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Wildlife diversity is a notable feature of Nepal. Because of the variance in climate, from tropical to arctic, Nepal has a large variety of plants and animals. Wildlife tourism is also a major source of tourism in the country. There are some animal species which are unique to Nepal, such as the
spiny babbler The spiny babbler (''Turdoides nipalensis''; ne, काँडे भ्याकुर) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. Found only in the Middle Hills of Nepal, it can for example be seen around the Kathmandu valley, specific ...
. Nepal is also host to many
rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nat ...
species. The wildlife of Nepal includes its
flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or ''skin flora''. ...
and fauna. Nepal has established numerous national parks and reserves in order 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 , image =Terai nepal.jpg , image_size = , image_alt = , caption =Aerial view of Terai plains near Biratnagar, Nepal , map = , map_size = , map_alt = , map_caption = , biogeographic_realm = Indomalayan realm , global200 = Terai-Duar savanna ...
(foothills), and the
Rara Lake Rara Lake also known as Mahendra Lake is the largest fresh water lake in the Nepalese Himalayas. It is the main feature of Rara National Park, located in Jumla and Mugu Districts of Karnali Province. Rara National Park stretches over . History ...
ecoregion, which has many endemic species.


Legal protection

Nepal has established numerous national parks and reserves in order to protect its diverse fauna ever since 1973, with the passing of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 BS. 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 in Nepal: nine national parks, three wildlife reserves, three conservation areas, one hunting reserve, three additional Ramsar sites, and four additional World Heritage Sites. The most noted world heritage sites are
Sagarmatha National Park Sagarmāthā National Park is a national park in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal that is dominated by Mount Everest. It encompasses an area of in the Solukhumbu District and ranges in elevation from at the summit of Mount Everest. In the north, i ...
and
Chitwan National Park , iucn_category = II , location = Central Terai of Nepal , established = 1973 , nearest_city = Bharatpur , map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#India#South Asia , relief = 1 , label = Chitwan National Park , label_position = top , coordina ...
. In addition, the world heritage site in the Kathmandu Valley also 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 several 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 and ...
,
Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...
,
clouded leopard The clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa''), also called the mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China. In the early 19th century, a cl ...
,
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 c ...
,
Indian rhinoceros } The Indian rhinoceros (''Rhinoceros unicornis''), also called the Indian rhino, greater one-horned rhinoceros or great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros species native to the Indian subcontinent. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red Li ...
,
Asiatic elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus ''Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the no ...
,
marbled cat The marbled cat (''Pardofelis marmorata'') is a small 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 Threatened on the ...
,
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 scales on its body which act as armour. The colo ...
,
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 wi ...
, red panda,
snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus ''Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...
,
Tibetan fox The Tibetan fox (''Vulpes ferrilata''), also known as the Tibetan sand fox, is a species of true fox endemic to the high Tibetan Plateau, Ladakh plateau, Nepal, China, Sikkim, and Bhutan, up to elevations of about . It is listed as Least Concern ...
and
Tibetan wolf The Himalayan wolf (''Canis lupus chanco'') is a canine of debated taxonomy. It is distinguished by its genetic markers, with mitochondrial DNA indicating that it is genetically basal to the Holarctic gray wolf, genetically the same wolf as th ...
. Some of these, including the internationally recognised snow leopard are endangered and at risk of extinction.
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 regional extinct in 1970s, was rediscovered in 2014.


Reptiles

There are several different 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. . crotaline snakes (from grc, κρόταλον ''krotalon'' castanet), or pit adders, are a subfa ...
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 one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are recogn ...
s. Some of the more prominent examples include the
Bengal monitor The Bengal monitor (''Varanus bengalensis''), also called the common Indian monitor, is a monitor lizard distributed widely in the Indian Subcontinent, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and West Asia. This large lizard is mainly a terrestrial a ...
, ''
Gloydius himalayanus ''Gloydius himalayanus'' also known as the Himalayan pit viper or Gloyd HK, Conant R. 1990. ''Snakes of the'' Agkistrodon ''Complex: A Monographic Review''. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. . th ...
'' (a pit viper), the elongated tortoise (''Indotestudo elongata''), ''
Trimeresurus septentrionalis ''Trimeresurus septentrionalis'', commonly known as the Nepal pit viper or northern white-lipped pit viper,Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. ''Asian Pitvipers''. GeitjeBooks. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. . is a venom ...
'', 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 ''Cyrtodactylus'' (Greek κυρτος ''kurtos'' "curved", from κυπτω ''kuptō'' "to stoop"; δακτυλος ''daktulos'' "finger, toe") is a diverse genus of Asian geckos, commonly known as bent-toed geckos, bow-fingered geckos, and forest ...
nepalensis''. '' Sitana sivalensis'', '' Japalura tricarinata'', the Annapurna ground skink (''
Scincella ''Scincella'' is a genus of lizards in the skink family, Scincidae, commonly referred to as ground skinks. The exact number of species in the genus is unclear, as taxonomic reclassification is ongoing, and sources vary widely. ''Scincella'' sp ...
capitanea''), the lidless skink ('' Asymblepharus 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 throughout the world. They range from . Geckos are ...
s (''
Cyrtodactylus ''Cyrtodactylus'' (Greek κυρτος ''kurtos'' "curved", from κυπτω ''kuptō'' "to stoop"; δακτυλος ''daktulos'' "finger, toe") is a diverse genus of Asian geckos, commonly known as bent-toed geckos, bow-fingered geckos, and forest ...
martinstolli''), Shah's bamboo pit viper (''
Trimeresurus karanshahi ''Trimeresurus tibetanus'', commonly known as the Tibetan bamboo pit viper,Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. ''Asian Pit vipers''. First Edition. Berlin: Geitje Books. 368 pp. . is a venomous pit viper species found ...
'') and the Tibetan pit viper (''
Gloydius strauchi :''Common names: Tibetan pit viper, Gloyd HK, Conant R (1990). ''Snakes of the'' Agkistrodon ''Complex: A Monographic Review''. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. . Strauch's pitviper. Gumprecht A ...
'') are also reptiles found in Nepal. In 2019, the first successful gharial reproduction since 1982 was confirmed.


