Wildlife of Pakistan

sect and butterfly diversity of Pakistan

Of the 1.4 million species on earth, over 53% are insects. More than 5,000 species of insects have been reported from Pakistan (BAP, 2000). Though the Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar has a good collection of insects, including those from Northern Areas, still little information is available oninsect diversity in this region. 

However, some biologists have made efforts to identify butterfly species and to document their distribution and status. Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) and the Oxford University museum have been studying insect diversity from Gilgit along Karakoram Highway to the Sino-Pakistan border at Khunjerab pass and several selected valleys. During the last five years, they recorded a range of insect species. Some of them are new to science. By 1999, they had recorded about 100 species of butterflies, with new taxa being added on each visit. For example, about 40 butterfly species were recorded during the Hunza 2000 expedition (Smith 2001); four of these were new to Pakistan...........................

Fishes of Pakistan

 There are 531 species of Fish in Pakistan. 233 of them are of fresh water. Here is a list of these fishes:

    * Notopterus notoperus
    * Notopterus chitala
    * Naziritor zhobensis
    * Triplophysa stoliczkai - Deosai only
    * Diptyichus maculatus - Deosai only
    * Ptychobarbus conirostis - Deosai only

 


Salt Water fishes:

Sharks:

• Whale Shark
• Black Tip Reef Shark
• Great Hammer Head Shark  Bill Fishes:
• Black Marlin
• Short Bill Spearfish
• Sailfish
• Swordfish  Others:
• Great Barracuda
• Spanish Mackerel
• Greater Amerjack
• Cobia...............

Amphibians of Pakistan

As Pakistan is a predominantly arid and semi-arid country, it is not surprising that only 22 species of amphibians have been recorded, of which 9 are endemic. There are definite Himalayan elements in bufonids and ranids. However, in plains southeast Asian frogs and Palearctic toads are dominant. Endemic elements are dominant among bufonids. Amphibians in Pakistan belong to four families: Bufonidae, Microhylidae, Megophryidae and Ranidae. 

Information on Amphibians in Pakistan is scat and not much is know about their distribution and taxonomy. Dr. Muhammad Sharif Khanhas done extensive research and has written numerous papers on the reptiles and Amphibians of Pakistan. Dr. Khan has been extremely helpful and generous in helping me with the taxonomy and distribution of amphibians in Pakistan. This page is due to his efforts..........

Reptiles of Pakistan

Over 195 species of reptiles are known in Pakistan. Of these, 13 species are believed to be endemic. As with other groups, these are a blend of Palaearctic, Indo-Malayan and Ethiopian forms.

The mugger (marsh crocodile) is in danger partially due to over hunting. The species is now nearly extinct and only occur in small numbers in Sindh and a few areas in Balochistan (Groombridge, 1988). The gharial is in a precarious situation, or maybe already extinct and has only been seen in small numbers between the Sukkur and Guddu barrages. In addition monitor species are heavily hunted for their skins..........

Birds of Pakistan

        


















Birds of Prey:


        Vultures:


        * Lammergier or Bearded Vulture
        * Egyptian Vulture
        * King Vulture
        * Griffon Vulture
        * White Backed Vulture


          Kites and Eagles:



    
        * Black Kite
        * Brahminy Kite
        * Golden Eagle
        * Black Eagle.......

Mammals of Pakistan

 

Up to 174 mammal species have been reported to occur in Pakistan. There are at least three endemic species & a number of endemic and near-endemic subspecies. Species belonging to the Palaearctic realm occur largely in the Himalayan and Baluchistan uplands; those belonging to the Indo-Malayan realm occur primarily in the Indus plains including the Thar desert and Himalayan foothills. In addition, species with affinities to the Ethiopian region occur in the dry southwest and along the Makran coast and Thar desert of Pakistan (Roberts 1997).

Ten of the 18 known mammalian orders are represented in Pakistan,including the world's smallest surviving mammal, the Mediterranean pigmy shrewas well as the largest mammal in existence today, the blue whale (Roberts, 1977). Roberts (1977) reported six endemic mammalian species from Pakistan. These include yellow desert bat (Nyticeius pallidus), wooly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus), pygmy gerboa (Salpingotus michaelis), Hotson's long-tailed hamster (Calomyscus hotsoni), Murree vole (Hyperacrius wynnei) and Indus river dolphin (Platanista minor). There are a number of other endemic or near-endemic subspecies like Chiltan markhor (Capra falconeri chialtanensis), Suleman markhor (Capra falconeri jerdoni), Pakistan sand cat (Felis margarita scheffeli), Balochistan bear (Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus), Punjab urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis). The status of these species is disputed by taxonomists.....