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CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES IN
NORTH EAST INDIA
H.T.MalsawmtluangaDepartment of Zoology,North Eastern Hill University,Shillong, Meghalaya.
By,
CONTENTS:
# What are threatened species?
# What is Critically Endangered?# Criteria that governs Critically Endangered
# List of Endangered Species in NE India
# Critically Endangered Species in NE India# Conclusions
WHAT ARE THREATENED SPECIES?
Under the Endangered Species Act in the United States "threatened" is defined as "any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range“
The International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) is the foremost authority on threatened species.
What is Critically Endangered?IUCN has marked Critically Endangered (CR) to be the highest risk category given to any wild species. This means that the species population is so less that it can become extinct any time.
5 CRITERIA THAT GOVERN WHETHER A SPECIES CAN BE CALLED CR OR NOT:
Populations have declined/decrease, by >80% over the last 10 years or 3 generations.
Have a restricted geographical range. Small population size < 250 individuals and
continuing decline at 25% in 3 years or 1 generation. Very small or restricted population of < 50 mature
individuals. High probability of extinction in the wild.
According to the IUCN Red List (2012):
From the total of 63,837 species, 19,817 are threatened with extinction.
3,947 described as "critically endangered"5,766 as "endangered", Around 10,000 species are listed as "vulnerable".Threatened:41% of amphibian species, 33% of reef-building corals,30% of conifers, 25% of mammals, and 13% of birds.
132 species of plants and animals from India as "Critically Endangered“
LIST OF SOME COMMON ENDANGERED SPECIES WHICH WE CAN FIND IN NORTH-EAST INDIA
Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens), "shining cat" Eld's Deer or Sangai (Rucervus eldi eldi) Tiger (Panthera tigris) The Assam macaque (Macaca assamensis) The White-bellied or Himalayan Musk Deer
(Moschus leucogaster) Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES WHICH ARE AVAILABLE IN NORTH-
EAST INDIA(In details)
ClassificationKingdom : AnimaliaPhylum : ChordataClass : AvesOrder : PelecaniformesFamily : ArdeidaeGenus ; ArdeaSpecies ; insignis
The White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)
• Plain dark grey above, with a long neck.• Height 127 cm (4.2 feet). • Wing chord measures 54.6 to 57.2 cm• Wingspan ~2 m (6.6 ft) or more.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION : Rivers with sand or gravel
bars or inland lakes. Wetlands of tropical and
subtropical forests in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas of India and Myanmar.
Extremely rare bird found in 5 or 6 sites in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, 1 or 2 sites in Bhutan.
The red spots indicate the habitat and distribution of Ardea insignis in India
THREATS: Extremely small and rapidly declining
population. Wetlands have become degraded as a
result of pollution, rapid growth of aquatic vegetation, over-exploitation of resources, land settlement and agricultural activities.
More locally, poaching are also thought to present significant threats in key protected areas
CONSERVATIVE MEASURES Provide more effective protection for
Namdapha National Park, including creation of buffer zones. Support maintaining of habitat and minimize disturbance along its distribution.
Conduct extensive surveys - to establish its distribution, population status and ecological requirements, particularly in breeding areas.
Initiate conservation awareness programmes in areas supporting populations.
Consider satellite tagging individuals to improve current understanding of the species's movements and habitat preferences.
Classification :Kingdom:AnimaliaPhylum :ChordataClass :AvesOrder :AnseriformesGenus :RhodonessaSpecies
:caryophyllacea
The Pink- headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea)
1. Both sexes are 41–43 cm 2. Rosy-pinkish long-billed with
long necks and peaked heads.
3. Blackish-brown centre of throat
4. Male has pink bill, head and neck
5. Female has a pale pinkish head and neck with paler bill.
6. Juvenile has duller brown body than female, with fine, whitish feather.
• Eggs measure 1.71 - 1.82 inches long and 1.61 -1.7 inches wide.• Non-migratory ; found singly or in pairs & very rarely in small groups.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION :
Distributed in the wetlands of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and occurred rarely in Nepal.
Most records from NE India and adjacent Bangladesh.
Banks of the Brahmaputra, Apart from NE India, Delhi, Lucknow, Ganges
river, Punjab, West bengal.
The red spots indicate the habitat and distribution of Rhodonessa caryophyllacea in India.
THREATS Habitat destruction : Clearance of
forest and conversion of wetlands for agricultural land.
Hunting. Egg collection.
CONSERVATIVE MEASURES Attempt night-time surveys. Locate (provisionally using satellite
imagery) and systematically survey its location.
Introduce formal protected area status or non-formal management by local stakeholders for key wetland sites that may support this species.
Classification : Kingdom :Animalia Phylum :Chordata Class :Mammalia Order :Artiodactyola Family :Suidae Subfamily :Suinae Genus : Porcula Species : salvania
The Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania) Smallest wild pig
~55 to 71 cm long and stand at 20–30 cm with a tail of 2.5 cm (1 in.). They weigh 6.6-11.8 kg.
Head is sharply tapered Life span ~8 years,
becoming sexually mature at 1–2 years
Feed on roots, tubers, insects, rodents, and small reptiles.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION Spread across India, Nepal,
and Bhutan but now only found in Assam.
Survives in the tall grasslands. Restricted to only a single remnant
population in Manas National Park, NE India.
Current world population is ~150 individuals or fewer.
