Species diversity is changing globally and locally, but the complexity of ecological communities makes it difficult to gain a broad understanding of the effects of animal species extinction on ecosystem functioning. High animal diversity increases herbivore complementarity while also increasing feeding rates within the consumer guild. Depending on the balance of these opposing mechanisms, species-rich animal communities may top-down control plants or release them from grazing pressure. In this article, we will discuss Animal Diversity of India which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Features of Animal Kingdom

• Despite the fact that members of the animal kingdom are extremely diverse, most animals share certain characteristics that set them apart from organisms in other kingdoms.
• All animals are eukaryotic, multicellular organisms with complex tissue structures that include differentiated and specialized tissues.
• Most animals are mobile, at least at certain stages of their lives.
• All animals require a food source and are thus heterotrophic, ingesting other living or dead organisms; this distinguishes them from autotrophic organisms, such as most plants, which synthesise their own nutrients via photosynthesis.
• Animals classified as heterotrophs can be carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, or parasites.
• Most animals reproduce sexually, and their offspring go through a series of developmental stages that shape their body plan.

Critically Endangered Mammals

Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania)

• Is the world's smallest wild pig, with adults weighing only 8 kg. This species builds a nest all year.
• It is one of the most useful indicators of the management status of grassland habitats.
• The grasslands where the pygmy hog lives are critical for the survival of other endangered species such as Indian Rhinoceros, Swamp Deer, Wild Buffalo, Hispid Hare, Bengal Florican, and Swamp Francolin.

Andaman White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura andamanensis)

• (Crocidura jenkinsi) and the Nicobar White-tailed Shrew (Crocidura nicobarica) are both endemic to India.
• They are typically active at dusk or at night and have specific habitat requirements.
• Leaf litter and rock crevices provide habitat.

Kondana Rat (Millardia kondana)

• It is an Indian nocturnal burrowing rodent. It has been observed building nests on occasion.
• Tropical and subtropical dry deciduous forests and tropical scrub are their habitats.
• Only known from the Sinhagarh Plateau (about one square kilometre) near Pune, Maharashtra. It was reported from an elevation of approximately 1,270 metres above mean sea level.

The Large Rock Rat (Cremnomys elvira)

• It is a medium-sized, nocturnal, burrowing rodent that is endemic to India.
• Habitat: Tropical dry deciduous shrubland forest with rocky outcroppings.
• Distribution: Only found in Tamil Nadu's Eastern Ghats. Recorded at an elevation of approximately 600 metres above mean sea level.

The Namdapha Flying Squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)

• It is a one-of-a-kind (the only one in its genus) flying squirrel that lives in a single valley in Arunachal Pradesh's Namdapha National Park (or) Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Distribution: Found only in Arunachal Pradesh's Namdapha Tiger Reserve.

The Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina)

• It is one of the world's rarest mammals.
• It is endemic to India and was first discovered in Travancore, Kerala.
• It is nocturnal and only found in the Western Ghats.

The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)

• It is the smallest and most endangered of the five rhinoceros species.
• It is now thought to be extinct in India, though it was once found in the Himalayan foothills and north-east India.

Kashmir stag/hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu)

• It is an Indian subspecies of Red Deer.
• Its habitat includes dense riverine forests, high valleys, and mountains of Himachal Pradesh's Kashmir valley and northern Chamba.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Critically Endangered Mammals

Critically Endangered Marine Mammals

Freshwater / River dolphin

• Habitat / distribution - India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, where it is divided into two subspecies, the Ganges river dolphin and the Indus river dolphin.

Ganges river dolphin

• Habitat and distribution - Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
• The Ganges river dolphin has been designated as India's National Aquatic Animal.

Indus River Dolphin

The Indus River in Pakistan and its tributaries the Beas and Sutlej.

Herbivorous Marine Mammals

• Dugongs and manatees live in swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters.
• Dugong is also known as sea cow.
• Habitat and distribution of Manatees - Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Amazon Basin, and West Africa.

Egg-Laying Mammals

• Monotremes, a subgroup of mammals, are distinguished by the fact that they lay eggs rather than giving birth to their young.
• There are only five living Monotreme/egg-laying Mammal species: the duck-billed platypus and four species of spiny anteaters (also known as echidna).
• They are only found in Australia and New Guinea.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Critically Endangered Marine Mammals

Critically Endangered Birds

Jerdon's Courser

• It is a nocturnal bird found only in the northern part of the state of Andhra Pradesh in peninsular India.
• It is a symbol of the critically endangered scrub jungle.
• The species was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1986, and the area of rediscovery was subsequently designated as the Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Forest Owlet

• Had been missing for over a century. After 113 years, the owlet was rediscovered in 1997 and added to the list of Indian birds.

