Mammals, the class of vertebrates characterized by their warm-blooded nature, body hair, and typically giving birth to live young, face a myriad of threats across the globe. Within this diverse group, there exists a spectrum of conservation statuses ranging from critically endangered (CR) to least concern (LC), as categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These designations serve as crucial indicators of the population health and ecological stability of various mammalian species. While some species thrive in their environments, others teeter on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, poaching, climate change, and other human-induced pressures. Understanding and addressing the conservation needs of mammals at different risk levels are essential for preserving biodiversity and maintaining the delicate balance of ecosystems worldwide.
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List stands as the primary global authority in gauging the risk of extinction among various animal, fungal, and plant species. It is easily accessible to all and serves as a vital barometer for the health of global biodiversity. Offering comprehensive insights into species’ traits, vulnerabilities, and conservation strategies, it plays a pivotal role in guiding informed decisions and policies regarding conservation efforts.
The IUCN Red List employs a range of categories to define the extinction risk of evaluated species, spanning from NE (Not Evaluated) to EX (Extinct). Species classified as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), and Vulnerable (VU) are deemed particularly at risk of extinction.
Moreover, the IUCN Red List serves as a significant gauge for monitoring progress towards Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Targets.
In addition to assessing extinction risk, the IUCN Red List incorporates the IUCN Green Status of Species, which evaluates the recovery of species populations and measures the success of conservation endeavors. This assessment employs eight categories ranging from Extinct in the Wild to Indeterminate, examining how conservation actions have influenced the current Red List status.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED MAMMALS
Himalayan Brown/Red Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus):
Distribution: This species is found in Nepal, Tibet, north India, and north Pakistan.
Threats: The primary threats to its survival include habitat loss and human persecution.
Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania):
Pygmy Hog:
- This species holds the distinction of being the world’s smallest wild pig and constructs nests throughout the year.
- It serves as a valuable indicator of grassland habitat management status.
- The grasslands it inhabits are vital for the survival of various other threatened species such as the Indian Rhinoceros, Swamp Deer, Wild Buffalo, Hispid Hare, Bengal Florican, and Swamp Francolin.
- Habitat: Pygmy hogs thrive in relatively undisturbed, tall terai grasslands.
- Distribution: Historically present across India, Nepal, and Bhutan, they are now restricted to Assam, specifically in the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary and its buffer reserves.
- The Pygmy hog-sucking Louse (Haematopinus oliveri), which exclusively feeds on Pygmy Hogs, also faces the same critical endangered status due to its dependency on the host species.
- Threats: Major threats include loss and degradation of grasslands, dry-season burning, livestock grazing, afforestation of grasslands, and hunting.
Andaman White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura andamanensis):
- Distribution: Endemic to the South Andaman Island of India.
- Activity: These shrews are primarily active during twilight or night hours.
- Threats: Habitat loss resulting from selective logging, natural disasters like tsunamis, and significant weather fluctuations contribute to population declines.
Kondana Rat (Millardia kondana):
- Distribution: Confined to the small Sinhagarh Plateau near Pune in Maharashtra, India.
- This nocturnal burrowing rodent is exclusive to India.
- Habitat: It thrives in tropical and subtropical dry deciduous forests and tropical scrub.
- Threats: Major threats include habitat loss, overgrazing, and disturbance from tourism and recreational activities.
Large Rock Rat or Elvira Rat (Cremnomys elvira):
- A medium-sized, nocturnal, burrowing rodent endemic to India.
- Habitat: Typically found in tropical dry deciduous shrubland forests, particularly in rocky areas.
- Distribution: Known only from the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, occurring at elevations around 600 meters above sea level.
- Threats: Major threats include habitat loss, forest conversion, and fuelwood collection.
Namdapha Flying Squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi):
- Unique as the sole member of its genus, this flying squirrel is confined to a single valley in the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh, India.
- Habitat: It inhabits tropical forests.
- Threats: Hunted for food, posing a significant threat to its survival.
Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina):
- Endemic to India, with initial sightings reported from Travancore, Kerala.
- This nocturnal species is exclusively found in the Western Ghats.
- Habitat: It prefers wooded plains and hill slopes within evergreen rainforests.
- Distribution: Restricted to the Western Ghats.
- Threats: Major threats include deforestation and conversion of habitats for commercial plantations.
Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis):
- The smallest and most endangered among rhinoceros species.
- Believed to be regionally extinct in India, having previously inhabited the Himalayan foothills and northeast India.