Avifauna

There are approximately 27 Important Bird Areas in the country and over 900 bird species (as of 2012) known to exist in Nepal of which 30 species are globally threatened, 1 species is endemic and 1 species is introduced. The ''danphe'', the national bird, is a type of pheasant. In addition, there are eight species of stork, five other species of pheasant, six
minivet The minivets are passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Pericrocotus'' in the cuckooshrike family Campephagidae. There are about 15 species, occurring mainly in forests in southern and eastern Asia. They are fairly small, slender birds with lo ...
s, seventeen different
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 sometimes sepa ...
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 The ...
s. The
spiny babbler The spiny babbler (''Turdoides nipalensis''; ne, काँडे भ्याकुर) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. Found only in the Middle Hills of Nepal, it can for example be seen around the Kathmandu valley, specific ...
is the only species endemic to Nepal. Spiny babblers are not mammals. True mammals are vertebrates just like humans and they have some defining features like having 4 limbs and 3 holes in their skulls. But babblers are birds and they have a lot of defining features that separate them from humans. For example, they have a lighter, more hollow bones than us, they have claws on the tip of their wings and they have beaks instead of an upper jaw.


Aquatic fauna

The aquatic faunal species reported from the water bodies in Nepal are: pharping catfish ('' Myersglanis blythii''), '' Psilorhynchus nepalensis'', Nepalese minnow ('' Psilorhynchus 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 re ...
macrophthalmus''), '' Turcinoemacheilus himalaya'', erethistid catfishes ('' Erethistoides ascita'' and ''
Erethistoides cavatura ''Erethistoides cavatura'' is a species of South Asian river catfish endemic to Nepal where it is found in the Rapi River system of Narayani River Narayani may refer to: * Narayani (deity), another name for Lakshmi * Narayani, an epithet of ...
''), bagrid catfish (''
Batasio ''Batasio'' is a genus of catfish of the family Bagridae. These small fish are found in fast-flowing hillstreams throughout South and mainland Southeast Asia. Taxonomy ''Batasio'' was first described by Edward Blyth in 1860 with ''Batasio buchan ...
macronotus'') and sisorid catfishes (such as ''
Pseudecheneis ''Pseudecheneis'' is a genus of sisorid catfishes native to Asia. Species There are currently 19 recognized species in this genus: * '' Pseudecheneis brachyurus'' W. Zhou, X. Li & Y. Yang, 2008 * '' Pseudecheneis crassicauda'' H. H. Ng & Ed ...
eddsi'', ''
Pseudecheneis ''Pseudecheneis'' is a genus of sisorid catfishes native to Asia. Species There are currently 19 recognized species in this genus: * '' Pseudecheneis brachyurus'' W. Zhou, X. Li & Y. Yang, 2008 * '' Pseudecheneis crassicauda'' H. H. Ng & Ed ...
crassicauda'' and ''
Pseudecheneis ''Pseudecheneis'' is a genus of sisorid catfishes native to Asia. Species There are currently 19 recognized species in this genus: * '' Pseudecheneis brachyurus'' W. Zhou, X. Li & Y. Yang, 2008 * '' Pseudecheneis crassicauda'' H. H. Ng & Ed ...
serracula'').


