Wildlife of China
Encyclopedia
Wildlife of China
includes its flora
and fauna
and their natural habitats. Many of the animals in China are endangered, such as the Giant Panda
and the Siberian Tiger, because of habitat loss and deforestation.
Animals native to China:
includes a total of 1314 species, of which 52 are endemic
, two have been introduced
by humans, and 55 are rare or accidental. One species listed is extirpated
in China and is not included in the species count. Eighty seven species are globally threatened.
, representing nearly one-eighth of the world's total plant species, including thousands found nowhere else on Earth.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
includes its flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
and their natural habitats. Many of the animals in China are endangered, such as the Giant Panda
Giant Panda
The giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo...
and the Siberian Tiger, because of habitat loss and deforestation.
Fauna
Animals native to China:
- Alpine Musk DeerAlpine Musk DeerThe Alpine Musk Deer is a species of musk deer. It is occurs the highlands of central China, south and west to the Himalayas. Two subspecies are recognized:*M. c. chrysogaster, Southern Tibet.*M. c...
(Moschus chrysogaster) - ArgaliArgaliThe argali, or the mountain sheep is a wild sheep, which roams the highlands of Central Asia . It is the biggest wild sheep, standing at the shoulder, measuring long and weighing , with a maximum known weight of...
(Ovis ammon) - Asian ElephantAsian ElephantThe Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
(Elephas maximus) - Asian Golden Cat
- Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus)
- Asian Small-Clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea)
- Asiatic Brush-tailed PorcupineAsiatic Brush-tailed PorcupineThe Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine, Atherurus macrourus, is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.It is found in China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam....
(Atherurus macrourus) - Assam MacaqueAssam MacaqueThe Assam macaque is a macaque of the Old World monkey family native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, the species is listed as Near Threatened by IUCN, as it is experiencing significant declines due to hunting, habitat degradation and fragmentation.- Characteristics :The Assam macaque has...
(Macaca assamensis) - Amur HedgehogAmur HedgehogThe Amur Hedgehog is a hedgehog similar to the West European Hedgehog in outlook and lifestyle, although it is more lightly coloured. An average animal weighs from 600 to 1000 grams. Native to Amur Krai and Primorye in Russia, Manchuria in China and the Korean peninsula....
(Erinaceus amurensis) - Bactrian CamelBactrian camelThe Bactrian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. It is presently restricted in the wild to remote regions of the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts of Mongolia and Xinjiang. A small number of wild Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest...
- BaijiBaijiBaiji may refer to:* The Baiji or Yangtze River Dolphin * Baiji, Iraq, a city of northern Iraq.* "Baiji" is the pinyin Romanization for Baekje....
(Lipotes vexillifer) - Beech MartenBeech MartenThe beech marten , also known as the stone marten or white breasted marten, is a species of marten native to much of Europe and Central Asia, though it has established a feral population in North America. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN on account of its wide distribution, its large...
(Martes foina) - Bengal Slow LorisBengal Slow LorisThe Bengal slow loris or northern slow loris is a strepsirrhine primate and a species of slow loris native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina. Its geographic range is larger than that of any other slow loris species...
(Nycticebus bengalensis) - Bearded SealBearded SealThe bearded seal , also called the square flipper seal, is a medium-sized pinniped that is found in and near to the Arctic Ocean. It gets its generic name from two Greek words that refer to its heavy jaw...
(Erignathus barbatus) - BinturongBinturongThe Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...
(Arctictis binturong) - Black-bellied Hamster (Cricetus cricetus)
- Black Musk DeerBlack Musk DeerThe Black Musk Deer or Dusky Musk Deer is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Moschidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal....
(Moschus fuscus) - Black-necked CraneBlack-necked CraneThe Black-necked Crane is a medium-sized crane that is found on the Tibetan Plateau of Asia. It is 139 cm long with a 235 cm wingspan, and it weighs 5.5 kg . It is whitish-gray, with a black head, red crown patch, black upper neck and legs, and white patch to the rear of the eye...
