Wildlife diversity is a notable feature of

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. Because of the variance in climate, from tropical to arctic, Nepal has a large variety of plants and animals. Wildlife tourism is a major source of

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

in the country. There are some animal species which are unique to Nepal, such as the spiny babbler. Nepal is also host to many

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

species. Nepal has numerous national parks and reserves to protect its diverse fauna. Nepal is a biodiversity hot spot with ecoregions broadly comprising the mountainous ecoregion, the savanna and grasslands ecoregion of the

terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...

(foothills), and the Rara Lake ecoregion.

Legal protection

With the 1973 passing of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 BS, Nepal has established numerous national parks and reserves in order to protect its fauna. There are four different classes of protection, ranging from national parks and nature reserves to wildlife and hunting reserves. By 1992 Nepal had established seven national parks, protecting in total over of land. Under these classes as of 2002 there were 23

protected areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

: nine national parks, three wildlife reserves, three conservation areas, one hunting reserve, three additional

Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s. The most noted world heritage sites are

Sagarmatha National Park Sagarmāthā National Park is a national park in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal that was established in 1976 and encompasses an area of in the Solukhumbu District. It ranges in elevation from and includes Mount Everest. In the north, it shares ...

and

Chitwan National Park Chitwan National Park is the first national park of Nepal. It was established in 1973 as the Royal Chitwan National Park and was granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of in the Terai of south-central Nepal. It ra ...

. In addition, the World Heritage Site in the

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley (), also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley (, Newar language, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः), National Capital Area, is a bowl-shaped valley located in the Himalayas, Hima ...

covers zones of significant biodiversity.

Animals

Mammals

There are 208 mammal species reported including 28 species outside the limits of the protected areas but excluding four known extinct species. Among the species of mammal found in Nepal, notable are the

Bengal fox The Bengal fox (''Vulpes bengalensis''), also known as the Indian fox, is a fox endemic to the Indian subcontinent from the Himalayan foothills and Terai of Nepal through southern India, and from southern and eastern Pakistan to eastern India an ...

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the largest wild cats alive today. It is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late ...

clouded leopard The clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa''), also called mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through Northeast India and Bhutan to mainland Southeast Asia into South China. It w ...

corsac fox The corsac fox (''Vulpes corsac''), also known simply as a corsac, is a medium-sized fox found in steppes, semi-deserts and deserts in Central Asia, ranging into Mongolia and northern China. Since 2004, it has been classified as ''least concer ...

Asiatic lion The Asiatic lion is a lion population of the subspecies ''Panthera leo leo''. Until the 19th century, it occurred in Saudi Arabia, eastern Turkey, Iran, Mesopotamia, and from east of the Indus River in Pakistan to the Bengal region and the Narm ...

, Asiatic elephant,

marbled cat The marbled cat (''Pardofelis marmorata'') is a small Felidae, wild cat native from the eastern Himalayas to Southeast Asia, where it inhabits forests up to an elevation of . As it is present in a large range, it has been listed as Near Threatene ...

Indian pangolin The Indian pangolin (''Manis crassicaudata''), also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater, is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping Scale (zoology), scales on its body which act as ...

Chinese pangolin The Chinese pangolin (''Manis pentadactyla'') is a pangolin native to the northern Indian subcontinent, northern parts of Southeast Asia and southern China. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2014, as the wild ...

red panda The red panda (''Ailurus fulgens''), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzz ...

snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...

, Tibetan fox and Tibetan wolf. Some of these, including the internationally recognized snow leopard are endangered and at risk of extinction. The

wild yak The wild yak (''Bos mutus'') is a large, wild bovine native to the Himalayas. It is the ancestor of the domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''). Taxonomy The ancestor of the wild and domestic yak is thought to have diverged from '' Bos primigenius' ...

, thought to be regionally extinct in the 1970s, was rediscovered in 2014. The

smooth-coated otter The smooth-coated otter (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') is a freshwater otter species from regions of South and Southwest Asia, with the majority of its numbers found in Southeast Asia. It has been ranked as " vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List since ...

and

Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...

are present in the country, and there are historical records of the Asian small-clawed otter. These otters are threatened by the increasing pollution of the rivers they inhabit.

Reptiles

There are several types of reptile native to the country, ranging from

pit viper The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . or pit adders, are a subfamily (biology), subfamily of Viperidae, vipers found in Asia and the ...

s to

monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and West African Nile monitor, one species is also found in south America as an invasive species. A ...

s. Some of the more prominent examples include the

Bengal monitor The Bengal monitor (''Varanus bengalensis''), also called the Indian monitor, is a species of monitor lizard distributed widely in the Indian subcontinent, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and West Asia. Description The Bengal monitor can ...

