Wildlife diversity is a notable feature of

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

. 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 Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

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 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 (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

. 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 a ...

(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 Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

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 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, ...

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 an ...

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,

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 concern ...

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 n ...

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 colou ...

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 ...

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 muzzle ...

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 Concer ...

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 the ...

. Some of these, including the internationally recognised snow leopard are endangered and at risk of extinction. Wild yak, 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 vipers to monitor lizards. 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 The elongated tortoise (''Indotestudo elongata'') is a species of tortoise found in Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. Description Shell considerably depressed, more than twice as long as deep, with flat vertebral region; anterior and post ...

(''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 fores ...

nepalensis''. '' Sitana sivalensis'', '' Japalura tricarinata'', the Annapurna ground skink ('' Scincella capitanea''), the lidless skink ('' Asymblepharus nepalensis''), geckos (''

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 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 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 native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

, 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 lon ...

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 separ ...

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 Th ...

s. The spiny babbler 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''), 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 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''), katydids (''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''), bees (''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 name ...

strasseni'') and damselflies ('' Calicnemia nipalica''). Other invertebrates reported are

tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...

s (''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 ...

''),

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...

s (''Heterometrus nepalensis''), centipedes (''Cryptops nepalensis''), land snails (''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 angiosperms and the remaining 26 species were

gymnosperm The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, '' Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, γυμν ...

s. 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 a ...

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 oth ...

, ''

Luculia gratissima ''Luculia gratissima'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is an ornamental plant that is found from the central Himalayas to northern Indo-China. The Latin specific epithet ''gratissima'' means "most pleasing" or "most ...

'', ''

Meconopsis villosa ''Meconopsis villosa'', the Himalayan woodland-poppy, is an ornamental poppy, which is native of Nepal. The species was placed in the genus ''Cathcartia'' erected by J.D. Hooker to honour J.F. Cathcart, an Indian civil servant and amateur botanis ...

'', 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), a figure in Greek mythology *Pleione (star) PleionePronounced or is a binary star and the seventh-brightest star in the Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45). It has the variable star desi ...

'' and ''

Oreorchis ''Oreorchis'' is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to Asia. Species currently accepted as of June 2014: #'' Oreorchis angustata'' L.O.Williams ex N.Pearce & P.J.Cribb - Sichuan, Yunnan #'' Oreorchis au ...

porphyranthes''.

National flower

The most popular endemic plant of Nepal is rhododendron (arboreum) which in

Nepali language Nepali (; , ) is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia. It is the official, and most widely spoken, language of Nepal, where it also serves as a '' lingua franca''. Nepali has official status in the Indian st ...

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 , 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 a ...

(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. Ma ...

) * ''Bos gaurus'' (

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

) * ''Canis lupus'' (Tibetan

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

) * ''Neofelis nebulosa'' ( clouded leopard) * '' 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 ...

'' (Asiatic rock python) ;Endangered * ''Bos mutus'' ( wild yak, rediscovered in 2014) * ''Bubalus bubalis'' (wild

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

) * ''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 an ...

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

Elephas maximus ''Elephas'' is one of two surviving genera in the family of elephants, Elephantidae, with one surviving species, the Asian elephant, ''Elephas maximus''. Several extinct species have been identified as belonging to the genus, extending back t ...

'' (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 eleva ...

) * '' Moschus chrysogaster'' (Himalayan musk deer) * ''Panthera tigris'' (royal Bengal

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

) * ''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 The Bengal florican (''Houbaropsis bengalensis''), also called the Bengal bustard, is a bustard species native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because fewer than 1,00 ...

) * ''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 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 from snout to vent between 45 cm and 95 cm including the tail ...

'' (golden monitor)

References

{{Asia in topic, Wildlife of Biota of Nepal

Wildlife of Nepal