Species of Conservation Concern: Miscellaneous List
Fish
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution (Core Areas) | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deolali Minnow | CR | Yes (Western Ghats) | Hill streams with rocky gradients | Darna River, Nashik (MH); Nandur Madhameshwar Ramsar Site | First Ramsar site of Maharashtra; freshwater minnow | — |
| Ganges Shark | CR | Yes (India–Bangladesh) | Rivers & estuaries (turbid water) | Ganga–Brahmaputra–Padma systems; Mahanadi | Freshwater shark; reduced eyes for turbid water | WPA: Sch I |
| Hump-backed Mahseer | CR | Yes | Rivers & wetlands | Cauvery river basin (Western Ghats) | Largest mahseer; “Tiger of Cauvery”; bio-indicator | — |
| Pondicherry Shark (Long-nosed Shark) | CR | No | Inshore marine waters | Indo-Pacific | Rare marine shark | WPA: Sch I |
| Whale Shark | EN | No | Tropical & warm seas | Global | Largest fish in the world; first fish in WPA Schedule-I (2001) | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II; CMS: Appx I |
| Golden Mahseer (Himalayan Mahseer) | EN | Yes (Himalayas) | High-energy montane rivers | Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra basins | Tiger of Indian Rivers; state fish of multiple states | — |
| Wagur (Walking Catfish) | EN | No | Freshwater & brackish waters | Ganga–Brahmaputra basins | Air-breathing, land-walking catfish | — |
| Helicopter Catfish (Wallago Catfish) | VU | No | Freshwater & tidal waters | South & SE Asia | Large indigenous catfish; regional names | — |
| Black-Spotted Croaker (Ghol Fish) | NT | No | Marine neritic zone | Indo-Pacific | State fish of Gujarat (2023); swim bladder used pharmaceutically | — |
| Blue-finned Mahseer (Deccan Mahseer) | LC | No (India–Sri Lanka) | Cool fast-flowing rivers | Deccan Peninsula | Also called Black/Deccan mahseer | — |
Amphibians
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution | Special / Unique Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalinga Cricket Frog | LC | Yes | Agricultural fields, streams, wetlands | Eastern Ghats (Odisha, AP); also Western Ghats | Indicator species; shows Morphological Phenotypic Plasticity |
| Purple Frog (Pignose Frog) | NT | Yes (Western Ghats) | Montane evergreen forests | Southern Western Ghats (Kerala) | Living fossil; coexisted with dinosaurs; fossorial |
Threatened Amphibian Groups of the Western Ghats
| Parameter | Micrixalus (Dancing Frogs) | Nyctibatrachidae (Night Frogs) |
|---|---|---|
| Taxonomic level | Genus | Family / genus group |
| Endemism | Western Ghats | Western Ghats |
| Threat status (India) | Most threatened amphibian genus (92% species threatened) | 2nd most threatened amphibian genus (84% species threatened) |
| Global ranking | 5th most threatened genus globally | — |
| Habitat | Perennial streams in shola & wet evergreen forests | Streamside evergreen forests |
| Unique behaviour / trait | Foot-flagging (“dancing”) during breeding | Nocturnal behaviour; dark colouration |
| Major threats | Habitat loss, climate change, invasive mosquito fish, chytrid fungus | Habitat loss, pollution, climate change, chytrid fungus |
| UPSC trigger words | Behavioural ecology, sexual selection | Nocturnality, cryptic species |
Reptiles
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Giant Tortoise | CR | No | Forested areas | India, Bangladesh, SE Asia | Largest tortoise in mainland Asia | WPA: Sch I |
| Black Spotted / Indian Pond Turtle | EN | No (South Asia) | Lentic freshwater bodies | India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan | Carnivorous freshwater turtle | — |
| Jeypore Ground Gecko | EN | Yes (Eastern Ghats) | Under rock boulders in semi-evergreen forests | Odisha & N Andhra Pradesh | Added to CITES at CoP-19 | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Star Tortoise | VU | No | Dry & scrub forests | India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan | Heavy pet trade pressure | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx I |
| Indian Flapshell Turtle | VU | No | Rivers & swamps | Indian subcontinent | Common softshell turtle | — |
| Brown Roofed Turtle | NT | No (South Asia) | Freshwater rivers & swamps | India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan | Sun-basking freshwater turtle | — |
| Sispara Day Gecko | NT | Yes (Western Ghats) | Evergreen & deciduous forests | TN & Kerala | Diurnal gecko | — |
| Indian Golden Gecko | LC | Yes (Eastern Ghats) | Rocky areas, streams, habitations | Odisha, AP, TN | Bright golden colour | WPA: Sch I |
