China

In addition to the country's most famous endemic species, the Giant Panda (ARKive WM), mammals unique to China include the possibly extinct Baiji or Yangtze River Dolphin (IUCN), the Yangtze Finless Porpoise (BioLib), the Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel (flickr), Pere David's Rock Squirrel (iNaturalist), the Chinese Jumping Mouse (iNaturalist) (GBIF), Fontanier's Zokor (ASM WM), the Ili Pika (IUCN), the Hainan Hare (iNaturalist), the Short-faced Mole (iNaturalist), Wang's Forest Hedgehog (ResearchGate), the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey (ARKive WM), the Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey (iNaturalist), the Hainan Crested Gibbon (NEPC), the Chinese Mountain Cat (Cat SG WM), the Beijing Barbastelle (Bats in China), the Chinese Takin (flickr), the Milu or Pere David's Deer (Ultimate Ungulate), the White-lipped Deer (iNaturalist), the Black Muntjac (ARKive WM), the Tufted Deer (iNaturalist), the Anhui Musk Deer (Biodiversity Science pdf), Przewalski's Gazelle (ARKive WM), and, as a breeding species, the Tibetan Antelope or Chiru (BioOne).

China is rich in pheasants found nowhere else including the Chinese Monal (eBird), Reeves’s Pheasant (eBird), Cabot's Tragopan (ARKive WM), and the Brown Eared Pheasant (eBird). Przevalski's Rosefinch (Creagrus WM) (eBird) is the sole member of an endemic family, the Urocynchramidae. Other endemic birds include the Giant Laughingthrush (eBird), the Slaty Bunting (eBird), the Silver Oriole (eBird), the Chinese Grouse (eBird), the Tibetan Babax (eBird), Sillem's Rosefinch (eBird), the Rusty-throated Parrotbill (eBird), the Emei Shan Liocichla (eBird), the Hainan Magpie (Cornell), the Sichuan Jay (eBird), and the Chinese Barbet (eBird).

Reptiles known only from China include the Chinese Alligator (IUCN), the Splendid Japalure (Wikipedia), Gail's Eyelid Skink (iNaturalist), the Qinghai Toadhead Agama (Reptile Database), the Ordos Racerunner (lacerta.de), the Yingde Leopard Gecko (ms-goniurosaurus.de WM), Swinhoe's Gecko (flickr), the Twin-spotted Ratsnake (ratsnakes.com WM), Zong's Odd-scaled Snake (Baidu), the Mangshan Pitviper (ARKive WM), the Likiang Pitviper (Reptile Database), Hou's Coral Snake (Species New to Science), Beale's Eyed Turtle (Joel Sartore), and the Golden-headed Box Turtle (Reptile Database). The Ningshan Line-shaped Snake (flickr) and the Xizang Hot-spring Keelback (ARKive WM) represent endemic genera.

Amphibians exclusively found in China include the Shangcheng Stout Salamander (IUCN), the Chinhai Spiny Newt (AmphibiaWeb), the stout newts Pachytriton (Salamanders of China), the Hainan Flathead Toad Parapelophryne scalpta (ARKive WM), the Fujian Frog (iNaturalist), the Shaping Horned Toad (Amphibia China), the Sichuan Digging Frog (iNaturalist), the Large-webbed Bell Toad (Amphibia China), the Jiulong Spiny Frog (iNaturalist), the Omei Tree Frog (iNaturalist), and the Tsinling Tree Frog (iNaturalist). The Chinese Giant Salamander (IUCN) is the world's largest amphibian and the Concave-eared Torrent Frog Odorrana tormota (Univ. Illinois) is notable for its ability to emit ultrasonic calls.