The White-bellied Heron

• Extremely rare bird found in five or six locations in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, one or two in Bhutan, and a few in Myanmar.

The Bengal Florican

• A rare bustard species well known for its mating dance.
• Secretive males advertise their territories in the tall grasslands by springing from the ground and flitting to and fro in the air.

The Himalayan Quail

• It is thought to be extinct because there are no reliable records of sightings of this species after 1876.
• Intensive surveys are required because this species is difficult to detect due to its aversion to flying and preference for dense grass habitats.
• A possible sighting of this species was reported in Nainital in 2003.

Pink-headed Duck

• It has not been conclusively recorded in India since 1949.
• Males have a deep pink head and neck that gives the bird its name.

Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarious)

• It is a winter migrant to India. Because of a sudden and rapid population decline, this species has been designated as critically endangered.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper

• It requires highly specialised breeding habitat, which has always kept its population in check. Some of this species' last wintering grounds are in India.

Siberian Crane

• It is a large, strikingly majestic migratory bird that breeds and winters in wetlands.
• They are known to spend the winter in Rajasthan's Keoladeo National Park. However, the last documented sighting of the bird was in 2002.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Critically Endangered Birds

Corals

• Coral polyps are little, fleshy sea anemones that live in tropical and subtropical oceans and seas.
• They share a symbiotic relationship in shallow waters with a species of microscopic algae called Zooxanthellae, which gives them a vivid color.
• Only 0.0025 % of the ocean floor is made up of corals, but they are responsible for producing half of the oxygen on Earth and absorbing more than a third of the carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels.
• More than 75% of the world's corals are currently threatened by a range of stressors, including climate change, overfishing and destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution, and degradation.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Corals

Bird’s Migration

• The regular seasonal movement of birds often north and south along a flyway between their breeding and wintering grounds is known as the "migration of birds".
• Migration is mostly influenced by the availability of food and comes at a significant cost in terms of predation and mortality, especially from human hunting.
• It mostly happens in the northern hemisphere, where natural barriers like the Mediterranean Sea or the Caribbean Sea direct birds along specific paths.
• As early as 3,000 years ago, authors of Ancient Greek literature, such as Homer and Aristotle, noted the migration of animals including storks, turtledoves, and swallows.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Bird’s Migration

Wildlife Diseases

• There are various infectious diseases, also called "zoonoses," that affect both wild animals and domesticated animals as well as people.
• The increasing globalization of society, the increase in the human population, and the resulting changes in the landscape promote human-animal contact and stimulate the emergence of new infectious diseases.
• For conservationists, the onset and recurrence of disease in wild animal populations is a crucial topic since it may have an impact on the long-term survival of particular species as well as the sustainability of the affected populations.
• Some Wildlife Diseases include:
  • Tuberculosis
  • Anthrax
  • Rabies
  • Foot and Mouth Disease
  • RinderPest
  • Trypanosomia
  • Taxoplasmosis

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Wildlife Diseases

Species Extinction

• Extinction of a species occurs when there are no more individuals of that species alive anywhere in the world - the species has died out.
• This is a normal part of the evolutionary process. However, extinctions can occur at a much faster rate than usual.
• For example, at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, a mass extinction killed off a wide range of animals and plants, including dinosaurs.
• Human intervention is also causing rapid extinction today. Many different types of plants and animals are being pushed to the brink of extinction as a result of hunting, habitat destruction, and over-exploitation of wildlife.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Species Extinction

Man - Animal Conflict

• Man-animal conflict refers to negative interactions between humans and wild animals that have negative consequences for both humans and their resources on the one hand, and wildlife and their habitats on the other.
• Man-Animal Conflict, which is caused by human-wildlife competition for natural resources, has an impact on human food security and the well-being of both humans and animals.
• The number of these conflicts has increased in many regions in recent decades as a result of human population growth and land use change.
• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) defines human-wildlife conflict as "any interaction between humans and wildlife that results in negative impacts on human social, economic, or cultural life, on wildlife population conservation, or on the environment."

