The
wildlife of
Pakistan
comprises a diverse
flora
and
fauna
in a wide range of habitats from sea level to high elevation areas in the mountains, including 195
mammal
, 668
bird
species and more than 5000 species of
Invertebrates
.
[1]
This diverse composition of the country's fauna is associated with its location in the transitional zone between two major
zoogeographical
regions, the
Palearctic
, and the
Oriental
.
[2]
The northern regions of Pakistan, which include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan include portions of two
biodiversity hotspot
,
Mountains of Central Asia
and
Himalayas
.
[3]
Habitats
[
edit
]
Northern highlands and plains
[
edit
]
The northern highlands include lower elevation areas of
Potohar
and
Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir
regions and higher elevation areas embracing the foothills of
Himalayan
,
Karakorum
and
Hindukush
mountain ranges. These areas provide an excellent habitat for wildlife in the form of
alpine
grazing
lands, sub-alpine
scrub
and
temperate forests
.
Some of the wildlife species found in northern mountainous areas and
Pothohar Plateau
include the
bharal
,
Eurasian lynx
,
Himalayan goral
,
Marco Polo sheep
,
marmot
(in
Deosai National Park
) and
yellow-throated marten
and birds species of
chukar partridge
,
Eurasian eagle-owl
,
Himalayan monal
and
Himalayan snowcock
and amphibian species of
Himalayan toad
and
Muree Hills frog
.
Threatened species include the
snow leopard
,
Himalayan brown bear
,
Indian wolf
,
rhesus macaque
,
markhor
,
Siberian ibex
and
white-bellied musk deer
.
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
Bird species present are
cheer pheasant
,
peregrine falcon
and
western tragopan
.
[13]
Indus plains and deserts of Sindh
[
edit
]
The
Indus River
and its numerous eastern tributaries of
Chenab
,
Ravi
,
Sutlej
,
Jhelum
,
Beas
are spread across most of
Punjab
. The plain of the Indus continues towards and occupies most of western
Sindh
. The plains have many
fluvial
landforms (including
bars
,
flood plains
,
levees
,
meanders
and
oxbows
) that support various natural biomes including tropical and subtropical
dry
and
moist
broadleaf forestry as well as
tropical
and
xeric
shrublands (deserts of
Thal
and
Cholistan
in
Punjab
,
Nara
and
Thar
in Sindh). The
banks
and
stream beds
of the river system also support
riparian woodlands
that exhibit the tree species of
kikar
,
mulberry
and
sheesham
. Such geographical landforms accompanied by an excellent system of
monsoon
climate provides an excellent ground for diversity of flora and fauna species. However, the plains are equally appealing to humans for agricultural goals and development of civilization.
Some of the non-threatened mammal species includes the
nilgai
,
red fox
and
wild boar
, bird species of
Alexandrine parakeet
,
barn owl
,
black kite
,
myna
,
hoopoe
,
Indian peafowl
,
Indian leopard
,
red-vented bulbul
,
rock pigeon
,
shelduck
and
shikra
, reptile species of
Indian cobra
,
Indian star tortoise
,
Sindh krait
and
yellow monitor
and amphibian species of
Indus Valley bullfrog
and
Indus Valley toad
. Some of the threatened mammal species include the,
axis deer
,
blackbuck
(in captivity; extinct in wild),
hog deer
,
dholes
,
Indian pangolin
,
Punjab urial
and
Sindh ibex
, bird species of
white-backed vulture
and reptile species of
black pond turtle
and
gharial
.
Grey partridge
is one of the few birds that can be found in the Cholistan desert.
[14]
Mugger crocodiles
inhabit the Deh Akro-II Desert Wetland Complex, Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Chotiari Reservoir and
Haleji Lake
.
[15]
[16]
[17]
Western highlands, plains and deserts
[
edit
]
The western region of Pakistan, most of which is enveloped in
Balochistan
province, has a complex geography. In mountainous highlands, habitat varies from conifer forests of
deodar
in
Waziristan
and
juniper
in
Ziarat
. Numerous mountain ranges surround the huge lowland plains of
Balochistani
Plateau, through which a rather intricate meshwork of seasonal rivers and
salt pans
is spread. Deserts are also present, showing
xeric
shrubland vegetation in the region.
Date palms
and
ephedra
are common flora varieties in the desert.