China is second only to Brazil in endemic freshwater fish species. Genera unique to China include the probably extinct Chinese Paddlefish Psephurus (BBC WM), the Chinese Hillstream Loach Jinshaia (Loaches Online), Troglonectes (ResearchGate), Plesiomyzon (flickr), Leptobotia (Loaches Online), a blind cave loach Protocobitis (ResearchGate), the catfishes Xiurenbagrus (PlanetCatfish) and Pseudexostoma (PlanetCatfish), the Chinese High Fin Sucker Myxocyprinus (Seriously Fish), the golden-line barbels Sinocyclocheilus (p. 5 of SHOAL pdf) (Science Museums of China), Parasinilabeo (FishBase), a bitterling Sinorhodeus (GBIF), Rhinogobio (FishBase), Anabarilius (FishBase), Belligobio (FishBase), and Aspiorhynchus (FishBase). Other endemic fish include the Qinling Lenok (GBIF), the Chinese Sturgeon (IUCN), and the Slender Mandarinfish (Science Museums of China).

Butterflies restricted to China include the Chinese Three-tailed Swallowtail (iNaturalist), the Chinese Luehdorfia (iNaturalist), the Chinese Map Butterfly (iNaturalist), and the endemic genera Mesapia (iNaturalist), Sinonympha (BOLD), Gonerilia (iNaturalist), Tatinga (iNaturalist), Barca (iNaturalist), and Davidina (flickr). Endemic moths include an owl moth Brahmaea litserra (iNaturalist), a noctuid moth Stenoloba solaris (ResearchGate), and a moon moth Actias chrisbrechlina (iNaturalist).

Other endemic insects include a dragonfly Planaeschna shanxiensis (iNaturalist), a damselfly Matrona corephaea (iNaturalist), the cicadas Ambragaeana sticta (iNaturalist) and Hea qiuae (ResearchGate), an earwig Guanchia uvarovi (iNaturalist), the Dark-legged Bumblebee (iNaturalist), a genus of ants Gaoligongidris (ZooKeys), a pygmy grasshopper Scelimena guangxiensis (iNaturalist), a katydid Hexacentrus yunnaneus (iNaturalist), a leaf insect Cryptophyllium parum (iNaturalist), a stag beetle Lucanus hermani (iNaturalist), a longhorn beetle Anoplophora freyi (iNaturalist), a jewel beetle Anthaxia dundai (iNaturalist), a tiger beetle Cylindera armandi (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling rove beetle Zopherobatrus tianmingyii (fig. 13A at MDPI), and the ground beetles Aristochroa splendida (BHL) and Pilosaphaenops hybridiformis (fig 9A at ResearchGate).

Other invertebrates unique to China include a tarantula Cyriopagopus hainanus (birdspiders.com WM), a huntsman spider Sinopoda yaojingensis (Endemic Spiders of China WM), a jumping spider Colyttus yiwui (iNaturalist), a harvestman Harmandina sinensis (iNaturalist), a scorpion Langxie feti (ResearchGate), a whip spider Weygoldtia hainanensis (ResearchGate), the millipedes Kronopolites swinhoei (iNaturalist) and Eutrichodesmus sketi (fig. 8B at MDPI), a freshwater crab Sinopotamon fukienense (Freshwater Crab Info WM), a cave-dwelling shrimp Caridina sinanensis (GBIF), a land planarian Diversibipalium cantori (iNaturalist), an earthworm Pheretima praepinguis (Wikipedia), the freshwater mussels Pseudobaphia biesiana (MUSSELp) and Acuticosta chinensis (iNaturalist), the freshwater snails Lacunopsis yuxiensis (BDJ) and Margarya melanioides (iNaturalist), and several land snails: Angustopila dominikae (Guardian), Camaena subgibbera (iNaturalist), Bradybaena qixiaensis (iNaturalist), Cyclophorus elegans (iNaturalist), Plectotropis brevibarbis (iNaturalist), and Sinorachis baihu (GBIF).

Endemic invertebrate families include mayflies Siphluriscidae (ZooKeys), damselflies Pseudolestidae (iNaturalist), spiders Sinopimoidae (ResearchGate) (WSC), proturans Antelientomidae (baike.baidu.com), centipedes Mimopidae (ZooKeys), millipedes Guizhousomatidae (KMK pdf), freshwater snails Helicostoidae (Wikipedia), and an aquatic worm Caridinophilidae (BHL).

