Important Species Of India - Elephant

Indian Elephant

The Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) :

• The Indian Elephant is listed as endangered by IUCN. 
• Elephants inhabit grasslands, dry deciduous, moist deciduous, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.

Important Species Of India - Dogs, Bears

Dogs

The Indian Wild Dog or the Dhole (Cuon alpinus) :

Dhole

• The dholes are classified as endangered by the IUCN.
• Dholes are found in the central Indian Highlands and the Western and Eastern Ghats, northeast India's states and in Ladakh.
• Threats to dholes include habitat loss, depletion of its prey base, competition from other predators, diseases from domestic and feral dogs.

Important Species Of India - Monkeys, Langurs, Apes

Monkeys

The Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) :

Rhesus Macaque

• It is also called as the rhesus monkey.
• It is one of the best known monkey species. 
• It is listed as Least Concern by IUCN.
• Found throughout Norhern India.
• The threats to this species include hunting, habitat degradation and fragmentation.

Important Species of India - Wild Ass, Gaur, Yak, Wild Buffalo and Rhinoceros

The Indian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur) :

The Indian Wild Ass

• it is the only wild ass found in India
• It is Classified as endangered by IUCN.

Distribution :

• Its last refuge lies in the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch and its surrounding areas of the Great Rann of Kutch in the Gujarat province of India.
• Saline deserts (rann), arid grasslands and shrublands are its preferred environments.

Threats : 

• Disease
• habitat degradation due to salt activities, 
• the invasion of the Prosopis juliflora shrub, and 
• encroachment and grazing by the Maldhari.

Important Species of India - Antelopes and Deers

The Chinkara or Indian Gazelle (Gazella gazelle) :

The Chinkara

• The Chinkara is a gazelle found in India. 
• It is listed as Least Concern by IUCN.

Distribution : 

• It is found in grassland and desert habitats.

Threats : 

• The population of chinkaras is in sharp decline due to hunting for game.