Species of Conservation Concern: Mammals
Mammals – Critically Endangered (CR)
| Species | IUCN Status | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Area) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman White-toothed Shrew | CR | Yes (Andaman Islands) | Tropical moist deciduous & evergreen forests | Narcondam Island | Island endemic; insectivorous, nocturnal mammal | — |
| Himalayan Brown Bear (sub-species) | CR | No (sub-species level) | High-altitude forests & alpine meadows | J&K, HP, Uttarakhand; Central Asia | Largest mammal of Kashmir; sub-species endangered though species is LC | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx I |
| Kashmir Stag (Hangul) | CR | Yes (Kashmir) | Alpine meadows (summer), valleys (winter) | Dachigam National Park | Only Asiatic sub-species of Elk; State animal of J&K | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx I |
| Large Rock Rat (Elvira Rat) | CR | Yes | Rocky tropical dry deciduous scrub forests | Kurumbapatti, Salem (Eastern Ghats, TN) | Fossorial (burrowing) rodent; micro-range endemic | WPA: Sch I |
| Malabar Large-Spotted Civet (Malabar Civet) | CR | Yes (Western Ghats) | Lowland forests & coastal swamps | Southern Western Ghats | Rare civet; plantation-driven habitat loss | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Namdapha Flying Squirrel | CR | Yes | Dry deciduous montane forests (along streams) | Namdapha National Park | Eastern Himalaya hotspot endemic; nocturnal glider | WPA: Sch I |
Mammals – Endangered (EN)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pygmy Hog | EN | Yes | Dense, tall riverine grasslands | Manas Wildlife Sanctuary | World’s smallest wild pig; Indicator species of grasslands; host-specific parasite (hog-sucking louse) | WPA: Sch I |
| Dhole / Asiatic Wild Dog | EN | No | Grasslands & forested regions (tropical to boreal) | Central, South, East & SE Asia; rare in western India | Highly social; clan-living carnivore | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Gee’s Golden Langur | EN | Yes (India–Bhutan) | Moist evergreen, riverine & temperate forests | Manas National Park; Royal Manas NP (Bhutan) | Old World monkey; inbreeding depression | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Himalayan Musk Deer (White-bellied) | EN | No | High alpine environments | Himalayas (India, Bhutan, Nepal, China) | Musk secretion (perfume industry); antlerless deer | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Hispid Hare (Assam Rabbit) | EN | No | Tall grasslands (“elephant grass”) | Himalayan foothills (South Asia) | Grassland-dependent lagomorph | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Indian Hog Deer | EN | No | Wet tall grasslands (floodplains) | Indo-Gangetic plains, Nepal, SE Asia | Riverine grassland species | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Kondana Rat | EN | Yes | Tropical & subtropical dry deciduous forests | Pune plateaus (Sinhagad, Torna, Rajgad, Raireshwar) | Micro-range endemic rodent | — |
| Lion-tailed Macaque | EN | Yes (Western Ghats) | Tropical evergreen & monsoon forests | Karnataka, Kerala, TN | Arboreal; avoids humans | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Nilgiri Tahr (Varaiaadu) | EN | Yes | Montane grasslands, sholas & rocky highlands | Eravikulam National Park; Western Ghats | Only mountain ungulate of S. India; TN state animal | WPA: Sch I |
| Red Panda (Lesser Panda) | EN | No | Temperate montane forests with bamboo understorey | Sikkim, WB, Arunachal, Meghalaya; E Himalayas | Indicator + Umbrella species; Sikkim state animal | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Sangai (Brow-antlered / Dancing Deer) | EN | Yes (Manipur) | Floating phumdi wetlands | Keibul Lamjao National Park | Only deer on floating biomass; Manipur state animal | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Western Hoolock Gibbon | EN | No | Tropical evergreen & semi-evergreen forests | NE India, Bangladesh, Myanmar (west of Chindwin) | Only ape found in India | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Wild Water Buffalo | EN | No | Alluvial grasslands, beels & riverine islands | Kaziranga National Park; Manas; Dibru-Saikhowa | Chhattisgarh state animal | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