China has two endemic families of vascular plants. The Hardy Rubber Tree Eucommia ulmoides (iNaturalist) is the sole member of the Eucommiaceae and is extinct in the wild. The Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba (POWO) is the sole member not only of an endemic family, the Ginkgoaceae, but also of the order Ginkgoales and the class Ginkgoopsida making it a true living fossil. Acanthochlamys bracteata (Flora of China WM) (Flora of the World WM) and the Handkerchief Tree or Dove Tree Davidia involucrata (POWO) are also sometimes placed in their own families.

Other trees unique to China include such as endemic genera as the Dawn Redwood Metasequoia (Wikipedia), the Jacktree Sinojackia (Flora of the World), the Tara Wingceltis Pteroceltis (NCSU), the Chinese Pearlbloom Tree Poliothyrsis (asian flora WM), the Seven Sons Tree Heptacodium (iNaturalist), Dichotomanthes (IDS), the Chinese Quince Pseudocydonia (iNaturalist), the Golden Larch Pseudolarix (RBGE), Malania (ResearchGate), Euryodendron (ResearchGate), Apterosperma (iNaturalist), the Bristlecone Hemlock Nothotsuga (RBGE), Dipteronia (IDS), and the Cathay Silver Fir Cathaya (ResearchGate). Other endemic trees include Rhododendron wardii (Biodiversity of the Hengduan Mountains WM), the Yulan Magnolia (iNaturalist), the Chinese Wild Peach (iNaturalist), and the Tsangpo River Cypress (conifers.org).

Other endemic Chinese plants include the Regal Lily (Nova), a gentian Gentiana hexaphylla (Flora of China WM), the Hardy Begonia (Kew), a primrose Primula blinii (Flora of China WM), the Winter Jasmine (iNaturalist), the Chinese Wisteria (Kew), the Bamboo Iris (AIS), Chrysanthemum potentilloides (iNaturalist), and the Dukou Cycad (ResearchGate). Other endemic genera include the Snow Poppy Eomecon (iNaturalist), Pyrgophyllum (flickr), Upright Wild Ginger Saruma (iNaturalist), Speirantha (iNaturalist), Opisthopappus (ResearchGate), the Beauty Bush Kolkwitzia (Kew), Gaoligongshania (plantplus.ch), Hanceola (iNaturalist), Rhabdothamnopsis (iNaturalist), Gymnaconitum (iNaturalist), Urophysa (iNaturalist), and the orchids Ischnogyne (IOPSE WM) and Changnienia (iNaturalist). About 16915 species of vascular plants are endemic to China (Biodiversity Science).

Endemic fungi include Thelephora ganbajun (IUCN), Hemilanmaoa retistipitatus (frontiers), and Hygrocybe debilipes (MycoKeys). Endemic lichens include Parmelia asiatica (100 New Lichens WM) and Parmotrema myriolobulatum (fig. 1b at Biodiversity Science). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Sciaromiopsis sinensis (GBIF) (IUCN) and Mawenzhangia thamnobryoides (ResearchGate) and the liverworts Cololejeunea tianmuensis (ResearchGate) and Gaolejeunea gaoi (ResearchGate).

Cyanobacteria known only from hot springs in Sichuan include Trichothermofontia sichuanensis (frontiers) and Thermocoleostomius sinensis (ResearchGate).

The richest temperate country for endemics, China is included in several biodiversity hotspots: Mountains of Southwest China (Biodiversity Hotspots WM), Mountains of Central Asia (Biodiversity Hotspots WM), Indo-Burma (Biodiversity Hotspots WM), and Himalaya (Biodiversity Hotspots WM). Important aquatic areas include the Yangtze River (ResearchGate), the Xi Yiang or Pearl River (FEOW WM), and the Southern Japan, Taiwan and Southern China coral reef hotspot (Columbia Univ. WM pdf). A list indicating endemic millipede species is at (ZooKeys).