[
citation needed
]
The
Balochistan leopard
has been described from this region.
[18]
Some of the mammal species include the
caracal
,
Balochistan dormouse
,
Blanford's fox
,
dromedary camel
,
goitered gazelle
,
Indian crested porcupine
,
long-eared hedgehog
,
markhor
,
ratel
, and
striped hyena
, bird species of
bearded vulture
,
houbara bustard
and
merlin
, reptile species of
leopard gecko
and
saw-scaled viper
and amphibian species of
Balochistan toad
.
[
citation needed
]
Wetlands, coastal regions and marine life
[
edit
]
There are a number of protected
wetlands
(under
Ramsar Convention
) in Pakistan. These include
Tanda Dam
and
Thanedar Wala
in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
,
Chashma Barrage
,
Taunsa Barrage
and
Uchhali Complex
in
Punjab
,
Haleji Lake
,
Hub Dam
and
Kinjhar Lake
in
Sindh
,
Miani Hor
in
Balochistan
. The wetlands are a habitat for migratory birds such as
Dalmatian pelicans
and
demoiselle crane
as well as predatory species of
osprey
,
common kingfisher
,
fishing cat
and
leopard cat
near the coast line.
Chashma and Taunsa Barrage Dolphin Sanctuary
protects the threatened
Indus river dolphins
which live in
freshwater
.
The east half of the coast of Pakistan is located in the south of Sindh province, which features the
Indus River Delta
and the coast of the
Great Rann of Kutch
. The largest
saltwater
wetland in Pakistan is the Indus River Delta. Unlike many other
river deltas
, it consists of
clay
soil and is very
swampy
. The west coast of the Great Rann of Kutch, east to the Indus River Delta and below the
Tharparkar
desert, is one of the few places where
greater flamingos
come to breed. It is also a habitat for endangered species of
lesser florican
. Unlike the Indus River Delta, this part of the coast is not as swampy and exhibits shrubland vegetation of rather dry thorny shrubs as well as marsh grasses of
Apluda
and
Cenchrus
.
The vegetation of the Indus River Delta is mainly represented by various
mangrove
species and
bamboo
species. The
Indus River Delta-Arabian Sea mangroves
is a focused
ecoregion
of
WWF
. Nearly 95% of the mangroves located in the Indus River Delta are of the species
Avicennia marina
. Very small patches of
Ceriops roxburghiana
and
Aegicerias corniculata
are found. These provide nesting grounds for
common snakehead
,
giant snakehead
,
Indus baril
and many species of
catfish
like
rita
. The
hilsa
swims up from the
Arabian Sea
to spawn in freshwater. Species that are important to people as food, such as the
golden mahseer
and large freshwater
shrimp
(
Macrobrachium
species), are part of the abundant aquatic life.
The west half of the Pakistan coast is in the south of Balochistan province. It is also called the
Makran
coast and exhibits protected sites such as
Astola Island
and
Hingol National Park
. The three major mangrove plantations of Balochistan coast are
Miani Hor
,
Kalmat Khor
and
Gwatar
Bay. Miani Hor is a swampy lagoon on the coast in the
Lasbela
district where the climate is very arid. The sources of fresh water for Miani Hor are the seasonal river of Porali. The nearest river to the other lagoon, Kalmat Khor, is the Basol River. Gawatar, the third site, is an open bay with a mouth almost as wide as its length. Its freshwater source is the Dasht River, the largest seasonal river of Baluchistan. All three bays support mainly
A. marina
species of mangrove. Pakistan also plans to rehabilitate mangrove-degraded areas at
Sonmiani
and
Jiwani
in Balochistan.
Along the shores of
Astola
and
Ormara
beaches of Balochistan and
Hawke's Bay
and
Sandspit
beaches of Sindh are nesting sites for five endangered species of
sea turtles
:
green sea
,
loggerhead
,
hawksbill
,
olive ridley
and
leatherback
.
Sea snakes
such as
yellow-bellied sea snake
are also found in the
pelagic zone
of the sea. The wetlands of Pakistan are also a home to the mugger crocodile who prefer freshwater habitat.
Extinct
[
edit
]
Regionally extinct
species in Pakistan include:
Regional departments
[
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]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
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. Retrieved
2022-12-01
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- ^
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- ^
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.
External links
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]
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By province
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Types
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See also
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