- Black Snub-nosed MonkeyBlack Snub-nosed MonkeyThe black snub-nosed monkey , also known as the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, is an endangered species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is endemic to China, where it is known to the locals as the Yunnan golden hair monkey and the black golden hair monkey...
(Rhinopithecus bieti) - Blue bearBlue BearThe Tibetan bear or Tibetan blue bear is a subspecies of the brown bear found in the eastern Tibetan plateau. It is also known as the Himalayan blue bear, Himalayan snow bear, Tibetan brown bear, or the horse bear. In Tibetan it is known as Dom gyamuk...
- Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur)
- BoarBoarWild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
- Brown BearBrown BearThe brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
(Ursus arctos) - Brown ratBrown RatThe brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....
- Caspian TigerCaspian TigerThe Caspian tiger, also known as the Turan tiger and Hyrcanian tiger, is an extinct tiger subspecies that has been recorded in the wild until the early 1970s, and used to inhabit the sparse forest habitats and riverine corridors west and south of the Caspian Sea, from Turkey, Iran and west through...
- Chinese AlligatorChinese AlligatorThe Chinese alligator or Alligator Alligator sinensis) is one of two known living species of Alligator, a genus in the family Alligatoridae. The Chinese alligator is native only to China...
(Alligator sinensis) - Chinese DormouseChinese DormouseThe Chinese Dormouse or Sichuan Dormouse is a species of dormouse that lives in sub-alpine mixed forests in northern Sichuan, China...
(Chaetocauda sichuanensis) - Chinese Forest Musk Deer (Moschus berezovskii)
- Chinese Giant SalamanderChinese giant salamanderThe Chinese giant salamander is the largest salamander in the world, reaching a length of 180 cm , although it rarely – if ever – reaches that size today...
(Andrias davidianus) - Chinese HareChinese HareThe Chinese Hare is a species of mammal in the Leporidae family. It is found in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.-References:* Lagomorph Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 31 July 2007....
(Lepus sinensis) - Chinese Mole ShrewChinese Mole ShrewThe Chinese Mole Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam....
(Anourosorex squamipes) - Chinese MonalChinese MonalThe Chinese Monal, Lophophorus lhuysii, is one of the most brilliant of all pheasants. This monal is restricted to mountains of central China. The plumage is highly iridescent. The male has a large drooping purple crest, a metallic green head, blue bare skin around the eyes, a reddish gold mantle,...
- Chinese Mountain Cat
- Chinese crocodile lizardChinese crocodile lizardThe Chinese crocodile lizard is a semi-aquatic lizard found only in cool forests in the Hunan, Guangxi Zhuang, and Guizhou provinces of China. The Chinese crocodile lizard spends much of its time in shallow water or in overhanging branches and vegetation, where it hunts its prey of fish, tadpoles,...
- Chinese PaddlefishChinese PaddlefishChinese Paddlefish, Psephurus gladius , also known as Chinese Swordfish, are among the largest freshwater fish. It is one of two extant paddlefish species, the other being the American Paddlefish . It is also called "elephant fish" because its snout resembles an elephant trunk...
- Chinese PangolinChinese PangolinThe Chinese Pangolin is a pangolin that is found in north India, Nepal, Bhutan, possibly Bangladesh, across Myanmar to northern Indochina, through most of Taiwan and southern China, including the islands of Hainan.-Conservation:...
(Manis pentadactyla) - Chinese Rufous Horseshoe BatChinese Rufous Horseshoe BatThe Chinese Rufous Horseshoe Bat is a species of bat in the Rhinolophidae family. It is found in China, India, Nepal, and Vietnam.The species is most easily confused with R...
(Rhinolophus sinicus) - Chinese Serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii)
- Chinese ZokorChinese ZokorThe Chinese Zokor is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is endemic to China.-References:* Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. 2008. . Downloaded on 14 August 2009....