| Tokay Gecko | LC | No | Rainforests & cliffs | NE India, WB, Bihar, SE Asia | Loud call; medicinal trade | WPA: Sch I; CITES: Appx II |
| Indian Tent Turtle | LC | No | Freshwater bodies | India, Nepal, Bangladesh | Riverine turtle | — |
| Assam Keelback (Peal’s Keelback) | DD | Yes (NE India) | Lowland evergreen forests | Assam–Arunachal border | Rediscovered after 129 years | Assam Keelback (Peal’s Keelback) |
Spiders
| Species | IUCN | Endemism | Habitat | Distribution | Special / Unique Tags | Legal Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peacock Tarantula (Gooty Tarantula) | CR | Yes | Dry deciduous forests | Nallamala Hills (Eastern Ghats, AP) | Blue tarantula; pet trade | WPA: Sch II; CITES: Appx II |
| Rameshwaram Parachute Spider | CR | Yes | Coastal savannah & plantations | Rameshwaram (TN) | Endemic island spider | WPA: Sch II; CITES: Appx II |
Insects
| Species | IUCN | Endemism | Habitat | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Migratory Monarch Butterfly | VU | No | Forests & grasslands | Americas; also reported globally | 4000 km migration; depends on Milkweed |
| Golden Birdwing | LC | No | Forests & scrublands | NE & N India; SE Asia | Largest butterfly of India |
Plants
| Species | IUCN | Endemism (India) | Key Habitat | Distribution | Special / Unique Tags | Legal / Trade Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eulophia obtusa (Ground Orchid) | CR | No | Seasonal grasslands | Bangladesh, N India, Nepal | Rediscovered in Dudhwa TR after 118 years | CITES: Appx II |
| Indian Bdellium-tree (Gugal) | CR | Yes (NW India) | Semi-arid, poor soils | Gujarat, Rajasthan | Source of gugal resin (medicinal & incense) | — |
| Pyrostria lalji | CR | No (Madagascar origin) | Tropical wet evergreen forests | Wandoor forests, South Andaman | First record in India | — |
| Malabar River Lily | CR | Yes | Seasonal running streams | Kasaragod & Kannur (Kerala) | Official flower of Kasaragod district | — |
| Globba andersonii | EN | Yes | Lithophyte near evergreen forests | Teesta Valley (Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim) | Rock-growing (lithophyte); narrow endemic | |
| Chenkurinji (Shenduruni) | VU | Yes | Wet evergreen forests | Agasthyamalai BR (TN & Kerala) | Shenduruni WLS named after it; climate-sensitive flowering |
Here are some other important plant species you should remember:
Blue Poppy
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Common name | Queen of Himalayan Flowers |
| National flower | Bhutan |
| Habitat | Rock crevices & hill slopes |
| Indian locations | Hemkund Sahib, Valley of Flowers |
| Special | Roots poisonous; narcotic compounds |
Glycosmis albicarpa
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Endemism | Western Ghats |
| Discovery | Kanyakumari WLS (TN) |
| Habitat | Semi-evergreen forest undergrowth |
| Special | Gin-aroma white fruit |
Indian Rosewood vs North Indian Rosewood
| Feature | Indian Rosewood | North Indian Rosewood |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Dalbergia latifolia | Dalbergia sissoo |
| IUCN | VU | LC |
| Habitat | Tropical evergreen/deciduous forests | Sandy riverbanks |
| Distribution | South India | Himalayan foothills |
| Timber value | Very high | Relatively lower |
| CITES | Appx II | Appx II |
Indian Sandalwood vs Red Sandalwood
| Feature | Indian Sandalwood | Red Sandalwood |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Santalum album | Pterocarpus santalinus |
| Genus | Santalum | Pterocarpus |
| IUCN | VU | EN |
| Habitat | Dry & evergreen forests | Dry deciduous forests |
| Endemism | S India & SE Asia | Eastern Ghats endemic |
| Nature | Semi-root parasite | Autotroph |
| Aroma | Aromatic | Non-aromatic |
| Disease | Sandalwood Spike Disease | Largely unaffected |
| CITES | — | Appx II (export banned) |
Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Causative agent | Phytoplasma |
| Transmission | Sap-sucking insects |
| Effect | Leaf reduction, stiffening |
| Cure | ❌ None |
| Control | Remove infected trees |
Kanjiram Tree
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Poison | Strychnine |
| Consumers | Langurs, hornbills |
| Habitat | Moist deciduous forests |
| Use | Traditional medicine |
| Status | Official tree of Kasaragod district |
👉 Kasaragod is now India’s first district to officially designate:
✔ Flower (Malabar River Lily)
✔ Tree (Kanjiram)
✔ Bird (White-bellied Sea Eagle)