Mammals – Vulnerable (VU)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Black Bear (Moon / White-chested bear) | VU | No | Forested habitats | Himalayas & NE India; across Asia | Arboreal bear; Himalayan Black Bear = sub-species | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Asian Small-clawed Otter | VU | No | Freshwater swamps, mangroves, estuaries | Himalayas; Western & Eastern Ghats | Smallest otter species | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Barasingha (Swamp Deer) | VU | No | Tall grasslands, open forests | Kanha Tiger Reserve; N & Central India | State animal of MP & UP | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Bonnet Macaque | VU | Yes | Forests, plantations & urban areas | South of Godavari & Tapti rivers | Southern India endemic macaque | WPA: Sch I |
| Capped Langur | VU | No | Subtropical & sub-montane forests | NE India (south of Brahmaputra), Bhutan, Myanmar | Arboreal herbivore | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Clouded Leopard (Mainland) | VU | No | Tropical & subtropical forests | Dampa Tiger Reserve; Himalayan foothills | Smallest big cat; Meghalaya state animal | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Dugong (Sea Cow) | VU | No | Shallow coastal waters with seagrass | Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar, A&N, Gulf of Kutch | Largest herbivorous marine mammal; seagrass dependent | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx II |
| Eastern Hoolock Gibbon | VU | No | Evergreen & semi-deciduous forests | Myanmar (east of Chindwin River) | One of three hoolock gibbons | CITES: Appx II |
| Fishing Cat | VU | No | Wetlands, mangroves, lagoons | Ganga–Brahmaputra plains; Sundarbans; Chilika | Wetland specialist; WB state animal | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Four-horned Antelope (Chausingha) | VU | No | Dry deciduous forests | India & Nepal | Only antelope with four horns | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Gaur (Indian Bison) | VU | No | Evergreen & deciduous forests | Western & Eastern Ghats; NE India | Largest wild cattle; Gayal = domesticated form | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Mainland Serow | VU | No | Rugged mountain slopes | Himalayas, NE India, SE Asia | Himalayan serow = sub-species; Mizoram state animal | CITES: Appx I |
| Nilgiri Langur | VU | Yes | Evergreen & montane forests | Western Ghats | Endemic primate; Silent Valley NP | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Nilgiri Marten | VU | Yes | Evergreen & montane grasslands | Western Ghats | Only marten in South India | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Sambar | VU | No | All forest types near water | India (except deserts & high Himalayas) | Odisha state animal | WPA: Sch I |
| Sloth Bear | VU | No | Forests, savannahs & grasslands | Indian subcontinent | Insectivorous bear | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Smooth-coated Otter | VU | No | Rivers, swamps & estuaries | Most of India (except deserts & high Himalayas) | Largest otter in India | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Snow Leopard | VU | No | Alpine & sub-alpine zones | Himalayan & Central Asian mountains | Keystone + Indicator + Flagship species | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Stump-tailed Macaque (Bear Macaque) | VU | No | Evergreen & moist deciduous forests | NE India (south of Brahmaputra) | Robust macaque with short tail | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Takin | VU | No | Forested valleys to alpine zones | Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim; E Himalayas | Large Himalayan ungulate | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin | VU | No | Coastal waters, estuaries & mangroves | Indian Ocean & W Pacific | Pink/white colour due to thermoregulation | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx II |
| Himalayan Wolf | VU | No | Cold deserts & alpine regions | Ladakh, HP, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal | Distinct Himalayan lineage; climate-change sensitive | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
Mammals – Near Threatened (NT)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argali (Great Tibetan Sheep) | NT | No | Mountains, steppe valleys, rocky outcrops | Hemis National Park; occasionally Spiti & Sikkim | World’s largest wild sheep | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II; CMS: Appx II |