- The Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is also presumed extinct in India, with a small surviving population in Java and Vietnam.
- Threats: Poaching and habitat loss pose significant risks to their survival.
Kashmir stag – Hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu):
- This subspecies of Red Deer is native to India.
- Habitat: It thrives in dense riverine forests, high valleys, and mountains of the Kashmir valley and northern Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.
- Designation: It serves as the state animal of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Threats: Habitat destruction, overgrazing by domestic livestock, and poaching are major threats to its existence.
ENDANGERED MAMMALS
Tigers (including Bengal Tiger):
- In 2015, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported a significant increase in tiger numbers to 3,890, up from as few as 3,200 estimated in 2010.
- While the global population of tigers has declined, there has been a noticeable rise in tiger numbers in India.
Asiatic Lion (Including Gir Lions):
- Habitat: Found in the Gir forests of Gujarat.
- Threats: Faces habitat destruction and diseases transmitted from domestic animals.
Red Panda:
- Endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas, particularly in Sikkim, Assam, and northern Arunachal Pradesh.
- Threats: Red pandas are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and the adverse effects of inbreeding depression.
Dhole/Asiatic Wild Dog or Indian Wild Dog:
- Distribution: Predominantly found in most parts of India south of the Ganges, with significant populations in the Central Indian Highlands and the Western and Eastern Ghats.
- Threats: Faces habitat loss, depletion of prey, competition from other predators, persecution, and potential diseases from domestic and feral dogs.
‘Eld’s Deer/Thamin or Brow-Antlered Deer:
- Distribution: Confined to the Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) in Manipur.
- Threats: Faces overgrazing and loss of grassland habitat.
Golden Langur:
- A primate endemic to a small region in western Assam and the foothills of the Black Mountains in Bhutan.
- Threats: Golden langurs are threatened by deforestation and human encroachment.
Himalayan/White-Bellied Musk Deer:
- Habitat: Found in Kashmir, Kumaon, and Sikkim.
- Threats: Poaching and illegal trade for musk, which is produced only by males.
Hispid Hare/Assam Rabbit:
- Habitat: Occupies the southern foothills of the central Himalayas.
- Threats: Faces habitat fragmentation due to agricultural expansion, flood control, and human development.
Hog Deer:
- Habitat: Found in the Terai region and grasslands of northern India.
- Threats: Hunting, habitat loss, fragmentation, and human encroachment pose significant risks.
Lion-Tailed Macaque/Wanderoo:
- Endemic to the Western Ghats, this species avoids human presence and is not found in plantations.
- Habitat: Inhabits evergreen forests within the Western Ghats.
- Threats: Faces habitat fragmentation due to agricultural expansion, deforestation, and human settlements.
VULNERABLE MAMMALS
- Lion:
- Categorized as Vulnerable due to the trade in bones leading to a decline in their numbers.
- Nilgiri Langur/Nilgiri Leaf Monkey:
- Moved from Endangered to Vulnerable.
- Habitat: Found in the hilly regions of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Threats: Face habitat degradation, development activities, and the introduction of exotic tree species.
- Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros:
- Habitat: Thrives in the tall grasslands and forests of the Himalayan foothills (Terai region).
- National Parks: Mainly found in Kaziranga National Park, Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary, and Manas National Park in Assam.
- Status in the Wild: Reclassified from Endangered to Vulnerable.
- Threats: Poaching for its horn, habitat loss, and fragmentation.
- Gaur/Indian Bison:
- Large bovines native to South and Southeast Asia, mainly found in evergreen or semi-evergreen forests.
- Threats: Facing habitat loss and fragmentation.
- Four-Horned Antelope/Chousingha:
- Distribution: Confined to the Indian subcontinent, scattered from the Himalayan foothills to the Deccan Plateau, with a significant population in Gir National Park.
- Threats: Loss of natural habitat due to agricultural expansion and targeted hunting for its skull and horns.
- Takin:
- Distribution: Inhabits mountainous regions in the Himalayas and western China.
- Threats: Considered Endangered in China and Vulnerable globally due to overhunting and habitat destruction.
- Nilgiri Marten:
- Endemic to the Western Ghats, preferring areas far from human disturbance.
- Threats: Face habitat loss, fragmentation, and hunting for fur. It’s the only marten species found in southern India.
- Barasingha or Swamp Deer:
- Habitat: Found in isolated areas in northern and central India, and southwestern Nepal.
- Threats: Hunting for horns, habitat fragmentation, and loss.
- Oriental Small-Clawed Otter/Asian Small-Clawed Otter:
- Semiaquatic mammals residing in mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands.
