Living National Treasures: India

Checklists of Endemics

Primates unique to India include the Lion-tailed Macaque (ARKive), the Southern Plains Gray Langur (ARKive), the Nilgiri Langur (ARKive), the Bonnet Macaque (BBC), and the Arunachal Macaque (BBC). Other endemic mammals include the Nilgiri Tahr (ARKive), the Nilgiri Marten (ARKive), the Brown Palm Civet (Kalyan Varma), the Malabar Civet (ENVIS), the Indian Giant Squirrel (India Nature Watch), and the Nilgiri Long-tailed Tree Mouse Vandeleuria nilagirica (p. 13 of JoTT pdf file). Representing endemic genera are the South Indian Tree Shrew (Animal Diversity Web), Salim Ali's Fruit Bat (ARKive), the Kutch Rock Rat (p. 7 of NASI 5 MB pdf file), and the Malabar Spiny Dormouse (Current Science pdf file).

Birds found only in India include the Himalayan Quail (BirdLife Int'l), the Nicobar Scrubfowl (Oriental Bird Images), the Great Indian Bustard (ARKive), Jerdon’s Courser (Birds of India), the Forest Owlet (Oriental Bird Club), the Andaman Serpent Eagle (IBC), the Narcondam Hornbill (BirdLife Int'l), the Crimson-backed Sunbird (IBC), the Black-and-orange Flycatcher (Wikipedia), the Green Avadavat (Oriental Bird Images), the Nilgiri Laughingthrush (Oriental Bird Images), and the Bugun Liocichla (Birds of India).

Reptile genera restricted to India include the Nicobar Forest Dragon Coryphophylax (Shreyas Krishnan), tthe Anaimalai Gecko Dravidogecko (GGA), the Chilka Spotted Skink Barkudia (AHR pdf file), Sepsophis (Vasundhara pdf file), the narrow-headed snakes Xylophis (NHM-London), and two shieldtail snakes Melanophidium (flickr) and Plectrurus (Wikipedia). Other endemic reptiles include the Andaman Day Gecko (phelsumania), the Indian Golden Gecko (Zoos' Print pdf file), the Southern Flying Lizard (Wikipedia), Whitaker’s Boa (India Nature Watch), the Andaman Cobra (Wolfgang Wüster), Anderson’s Pitviper (Shreyas Krishnan), and the Cochin Forest Cane Turtle (Turtles of the World).

Four distinctive amphibians are sometimes considered to each represent endemic families: the Purple Frog Nasikabatrachidae (EDGE), the Kottigehar Bush Frog Micrixalidae (EDGE), the Kerala Indian Frog Ranixalidae (EDGE), and the caecilians of the genus Uraeotyphlus Uraeotyphlidae (hindu.com). Other endemic amphibian genera include the toads Ghatophryne and Xanthophryne (both at BioMed Central), the frogs Nyctibatrachus (ARKive), Melanobatrachus (EDGE), Ghatixalus (p. 5 of amphibia.be pdf file), Raorchestes (BBC), and Pterorana (ARKive) and two caecilians: Geogeneophis (Gymnophiona.org) and Indotyphlus (p. 29 of KV Gururaja 9 MB pdf file). Other endemic amphibians include the Malabar Flying Frog (Wikipedia), the Warty Asian Tree Toad (ARKive), and the recently described Philautus chlorosomma (TH-Delhi).

Among numerous endemic freshwater fish genera are Horaichthys (Univ. Tokyo), Mesonoemacheilus (Loaches Online), Horaglanis (PlanetCatfish), Neotropius (PlanetCatfish), Hypselobarbus (jjphoto.dk), Rohtee (jjphoto.dk), and Betadevario (Practical Fishkeeping). Other endemic freshwater fish include the Canara Pearlspot (Cichlid Room Companion), the Manipur Barb (jjphoto.dk), the Dwarf Puffer (Puffer Forum), the Zebra Loach (Loaches Online), and the Humpback Mahseer (jjphoto.dk). Endemic marine fish include the Jester Goby (eol), a wrasse Xyrichtys cyanifrons (eol), and a filefish Lalmohania velutina (FishBase).

Invertebrate families known solely from India include a sea anemone from Lake Chilka in the Nevadneidae (Hexacorallians of the World) and the grasshoppers of the family Mastacideidae (OSF). Endemic butterflies include the Malabar Rose (flickr), the Malabar Tree Nymph (Wikipedia), and the Southern Birdwing (Indian Butterflies). Other endemic arthropods include the a stag beetle Odontolabis burmeisteri (flickr), a longhorned beetle Acanthophorus serraticornis (TrekNature), the Jumping Ant (Wikipedia), and the Indian Ornamental Tarantula (eightlegs.org). Endemic molluscs include Cyclophorus altivagus (Sahyadri), Indrella ampulla (NHM - London), and Pseudomulleria dalyi (Mussel Project).

Among some 7000 endemic vascular plants are such orchids as Paphiopedilum druryi (ARKive), Phalaenopsis speciosa (orchidspecies.com), and Schoenorchis manipurensis (orchidspecies.com). Endemic genera include an aroid Anaphyllum (flickr), a palm Bentinckia (PACSOA), Erinocarpus (Flowers of India), Frerea (Succulent Plant Page), Adenoon (flickr), Haplanthodes (Flowers of India), Moullava (flickr), and Pinda (Flowers of India). Other endemic plants include the Kurinji (Flowers of India), Rhododendron macabeanum (rhododendron.org), the Khasi Pitcher Plant (Wikipedia), a banana Musa velutina (ubcbotanicalgarden.org), Geranium clarkei (BBC), the Surangi (Flowers of India), the Forest Spider Lily (Flowers of India), Impatiens clavicornu (Frontline), and the Siroi Lily (Wikipedia).

India includes portions of four biodiversity hotspots: the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka (Biodiversity Hotspots), the Himalaya (Biodiversity Hotspots), the Indo-Burma (Biodiversity Hotspots), and the Sundaland (Biodiversity Hotspots), . India also includes part of the Northern Indian Ocean coral reef hotspot (Reef Guardian pdf file). Important freshwater ecoregions for endemism include the Western Ghats (FEOW), the Ganges Delta and Plain (FEOW), and the Chin Hills-Arakan Coast (FEOW).