| Asiatic Golden Cat | VU | No | Tropical & subtropical forests | NE India; Buxa Tiger Reserve | Melanistic form recorded | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Assamese Macaque | NT | No | Semi-evergreen, deciduous & montane forests | NE India, WB, Uttarakhand | Arboreal + terrestrial Old World monkey | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Chiru (Tibetan Antelope) | NT | No | Alpine plains, desert steppe & meadows | Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary; Karakoram (Nubra–Shyok) | Shahtoosh wool; high-altitude bovid | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| False Killer Whale | NT | No | Tropical to warm-temperate oceans | Global (oceanic) | Oceanic dolphin (not a whale) | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Grey Slender Loris | NT | No | Rainforests, scrub, bamboo & montane forests | Southern India & Sri Lanka | Biological pest controller; nocturnal primate | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Grizzled Giant Squirrel | NT | No (India–Sri Lanka) | Dry deciduous & montane forests | Kerala & TN | Large tree squirrel | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Himalayan Goral (Grey Goral) | NT | No | Steep rocky mountain slopes | Himalayas (India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet) | Cliff-dwelling bovid | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Himalayan Tahr | NT | No | Steep rocky slopes with rhododendrons | Himalayas (India, Bhutan, Nepal) | Mountain ungulate | WPA: Sch I |
| Indian Wild Ass (Khur) | NT | Yes | Semi-desert & grasslands | Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary (Little Rann of Kutch) | Only wild ass population in India | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Malayan Giant Squirrel | NT | No | Montane evergreen & deciduous forests | NE India, WB, SE Asia | Indo-Malayan zootope species | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Marbled Cat | NT | No | Moist deciduous–evergreen hill forests | Eastern Himalayan foothills & NE India | Arboreal wild cat | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Markhor (Screw-horned Goat) | NT | No | Mountain cliffs & rugged terrain | J&K; Central & South Asia | World’s largest mountain goat | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Rusty-spotted Cat | NT | No | Deciduous forests, scrub & grasslands | India (except WB & NE), Nepal (Terai), Sri Lanka | One of the smallest cats | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Siberian Ibex (Asiatic Ibex) | NT | No | High mountain ranges | Ladakh, J&K, HP; Central Asia | Himalayan ibex = sub-species | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
Mammals – Least Concern (LC)
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Palm Civet (Common Palm Civet) | LC | No | Forests, plantations, urban areas | South & SE Asia | Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Asiatic Caracal (Siya Gosh) | LC | No (sub-species in India) | Arid & semi-arid scrub, ravines | Kutch, Malwa Plateau, Aravallis | Rare, elusive desert cat | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Barking Deer (Indian Muntjac) | LC | No | Forests, scrub, croplands | South & SE Asia | Alarm “barking” call | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Bharal (Blue Sheep) | LC | No | High Himalayan habitats | Nanda Devi National Park; Khangchendzonga NP | Goat–antelope (caprine) | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Blackbuck | LC | No | Grasslands & dry scrub | India & Nepal | State animal of Andhra Pradesh | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) | LC | No | Arid deserts & dry scrub | Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (Thar, Rann of Kutch, Deccan Plateau) | Smallest Asiatic antelope; | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Chital (Spotted Deer) | LC | No | Open forests | Most of India (except deserts & high Himalayas) | Antlers only in males | WPA: Sch II |
| Golden Jackal (Common Jackal) | LC | No | Semi-arid areas, farms, mangroves | Europe to SE Asia | Highly adaptable omnivore | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Humpback Whale | LC | No | Oceans (migratory) | Global | Complex songs; Arabian sub-population unique | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I; CMS: Appx I |