Invertebrates

Some of the important insect species reported are: ground beetles ('' Cychropsis nepalensis''), ''
Nebria molendai ''Nebria molendai'' is a species of black coloured ground beetle in the Nebriinae subfamily that is endemic to Rolwaling valley, Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ� ...
'', 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, t ...
s (''Isopsera caligula''),
mole cricket Mole crickets are members of the insect family Gryllotalpidae, in the order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets). Mole crickets are cylindrical-bodied, fossorial insects about long as adults, with small eyes and shovel-like fore ...
s (''Gryllotalpa pygmaea''), grasshoppers (''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 superfami ...
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 na ...
strasseni'') and damselflies ('' Calicnemia nipalica''). Other invertebrates reported are tarantulas (''Haplocosmia nepalensis''), goblin spiders (''Brignolia ankhu''), jumping spiders (''
Euophrys omnisuperstes ''Euophrys omnisuperstes'' (the species name means ''standing above everything''), the Himalayan jumping spider, is a small and toxic jumping spider that lives at elevations of up to in the Himalayas, including Mount Everest, making it a candida ...
''), scorpions (''Heterometrus nepalensis''),
centipede Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an a ...
s (''Cryptops nepalensis''), land snails (''Darwininitium shiwalikianum'' and '' Laevozebrinus nepalensis''), and freshwater snails (''
Tricula ''Tricula'' is a genus of freshwater snails with a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Pomatiopsidae. ''Tricula'' is the type genus of the tribe Triculuni. Species Species in the genus ''Tricula'' include: * '' Tr ...
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 (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s and the remaining 26 species were gymnosperms. The
Terai , image =Terai nepal.jpg , image_size = , image_alt = , caption =Aerial view of Terai plains near Biratnagar, Nepal , map = , map_size = , map_alt = , map_caption = , biogeographic_realm = Indomalayan realm , global200 = Terai-Duar savanna ...
area has hardwood, bamboo, palm, and sal trees. Notable plants include the
garden angelica ''Angelica archangelica'', commonly known as garden angelica, wild celery, and Norwegian angelica, is a biennial plant from the family Apiaceae, a subspecies of which is cultivated for its sweetly scented edible stems and roots. Like several ot ...
, '' Luculia gratissima'', ''
Meconopsis villosa ''Meconopsis villosa'', the Himalayan woodland-poppy, is an ornamental poppy, which is native of Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्� ...
'', and ''
Persicaria affinis ''Bistorta affinis'' (synonyms ''Polygonum affine'', ''Persicaria affinis''), the Himalayan bistort, fleece flower, or knotweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to the Himalayas (Tibet, Nepal, northern India, Pa ...
''. However, according to ICOMOS 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 Pleione may refer to: *Pleione (mythology) Pleione (Ancient Greek: Πληιόνη or Πλειόνη) was an Oceanid nymph in Greek mythology and mother of the Pleiades. Pleione presided over the multiplication of the flocks, fitting, since the m ...
'' and '' Oreorchis porphyranthes''.


National flower

The most popular endemic plant of Nepal is
rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nat ...
(arboreum) which in Nepali language 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 an 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 shoulder. Male ...
) * ''Bos gaurus'' ( gaur) * ''Canis lupus'' (Tibetan wolf) * ''Neofelis nebulosa'' (
clouded leopard The clouded leopard (''Neofelis nebulosa''), also called the mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China. In the early 19th century, a cl ...
) * '' Platanista gangetica'' (Gangetic dolphin) * ''
Python molurus The Indian python (''Python molurus'') is a large python species native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is also known by the common names black-tailed python, Indian rock python, and Asian r ...
'' (Asiatic rock python) ;Endangered * ''Bos mutus'' (
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'' ...
, rediscovered in 2014) * ''Bubalus bubalis'' (wild water buffalo) * ''Caprolagus hispidus'' (
hispid hare The hispid hare (''Caprolagus hispidus''), also called Assam rabbit and bristly rabbit, is a leporid native to South Asia, whose historic range extended along the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Today, its habitat is highly fragmented with ...
) * '' Cervus duvauceli'' (swamp deer) * '' Elephas maximus'' (Asiatic elephant) * ''Felis lynx'' (
Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is a medium-sized wild cat widely distributed from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an elev ...
) * ''
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 Bengal tiger) * ''Panthera uncia'' (
snow leopard The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus ''Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...
) * ''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 b ...
) * ''Eupodotis bengalensis'' ( Bengal florican) * ''Gavialis gangeticus'' ( gharial) ;Extirpated *''Sus salvanius'' (
pygmy hog The pygmy hog (''Porcula salvania'') is the rarest species of pig in the world today, and is the only species in the genus ''Porcula''. It is also the smallest species of pig in the world, with its piglets being small enough to fit in one's pock ...
) ;Indeterminate species * '' Ovis ammon'' (great Tibetan sheep) * '' Varanus flavescens'' (golden monitor)


See also

* Fauna of Nepal


References

{{Asia in topic, Wildlife of Biota of Nepal Nepal Wildlife of Nepal