

Jenkin’s Andaman Spiny Shrew (Crocidura jenkinsi)
Found: Wright Myo and Mount Harriet in the South Andaman Islands.
Threats: Habitat loss due to selective logging, natural disasters such as the tsunami and drastic weather changes.

Nicobar White-tailed Shrew (Crocidura nicobarica)
Found: southern tip of Greater Nicobar Island and is also recorded in the area extending from the Campbell Bay National Park to the Galathea River in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Threats: Habitat loss due to selective logging, natural disasters such as the tsunami and drastic weather changes.

Kondana Rat (Millardia kondana)
Found: Known only from the small Sinhagarh Plateau (about one km²), near Pune in Maharashtra. Reported from an elevation of about 1,270 m above mean sea level.
Threats: Major threats are habitat loss, overgrazing of vegetation and disturbance from tourism and recreational activities.

Large Rock Rat or Elvira Rat (Cremnomys elvira)
Found: Known only from Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu. Recorded from an elevation of about 600 m above mean sea level.
Threats: Major threats are habitat loss, conversion of forests and fuel wood collection.

Namdapha Flying Squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
Found: Only in Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.
Threats: Hunted for food.

Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina)
Found: Western Ghats.
Threats: Deforestation and commercial plantations are major threats.

Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
The smallest and most endangered of the five rhinoceros species. It is now thought to be regionally extinct in India, though it once occurred in the foothills of the Himalayas and north-east India.

Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)
Also believed to be extinct in India and only a small number survive in Java and Vietnam.

Other Critically Endangered Species of India

birds       mammals        reptiles

amphibians

fish   coral

spiders

Critically Endangered Animal Species of India 2011 - Birds

Critically Endangered Animal Species of India 2011 - Birds

Jerdon’s Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
Found: Andhra Pradesh, neighbouring areas of Maharashtra
Threats: Clearing of scrub jungle, creation of new pastures, growing of dry land crops, plantations of exotic trees, quarrying and the construction of the Telugu-Ganga Canal. Illegal trapping of birds is also a threat.

Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti)
Found: South Madhya Pradesh, in north-west and north-central Maharashtra
Threats: Logging operations, burning and cutting of trees damage roosting and nesting trees of the Forest Owlet.

White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)
Found: Bhutan and north-east India to the hills of Bangladesh and north Myanmar.
Threats: Loss and degradation of lowland forests and wetlands through direct exploitation and disturbance by humans.

White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
Found: Across India.
Threats: A major threat to vultures is the painkiller diclofenac used by veterinarians to treat cattle.When vultures consume these carcasses, diclofenac enters their system, but they are unable to metabolize it. Accumulation of diclofenac results in gout-like symptoms such as neck-drooping,ultimately leading to death.

Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
Found: Across India.
Threats: A major threat to vultures is the painkiller diclofenac used by veterinarians to treat cattle.When vultures consume these carcasses, diclofenac enters their system, but they are unable to metabolize it. Accumulation of diclofenac results in gout-like symptoms such as neck-drooping, ultimately leading to death.

Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus)
Found: Across India.
Threats:A major threat to vultures is the painkiller diclofenac used by veterinarians to treat cattle. When vultures consume these carcasses, diclofenac enters their system, but they are unable to metabolize it. Accumulation of diclofenac results in gout-like symptoms such as neck-drooping, ultimately leading to death.

Red- headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
Found: Across India.
Threats: A major threat to vultures is the painkiller diclofenac used by veterinarians to treat cattle. When vultures consume these carcasses, diclofenac enters their system, but they are unable to metabolize it. Accumulation of diclofenac results in gout-like symptoms such as neck-drooping, ultimately leading to death.

Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)
Found: Native to only 3 countries in the world - Cambodia, Nepal and India (Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh)
Threats:Ongoing conversion of the bird’s grassland habitat for various purposes including agriculture is mainly responsible for its population decline.

Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa)
Found: Western Himalayas.
Threats: Indiscriminate hunting during the colonial period along with habitat modification.

Pink- headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea)
Found: Recorded in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Maximum records are from north-east India.
Threats: Wetland degradation and loss of habitat, along with hunting are the main causes of its decline.

Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarious)
Found: In India, distribution is restricted to the north and north-west of the country.
Threats: Conversion of habitat to arable land, illegal hunting and proximity to human settlements.

Spoon Billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus)
Found: Has been recorded in West Bengal, Orissa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Threats: Habitat degradation and land reclamation. Human disturbance also leads to high incidence of nest desertion

Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus)
Found: Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan.
Threats: Pesticide pollution, wetland drainage, development of prime habitat into agricultural fields, and to some extent, hunting.

Other Critically Endangered Species of India

birds       mammals        reptiles

amphibians

fish   coral

spiders

Biodiversity Hotspot criterion

A region must meet the following two strict criteria to qualify as biodiversity hotspot :

1. it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and
2. it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

Around the world, at least 25 areas qualify under this definition, with nine others possible candidates. These sites support nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, with a very high share of endemic species.

IUCN - Critically Endangered risk category

Critically endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List to wild species. There are five quantitative criteria to determine whether a taxon is threatened.

A taxon is critically endangered when the best availabile evidence indicates that it meets any of the following criteria:

1. Populations have declined or will decrease, by greater than 80% over the last 10 years or three generations.
2. Have a restricted geographical range.
3. Small population size of less than 250 individuals and continuing decline at 25% in 3 years or one generation.
4. Very small or restricted population of fewer than 50 mature individuals.
5. High probability of extinction in the wild.

IUCN Red List and Categories

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List. It is founded in 1963. The general sub classification term "threatened" consists of three categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.

As per the latest (2011) quantitative evaluation done by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) there are 57 critically endangered species of animals in India.


Categories :

All the species are classified into nine groups. The classification is based on criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.

1. Extinct (EX) - No individuals remaining.
2. Extinct in the Wild (EW) - Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.
3. Critically Endangered (CR) - Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
4. Endangered (EN) - High risk of extinction in the wild.
5. Vulnerable (VU) - High risk of endangerment in the wild.
6. Near Threatened (NT) - Likely to become endangered in the near future.
7. Least Concern (LC) - Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
8. Data Deficient (DD) - Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.
9. Not Evaluated (NE) - Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.