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Man-Animal Conflict

Conclusion

Animal biodiversity is vast, and several animal species have been trained, domesticated, and used for food production, and agriculture, and are the primary biological capital for livestock development. This is critical for food safety as well as maintaining rural development. Nonetheless, its management has been abysmal. Many animals have become extinct in recent years, which is a source of great sorrow.

FAQs

Question. What is the significance of animal diversity in India?

Question. What are the major categories of animals in India?

Question. Which are the major ecosystems in India that support animal diversity?

Question. What are some endangered animal species in India?

Question. What are the conservation efforts for animal diversity in India?

MCQs

1. Which of the following is an example of an endemic species in India?

A) Bengal Tiger

B) African Lion

C) Himalayan Monal

D) Siberian Crane

2. Which of the following ecosystems is most associated with the Bengal Tiger?

A) Grasslands

B) Wetlands

C) Forests

D) Deserts

3. What is the primary threat to the Indian Elephant population?

A) Climate change

B) Habitat fragmentation

C) Overhunting for tusks

D) Invasive species

4. Which of the following species is critically endangered in India?

A) Indian Rhinoceros

B) Bengal Tiger

C) Great Indian Bustard

D) Indian Peafowl

5. Which of the following is the largest national park in India by area?

A) Gir National Park

B) Sundarbans National Park

C) Kaziranga National Park

D) Hemis National Park

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Evaluate the importance of animal diversity in India for maintaining ecological balance.

Answer: Animal diversity plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance in India’s ecosystems. Each species contributes to the functioning of the ecosystem, from pollination and seed dispersal to controlling pest populations and maintaining soil fertility. For instance, herbivores help in the growth of plants by eating certain species, which maintains a balance between different plant species. Predators, like tigers and wolves, regulate the populations of herbivores, preventing overgrazing and ensuring the stability of vegetation. Decomposers, such as vultures and microbes, break down organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. The loss of any species can disrupt this balance, leading to cascading effects throughout the ecosystem. Therefore, preserving India’s rich animal diversity is critical for maintaining the overall health of the environment and ensuring the sustainability of natural resources.

Q2: What are the major conservation strategies used in India to protect endangered species?

Answer: India employs several conservation strategies to protect endangered species and preserve its biodiversity:

• Protected Areas: The establishment of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves helps safeguard the habitats of endangered species. Examples include Kaziranga National Park (for rhinos) and Corbett National Park (for tigers).
• Project Tiger and Project Elephant: These national programs focus on the conservation of the Bengal tiger and the Indian elephant, addressing issues like poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict.
• Captive Breeding Programs: Species like the Indian rhinoceros and crocodiles have benefitted from breeding programs, which aim to increase their populations.
• Wildlife Protection Laws: India has enacted laws like the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 to provide legal protection to wildlife and regulate poaching.
• Community Involvement: Local communities are encouraged to participate in conservation through eco-tourism, community-led wildlife monitoring, and sustainable resource management.

Q3: Discuss the impact of climate change on India’s animal diversity and suggest measures for mitigating these impacts.

Answer: Climate change poses a significant threat to India’s animal diversity, particularly through the alteration of habitats, temperature shifts, and changes in rainfall patterns. Species adapted to specific climates, such as the snow leopard in the Himalayas or the Indian rhinoceros in grasslands, face challenges as their habitats shrink or shift. Changes in the timing of migration, availability of food, and the risk of new diseases further exacerbate the situation. To mitigate these impacts, India can take measures such as:

• Habitat restoration: Protect and restore natural habitats through reforestation, the creation of wildlife corridors, and the prevention of habitat fragmentation.
• Climate change adaptation plans: Develop and implement strategies for species migration and adaptive management to address changing climatic conditions.
• Environmental education: Raise awareness about the effects of climate change and promote sustainable practices among local communities to reduce carbon footprints.
• Research and monitoring: Enhance monitoring of species and ecosystems to understand the impacts of climate change and develop targeted conservation strategies.

Previous Year Questions on  Animal Diversity

1. UPSC 2021

Question: Discuss the role of India’s animal diversity in maintaining ecological stability and economic development.

Answer: This question required a discussion on the contributions of animal diversity to ecological stability, such as regulating populations and maintaining ecosystem services, as well as its economic importance in sectors like tourism, fisheries, and agriculture.

2. UPSC 2019

Question: Examine the threats to India’s animal diversity and evaluate the conservation measures undertaken.

Answer: This question focused on identifying the threats to India’s animal diversity, such as habitat destruction and poaching, and evaluating the effectiveness of conservation measures like Project Tiger, protected areas, and legislation.