THREATS Loss and degradation of grasslands. Dry-season burning. Livestock grazing and aforestation of
grasslands. Hunting. Some management practices, such as
planting of trees in the grasslands.
CONSERVATIVE MEASURES Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, PHCP, was
established in 1995. Establishment of a highly successful captive breeding
program at the Pygmy Hog Research and Breeding Centre.
Field status surveys of pygmy hogs and their habitats. Behavioural studies. Local community awareness and assistance
programmes. Conservation breeding of the species with aims to
reintroduce them to selected sites. Reintroduction of viable number of pygmy hogs for
their long term survival in the wild, monitoring thereintroduced populations.
Classification Kingdom :Animalia Phylum :Chordata Class :Mammalia Order :Rodentia Family :Sciuridae Subfamily :Sciurinae Tribe :Pteromyini Genus :Biswamoyopterus Species :biswasi
The Namdapha Flying Squirrel(Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
Reddish, grizzled fur with white above. Crown-pale grey. Measures 40.5 cm from head to vent and has 60 cm long tail. Hind foot = 7.8 cm; Ear = 4.6 cm Arboreal, nocturnal.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION Tropical forest. Unique (the only one in its genus) flying
squirrel that is restricted to a single valley in the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh, in dry deciduous montane forests occupying moist forest tracts along streams
Map of North East India Showing Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh
THREATS
Hunting of animals for food - major threat
Hunting for skins/fur. Habitat loss and degradation due to
landslides and flooding.
CONSERVATIVE MEASURES Maintain suitable areas of habitat for
this species. Detailed field surveys to determine
whether the species still persists and to determine the current distribution range.
Organize awareness campaign.
Kingdom :Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class :Amphibia Order : Anura Family : Rhacophoridae Sub family : Rhacophorinae Genus : Raorchestes Species : shillongensis
The Shillong Bubble-nest Frog (Raorchestes shillongensis)
Associated with tropical moist forest. Discovered in Shillong, Meghalaya.Listed as CR because its extent of occurrence is less than 100 sq.km. Distinctive characters - large vocal sac in males.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION Restricted to a small
area of forest. Recorded from
elevations below 1,400m.
Currently known to occur in Malki Forest, Shillong, Meghalaya and in Mizoram.
Endemic to Hills of Meghalaya
THREATS Selective logging, the collection of
wood for subsistence use. Urbanization, are all major threats to
the species' habitat.
CONSERVATIVE MEASURES Conservation programme – None. Habitat protection and maintenance
are urgent priorities. Additional survey work is necessary to
assess its current population status.
Classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Perissodactyla Family : Rhinocerotidae Genus : Rhinoceros Species : sondaicus
Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) Also called Sunda
rhinoceros or lesser one-horned rhinoceros. 3.1–3.2 m (10–10.5 feet) in length and 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.8 ft) in height. Weigh between 900 and 2,300 kg. Single horn usually less than 25 cm. Lifespan ~30–45 years
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION Once widespread
from Assam and Bengal eastward to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and southwards to the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra, Java.
Primarily inhabits dense, lowland rain forests, grasslands, and reed beds with abundant rivers, large floodplains, or wet areas with many mud wallows.
Males mark their territories with dung piles and by urine spraying.
THREATS
Poaching for horns. Loss of habitat because of agriculture. Very susceptible to disease. Loss of genetic diversity leading
to inbreeding depression.
CONSERVATIVE MEASURES All international trade in the Javan
rhinoceros and products derived from it is illegal.
Determining rhinoceros horn black market.
Conservation of natural habitat.
Classification Kingdom :Animalia Phylum :Chordata Class :Mammalia Order :Chiroptera Family :Molossidae Genus :Otomops Species :wroughtoni
Wroughton's free-tailed bat (Otomops wroughtoni)
Head and body length: 60-103mm. Tail length: 30-50 mm (average for genus). Forearm length: 63-67 mm. Weight: Male ~36g; Female ~27 g. Large forward pointing ears connected to each other by a membrane over the forehead. Active at night, roost upside down in caves during the day, live in small groups of usually five to seven.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
# Roost in caves, hollow trees.
# In India, the species is found in two locations 1) Karnataka. 2) Meghalaya (Siju cave).
THREATS Habitat destruction due to mining, timber and
hydroelectric companies. Roost disturbance.
CONSERVATIVE MEASURES Monitoring is recommended as a priority, followed by
habitat management. Listed on Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of
India, affording it the highest degree of protection. Public awareness programmes.
CONCLUSION:As all living organisms are inter-related to one another, the extinction of one species will affects other species by affecting the food chain of an ecosystem. Moreover, it effects the balance of nature. Extinction of Species can be checked by creating awareness and conservation programmes. It is a must to abide by and respect the Laws/Acts created by the Government regarding the conservation of wildlife and natural resources for us and for the future generation.
REFERENCES Threatened Animals of India, by B. K. Tikader, published
by Zoological survey of India. Animal Resources of India, published by Zoological
survey of India. Amphibians and Reptiles of North-east India, by M. Firoz
Ahmed, Abhijit Das & S. K. Dutta. Fauna of meghalaya (vertebrates), published by
Zoological survey of India. http://indiasendangered.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critically_endangered http://www.allaboutwildlife.com/ten-most-endangered-
animals http://www.sciencevision.org/current_issue/dl/Science
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