Answer» - India has more than 89,000 of animal species. The country has more than 1200 species of birds. They constitute 13% of the world’s total.
- There are 2500 species of fish, which account for nearly 12% of the world’s stock. It also shares between 5 and 8 per cent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
- The elephants are the most majestic animals among the mammals. They are found in the hot wet forests of Assam, Karnataka and Kerala.
- One-horned rhinoceroses are the other animals, which live in swampy and marshy lands of Assam and West Bengal. Arid areas of the Rann of Kachchh and the Thar Desert are the habitat for wild ass and camels respectively.
- Indian bison, nilgai (blue bull), chousingha (four horned antelope), gazel and different species of deer are some other animals found in India. It also has several species of monkeys.
- India is the only country in the world that has both tigers and lions. The natural habitat of the Indian lion is the Gir forest in Gujarat.
- Tigers are found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh the Sundarbans of West Bengal and the Himalayan region.
- Leopards too are members of the cat family. They are important among animals of prey.
- The Himalayas have a hardy range of animals, which survive in extreme cold. Ladhak’s freezing high altitudes are a home to yak, the shaggy horned wild ox weighing around one tonne, the Tibetan antelope, the bharal (blue sheep), wild sheep, and the kiang(Tibetan wild ass). Furhter more, the ibex, bear, snow-leopard and very rare red panda are found in certain pockets.
- In the rivers, lakes and coastal areas turtles, crocodiles and gharials are found. The latter is the only representative of a variety of crocodile, found in the world today.
- Bird life in India is colourful. Peacocks, peasants, ducks, parakeets, cranes and pigeons are some of the birds inhabiting the forests and wetlands of the country.
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