, '' Gloydius himalayanus'' (a pit viper), the elongated tortoise (''Indotestudo elongata''), '' Trimeresurus septentrionalis'', and the yellow monitor. Although the above are found elsewhere in southeast Asia, there are quite a few reptile species unique to the country, including '' Sitana fusca'' and '' Cyrtodactylus nepalensis''. '' Sitana sivalensis'', '' Japalura tricarinata'', the Annapurna ground skink (''

Scincella capitanea ''Scincella capitanea'', the large ground skink, is a species of skink endemic to Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also in ...

''), the lidless skink ('' Ablepharus nepalensis''),

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards ...

s ('' Cyrtodactylus martinstolli''), Shah's bamboo pit viper ('' Trimeresurus karanshahi'') and the Tibetan pit viper ('' Gloydius strauchi'') are also reptiles found in Nepal. Lophophorus impejanus Zoo DU 1

In 2019, the first successful

gharial The gharial (''Gavialis gangeticus''), also known as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family (biology), family Gavialidae and among the longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are long, and males . Adult males ...

reproduction since 1982 was confirmed.

Avifauna

There are approximately 27

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

s in the country and over 900 bird species (as of 2012) in Nepal of which 30 are globally threatened, 1 is endemic and 1 is introduced. The danphe, the national bird, is a type of pheasant. In addition, there are eight species of

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibise ...

, five other species of

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

, six minivets, seventeen

cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae ( ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are somet ...

s, thirty flycatchers, and sixty species of

warbler Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous. Sylvioid warblers T ...

s. The spiny babbler is the only species endemic to Nepal.

Aquatic fauna

The aquatic faunal species reported from the water bodies in Nepal are: Pharping catfish ('' Myersglanis blythii''), ''

Psilorhynchus ''Psilorhynchus'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Psilorhynchidae native to South Asia. This genus is the only member of its family. The members of ''Psilorhynchus'' are small benthic fishes which occur in rivers and streams with fast ...

nepalensis'', goonch catfish ('' Bagarius yarrelli''), Nepalese minnow (''

pseudecheneis''), Nepalese snowtrout (''

Schizothorax ''Schizothorax'' is a genus of cyprinid fish found in southern and western China, through northern South Asia (Himalaya) and Central Asia, to Iran, with a single species, ''S. prophylax'', in Turkey.Yang, J.; J.X. Yang; and X.Y. Chen (2012). "A r ...

macrophthalmus''), '' Turcinoemacheilus himalaya'', erethistid catfishes ('' Erethistoides ascita'' and '' Erethistoides cavatura''), bagrid catfish ('' Batasio macronotus'') and sisorid catfishes (such as '' Pseudecheneis eddsi'', '' Pseudecheneis crassicauda'' and '' Pseudecheneis serracula'').

Invertebrates

Some of the important insect species reported are: ground beetles ('' Cychropsis nepalensis''), '' Nebria molendai'', dung beetles ('' Caccobius scheuerni''), longhorned beetles (''Hesperoclytus katarinae''), moths ('' Heterolocha mariailgeae''),

katydid Insects in the family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids (especially in North America) or bush crickets. They have previously been known as "long-horned grasshoppers". More than 8,000 species are known. Part of the suborder Ensifera, the ...

s (''Isopsera caligula''),

mole cricket Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole" * Golden mole, southern African mammals * Marsupial mole, Australian mammals Other common meanings * Nevus, a growth on human skin ** Melanocytic nevus, a specific type of ...

s (''Gryllotalpa pygmaea''),

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grassh ...

s (''Nepalocaryanda latifrons''),

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

s (''Andrena kathmanduensis''), ant-mimicking thrips (''

Franklinothrips ''Franklinothrips'' is a genus of thrips with pantropical distribution. Name The genus name is derived from the surname of entomologist H. J. Franklin, who described thrips taxa in the early 1900s. The thrips genus '' Frankliniella'' is also nam ...

strasseni'') and

damselflies Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies (which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Epiprocta) but are usually smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the win ...

('' Calicnemia nipalica''). Other invertebrates reported are

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

s ('' Haplocosmia nepalensis''), goblin spiders (''Brignolia ankhu''), jumping spiders ('' Euophrys omnisuperstes''),

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

s (''Heterometrus nepalensis''),

centipede Centipedes (from Neo-Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, ...

s (''Cryptops nepalensis''),

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have gastropod shell, shel ...

s (''Darwininitium shiwalikianum'' and '' Laevozebrinus nepalensis''), and freshwater snails ('' Tricula mahadevensis'').