- Considered the smallest otter species in the world.
- Threats: Habitat loss, pollution, and hunting pose significant risks.
- Clouded Leopard:
- Habitat: From the Himalayan foothills to mainland Southeast Asia and China.
- Threats: Face deforestation and poaching.
- Asian Black Bear/Moon Bear or White-Chested Bear:
- Habitat: Found across much of the Himalayas, Korea, northeastern China, the Russian far east, and certain islands of Japan.
- Threats: Deforestation and active hunting for body parts pose significant threats to their survival.
- Dugong/Sea Cow:
- Threats: Hunting for meat and oil, habitat degradation, and fishing-related fatalities pose significant risks to their survival.
- Manatee Species:
- Dugong belongs to the manatee species.
- Habitat: Found in Indian seas, including near shore waters of the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kachchh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon Basin, and West Africa.
- Threats: Face challenges from coastal development, red tide occurrences, and hunting.
NEAR THREATENED MAMMALS
Wild Ass/Khur (Equus hemionus khur):
- Population increase resulted in a reclassification from Endangered (2015) to Near Threatened (2019).
- Distribution: Predominantly found in the Rann of Kutch region.
- Population steadily rising with the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch being its last refuge.
- Threats: Face challenges from diseases, habitat degradation due to salt activities, invasion of the Prosopis juliflora shrub, and encroachment and grazing by the Maldhari community.
Chiru/Tibetan Antelope:
Moved from Endangered to Near Threatened in 2016.
Habitat: Inhabits the Tibet cold desert.
Threats: Hunting for its fine wool used in shahtoosh scarves, as well as for meat and its impressive horns.
Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata):
Habitat: Ranges from northern India and Nepal through southeastern Asia to Borneo and Sumatra, including regions like Sikkim and Darjeeling in India.
Threats: Faces hunting pressure and habitat destruction due to both marbled cat and its prey species.
Himalayan Tahr:
Habitat: Thrives in the Himalayas.
Threats: Uncontrolled hunting and deforestation pose significant threats in China, while in India, hunting for meat and competition with livestock for summer grazing are notable concerns.
Markhor (Capra falconeri):
Designated as the national animal of Pakistan.
Habitat: Inhabits the mountains of central Asia, with some populations in parts of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
Status: Moved from Endangered to Near Threatened in 2015.
Threats: Faces hunting pressure for both meat and its unique twisted horns, as well as threats from armed conflicts and habitat loss.
LEAST CONCERN
Blackbuck:
Recently reclassified from Near Threatened to Least Concern.
Distribution: Found across the Indian subcontinent, including deserts in the northwestern region, coastal areas, and mountains in the northern-northeastern region. Typically found in grassland habitats.
Threats: Face challenges from excessive hunting for meat and sporting trophies, as well as habitat loss.
FAQs about Mammals on the IUCN Red List
1. What is the IUCN Red List and why is it important for mammals?
The IUCN Red List is a comprehensive database that assesses the conservation status of various species, including mammals, worldwide. It categorizes species based on their risk of extinction, ranging from Not Evaluated (NE) to Extinct (EX). This list is crucial for identifying species in need of conservation efforts and guiding conservation policies and actions.
2. What are the categories used to define the extinction risk of mammals on the IUCN Red List?
Mammals on the IUCN Red List are categorized based on their extinction risk as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT), or Least Concern (LC). These categories help prioritize conservation efforts for species facing the highest risks of extinction.
3. What is the significance of the Critically Endangered (CR) status for mammals?
Mammals classified as Critically Endangered (CR) are at the highest risk of extinction. They face imminent threats to their survival and require urgent conservation action to prevent their extinction. CR species often have small population sizes and limited habitats, making them particularly vulnerable to human activities and environmental changes.
4. Can you provide examples of Critically Endangered mammals and their threats?
Examples of Critically Endangered mammals include the Himalayan Brown/Red Bear, Pygmy Hog, Andaman White-toothed Shrew, Kondana Rat, Large Rock Rat, Namdapha Flying Squirrel, Malabar Civet, Sumatran Rhinoceros, and Kashmir stag. These species face threats such as habitat loss, hunting, and human persecution, which contribute to their critically endangered status.
5. How are Endangered (EN) mammals different from Critically Endangered (CR) mammals?
Endangered (EN) mammals are also at high risk of extinction, but their populations are not as severely depleted as those of Critically Endangered species. However, they still face significant threats to their survival and require conservation action to prevent further population declines and extinction.
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