List of mammals of India

Part of a series on
Wildlife of India

This is a list of mammals found in India. The taxonomic order is based on Wilson and Reeder (1993) and this list is largely based on Nameer (2000).

The mammals of India ranges in size from the Eurasian pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus) to the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus). Many of the carnivores and larger mammals are restricted in their distribution to forests in protected areas, while others live within the cities in the close proximity of humans.

Some species are common to the point of being considered vermin while others are exceedingly rare. Many species are known from just a few specimens in museums collected in the 19th and 20th centuries. These enigmatic species include nocturnal small mammals such as the Malabar Civet (Viverra megaspila). While the status of many of these species is unknown, some are definitely extinct. Populations of many carnivores are threatened. The tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus), Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), Malabar Large-spotted Civet (Viverra civettina) and Himalayan Wolf (Canis himalayensis) are some of the most endangered species of carnivore. Two species of Rhinoceros are extinct within the Indian region but the remaining species has its last stronghold within India. The Asiatic Cheetah is believed to have gone extinct.

Contents

ORDER: Insectivora

Family Erinaceidae: Hedgehogs

Family Talpidae: Moles

Family Soricidae: Shrews

Soricinae

Crocidurinae

ORDER: Scandentia

Family Tupaiidae: Treeshrews

Tupaiinae

ORDER: Chiroptera: Bats

Family Pteropodidae: Fruit Bats

Family Rhinopomatidae: Mouse-tailed Bats

Family Emballonuridae: Sheath-tailed Bats

Family Megadermatidae: False Vampire Bats

Family Rhinolophidae: Horseshoe Bats

Family Hipposideridae: Leaf-nosed Bats

Family Vespertilionidae: Evening Bats

Family Molossidae: Free-tailed Bats

ORDER: Primates

Family Lorisidae: Lorises

Family Cercopithecidae: Old World monkeys

Family Hylobatidae: Lesser apes (gibbons)

ORDER: Carnivora: Carnivorans

Family Canidae: Canines/Dogs

Family Ursidae: Bears

Family Ailuropodidae: Pandas

Family Mustelidae: Mustelids

Family Viverridae: Civets

Family Herpestidae: Mongooses

Family Hyaenidae: Hyaenas

Family Felidae: Felines/Cats

ORDER: Cetacea: Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises

Family Delphinidae

Family Platanistidae: River Dolphins

Family Balaenoptridae

Family Balaenidae

Family Ziphiidae

Family Phocoenidae

ORDER:Sirenia

Family Dugongidae

ORDER: Proboscidea

Family Elephantidae: Elephants

ORDER: Perissodactyla: Odd-toed ungulates

Family Equidae: Horses

Family Rhinocerotidae: Rhinoceroses

ORDER: Artiodactyla: Even-toed Ungulates

Family Suidae: Pigs

Family Tragulidae: Chevrotains

Family Moschidae

Family Cervidae: Deer

Family Bovidae: Bovids

ORDER: Pholidota: Pangolins

Family Manidae: Pangolins

ORDER: Rodentia

Family Sciuridae: Squirrels

(Included but taxonomy dependent - Layard's palm squirrel (Funambulus layardi) (Blyth, 1849).)

Family Pteromyidae: Flying squirrels

Family Muridae: Old World Rats, Mice

Family Hystricidae: Old World Porcupines

ORDER: Lagomorpha: Hares, Rabbits, Pikas

Family Leporidae: Hares and Rabbits

Family Ochotonidae: Pikas

See also

References

  1. ^ Khajuria, H., Extension of distributional ranges of some rare South Indian Bats. (1977) Cheetal, 19(2&3): 16-20.[1]
  2. ^ Sinha, A. , A. Datta, M. D. Madhusudan, and C. Mishra (2005). The Arunachal macaque Macaca munzala: a new species from western Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. International Journal of Primatology. 2005, 26(4):977-989
  3. ^ Kumar, R. S., Mishra, C. and Sinha, A. (2005) Discovery of the Tibetan macaque Macaca thibetana in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Current Science 88:1387-1388 PDF
  4. ^ Tsewang Namgail, Sumanta Bagchi, Yash V. Bhatnagar and Rinchen Wangchuk (2005) Occurrence of the Tibetan Sand Fox Vulpes ferrilata Hodgson in Ladakh: A new record for the Indian subcontinent. JBNHS 102(2):217
  5. ^ Funk, Stephan M., Sunil Kumar Verma, Greger Larson, Kasturi Prasad, Lalji Singh, Goutam Narayan and John E. Fa (2007). "The pygmy hog is a unique genus: 19th century taxonomists got it right first time round". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45 (2): 427–436. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.08.007. PMID 17905601. 
  6. ^ Groves, C. & Meijaard, E. (2005) Intraspecific variation in Moschiola, the Indian Chevrotain. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Supplement 12:413-421 pdf
  7. ^ Datta, A., Pansa, J., Madhusudan, M. D., and Mishra, C. (2003). Discovery of the leaf deer Muntiacus putaoensis in Arunachal Pradesh: an addition to the large mammals of India. Current Science 84: 454-458. PDF
  8. ^ Ropiquet A, Hassanin A (2005). "Molecular evidence for the polyphyly of the genus Hemitragus (Mammalia, Bovidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 36 (1): 154–168. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.01.002. PMID 15904863. 
  9. ^ Charudutt Mishra, Aparajita Datta and M.D. Madhusudan (2005) Record of the Chinese Goral Naemorhedus caudatus in Arunachal Pradesh. JBNHS Vol. 102(2)

Other references

  • Corbet G B, Hill J E. 1992. The mammals of the Indomalayan region: a systematic review. Oxford University Press
  • Prater, S.H. (1971) The Book of Indian Animals. Oxford University Press. (Third edition 1997)
  • Nameer, P.O. (2000) Checklist of Indian Mammals. Kerala Forest Department and Kerala Agricultural University. 90+xxv pp.[2]

External links

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