Flora

Research undertaken in the late 1970s and early 1980s documented 5,067 species of which 5041 were

angiosperm Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit ...

s and the remaining 26 species were

gymnosperm The gymnosperms ( ; ) are a group of woody, perennial Seed plant, seed-producing plants, typically lacking the protective outer covering which surrounds the seeds in flowering plants, that include Pinophyta, conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetoph ...

s. The

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...

area has hardwood, bamboo, palm, and sal trees. Notable plants include the garden angelica, '' Luculia gratissima'', '' Meconopsis villosa'', and '' Persicaria affinis''. However, according to

ICOMOS The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; ) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the world. Now headquartered in Charenton-le-Pont, France, ICOMOS was fou ...

checklist (as of 2006), in the protected sites, there are 2,532 species of vascular plants under 1,034 genera and 199 families. The variation in figures is attributed to inadequate floral coverage filed studies. There are 400 species of vascular plants which are endemic to Nepal. Of these, two in particular are orchids '' Pleione coronaria'' and '' Oreorchis porphyranthes''.

National flower

The most popular endemic plant of Nepal is

(arboreum) which in

Nepali language Nepali (; , ), or ''Gorkhali'' is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia. It is the official and most widely spoken Languages of Nepal, language of Nepal, where it also serves as a ''lingua fr ...

is called ''guras''. Lali guras (red rhododendron) is especially popular. It is grown extensively throughout Nepal, and particularly in the elevation range of 1,400–3,600 m. The flower is a national symbol and part of the cultural and religious ethos of the country. It symbolizes "national unity and people's sovereignty" and "reflects the spirit of ''Lok tantra'' (republic) marked by inclusiveness and gender parity." The red rhododendron flowers forms the decorative ring in the form of wreath around the national emblem of Nepal which comprise the flag of Nepal, Mount Everest, green mountains, yellow colour representing the fertile Terai region (foothills region of the Himalayas) and with hands of male and female joined representing gender equality, and with an outline of the map of Nepal in the background. Below this emblem there is an inscription in Sanskrit which reads ''jananī janmabhūmiśca svargādapi garīyasī'', which means "Mother and the motherland are greater than heaven." It is also used in traditional medicine to cure dysentery.

Protected species of fauna

There are 38 protected wildlife species of fauna including birds of which 50% are in various stages of threat. These are the following: ;Vulnerable * ''Antilope cervicapra'' (

blackbuck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is a medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the sh ...

) * ''Bos gaurus'' (

gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ) is a large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 ...

) * ''Canis lupus'' (Tibetan

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

) * ''Neofelis nebulosa'' (

) * '' Platanista gangetica'' (Gangetic dolphin) * '' Python molurus'' (Asiatic rock python) ;Endangered * ''Bos mutus'' (

, rediscovered in 2014) * ''Bubalus bubalis'' (wild

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...

) * ''Caprolagus hispidus'' (

hispid hare The hispid hare (''Caprolagus hispidus''), also known as the Assam rabbit and bristly rabbit, is a species of rabbit native to South Asia. It is the only species in the genus ''Caprolagus''. Named for its bristly fur coat, the hispid hare is a ...

) * '' Cervus duvauceli'' (swamp deer) * ''

Elephas maximus ''Elephas'' is a genus of elephants and one of two surviving genera in the family Elephantidae, comprising one extant species, the Asian elephant (''E. maximus''). Several extinct species have been identified as belonging to the genus, extendin ...

'' (Asiatic elephant) * ''Felis lynx'' (

Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is one of the four wikt:extant, extant species within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. It is widely distributed from Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe to Cent ...

) * ''

Moschus chrysogaster The Alpine musk deer (''Moschus chrysogaster'') is a musk deer species native to the eastern Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan and India to the highlands of Tibet. The Alpine musk deer recorded in the Himalayan foothills is now considered a separate sp ...

'' (Himalayan musk deer) * ''Panthera tigris'' (royal

) * ''Panthera uncia'' (

) * ''Catreus wallichii'' (

cheer pheasant The cheer pheasant (''Catreus wallichii''), also known as Wallich's pheasant or chir pheasant, is a vulnerable species of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the only member in the genus ''Catreus''. The scientific name commemorates Danish ...

) * ''Eupodotis bengalensis'' ( Bengal florican) * ''Gavialis gangeticus'' (

) ;Extirpated *''Sus salvanius'' (

pygmy hog The pygmy hog (''Porcula salvania'') is a very small and endangered species of pig and the only species in the genus ''Porcula''. Endemic to India, the pygmy hog is a suid native of the alluvial grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas, at ...

) ;Indeterminate species * '' Ovis ammon'' (great Tibetan sheep) * ''

Varanus flavescens The yellow monitor (''Varanus flavescens'') or golden monitor is a monitor lizard native to South Asia. Description The yellow monitor is a medium-sized monitor, measuring between including the tail and weighing up to . It has subcorneal teeth, ...

'' (golden monitor)

References

{{Asia in topic, Wildlife of Biota of Nepal

Wildlife of Nepal