| Indian Flying Fox | LC | No | Trees in rural & urban areas | Indian subcontinent | Largest bat in India; Nipah virus link | WPA: Sch II; CITES: Appx II |
| Indian Fox (Bengal Fox) | LC | Yes (subcontinent) | Semi-arid scrub & grasslands | Indian subcontinent | Grassland fox | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Indian Giant Flying Squirrel | LC | No | Deciduous & evergreen forests | Patchy across India | Large nocturnal glider | WPA: Sch I |
| Indian Grey Mongoose | LC | No | Open forests & farmlands | Indian subcontinent | State animal of Chandigarh | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Indian Mouse Deer (Spotted Chevrotain) | LC | Yes | Tropical & montane forests | India | Smallest deer in India | WPA: Sch I |
| Nilgai (Blue Bull) | LC | No | Grasslands & farmlands | India, Nepal, Pakistan | Largest antelope in Asia | WPA: Sch II; CITES: Appx III |
| Red Fox | LC | No | Extremely varied habitats | Northern Hemisphere; not Peninsular India | Widest distribution among foxes | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Rhesus Macaque | LC | No | Forests & human habitations | South & SE Asia | Removed from WPA schedules (recent) | CITES: Appx II |
| Small Indian Civet | LC | No | Forests, grasslands, mangroves | South & SE Asia | Civet musk trade | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx III |
| Tibetan Wild Ass (Kiang) | LC | No | Alpine & montane grasslands | Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim | Largest wild ass | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II; CMS: Appx II |
| Travancore Flying Squirrel | LC | No (India–Sri Lanka) | Evergreen & montane forests | South India & Sri Lanka | Western Ghats flyer | WPA: Sch I |
| Wild Boar | LC | No | Forests & agricultural land | Eurasia & N. Africa | Human–wildlife conflict species | WPA: Sch II |
Mammals – Miscellaneous (Misc)
Purpose of this section
Species here are not grouped by a single IUCN class but are exam-significant due to uniqueness, taxonomy, or recent relevance.
Miscellaneous Mammals
| Species / Group | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asiatic Wildcat (Indian Desert Cat) | LC | No | Scrub deserts, temperate forests | Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra, Haryana | African wildcat subspecies; nocturnal hunter | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Black Panther | — | No | Tropical forests | Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary | Melanistic variant of leopard/jaguar; “Ghost of Kabini” | Same as parent species |
| Pangolin (Scaly Anteater) | CR / EN (species-wise) | No | Forests, grasslands, farmlands | Across India (species-specific) | Most trafficked mammal globally; scaly insectivore | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Pig-tailed Macaque (Northern & Southern) | VU / EN | No | Tropical & montane forests | NE India (Northern); SE Asia (Southern) | Matriarchal social structure | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Porcupines (Indian & Malayan) | LC | No | Forests, plantations | India, NE India & SE Asia | Rodents; agricultural pest species | WPA: Sch I |
| Sela Macaque | — | Yes | Montane forests | Sela Pass | Newly discovered species; crop-raiding monkey | WPA: Sch I |
Pangolin – Direct Comparison
| Feature | Chinese Pangolin | Indian Pangolin |
|---|---|---|
| IUCN | CR | EN |
| Scale size | Smaller | Larger |
| Terminal tail scale | Absent (underside) | Present |
| Distribution | NE India & Himalayas | Indian subcontinent (south of Himalayas) |
| Habitat | Forests, grasslands, farmlands | Forests, open land, villages |
| Legal status | CITES Appx I; WPA Sch I | CITES Appx I; WPA Sch I |
Pig-tailed Macaque – Species Split
| Species | IUCN | Distribution | Habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pig-tailed Macaque | VU | NE India, Bangladesh, China | Tropical, swamp & montane forests |
| Southern Pig-tailed Macaque | EN | SE Asia | Rainforests, plantations |
Common trait: Matriarchal social groups
Porcupines – Common Confusion
| Species | IUCN | Distribution | Key Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Crested Porcupine | LC | NW & South India | Agricultural pest |
| Malayan Porcupine | LC | NE India & SE Asia | Hunted for food/medicine |