(Eospalax fontanierii) - Clouded LeopardClouded LeopardThe clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
(Neofelis nebulosa) - Common SpoonbillCommon SpoonbillThe Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, breeding in southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations...
- Corsac FoxCorsac FoxThe corsac fox , also known as the steppe fox, is a medium sized Asiatic fox species found throughout the central steppes of Asia. It is sometimes referred to as the "sand fox", but this terminology is confusing because two other species, the Tibetan sand fox and Rüppell's fox are also sometimes...
- Crab-eating MongooseCrab-eating MongooseThe Crab-eating Mongoose is a species of mongoose found in northwestern India, Nepal, Myanmar, southern China, and through southeast Asia, including the countries of Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Laos and Thailand....
(Herpestes urva) - DeinagkistrodonDeinagkistrodonDeinagkistrodon is a monotypic genus created for a venomous pitviper species, D. acutus, found in Southeast Asia. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...
- DholeDholeThe dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
- Dice snakeDice snakeThe dice snake is a European nonvenomous snake belonging to the family Colubridae, subfamily Natricinae.- Brief description :...
- DugongDugongThe dugong is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow , was hunted to extinction in the 18th century...
(Dugong dugon) - Dwarf Blue SheepDwarf Blue SheepThe dwarf blue sheep or dwarf bharal Pseudois schaeferi is an endangered species of caprid found in China Proper and Tibet. It inhabits low, arid, grassy slopes of the upper Yangtze gorge in Batang County of the Sichuan Province, and a small part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, where it is known by...
- Elaphe bimaculataElaphe bimaculataElaphe bimaculata, the Twin-spotted Ratsnake or Chinese Cornsnake, is a small ratsnake found in China. It occurs as both blotched and striped phase, with the blotched type being the more common or "typical" phase. Some specimens even exhibit a pattern of half blotched, half striped where the...
- ElkElkThe Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
- Ethmostigmus rubripesEthmostigmus rubripesEthmostigmus rubripes, the giant centipede, is the largest Australasian and Asian centipede. Head and body length 7.5 to over 16 cm . The body is long and flattened. Coloration is dark or greenish-brown to orange or orange-yellow with black bands, with yellow legs and antennae; southern...
- Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber)
- Eurasian Elk (Alces alces)
- Eurasian LynxEurasian LynxThe Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...
- Eurasian Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius)
- Finless PorpoiseFinless PorpoiseThe finless porpoise is one of six porpoise species. In the waters around Japan, at the northern end of its range, it is known as the sunameri . A freshwater population found in the Yangtze River in China is known locally as the jiangzhu or "river pig". There is a degree of taxonomic uncertainty...
(Neophocaena phocaenoides) - GaurGaurThe gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
(Bos frontalis) - Giant PandaGiant PandaThe giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo...
- Gloydius blomhoffiiGloydius blomhoffiiGloydius blomhoffii, commonly known as the mamushi, or Japanese mamushi, is a venomous pitviper species found in China, Japan, and Korea. There are four subspecies including the nominate subspecies described here....
- Glover's PikaGlover's PikaThe Glover's Pika is a species of mammal in the Ochotonidae family. It is endemic to China....
(Ochotona gloveri) - Gobi JerboaGobi JerboaThe Gobi Jerboa is a species of rodent in the Dipodidae family.It is found in China and Mongolia.Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and temperate desert.-References:...
(Allactaga bullata) - Golden PheasantGolden PheasantThe Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant", is a gamebird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae...
- Golden Snub-nosed MonkeyGolden Snub-nosed MonkeyThe golden snub-nosed monkey is an Old World monkey in the Colobinae subfamily. It is endemic to a small area in temperate, mountainous forests of central and Southwest China. The Chinese name is sichuan golden hair monkey . It is also widely referred to as the sichuan snub-nosed monkey...
(Rhinopithecus roxellana) - Grass SnakeGrass SnakeThe grass snake , sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake is a European non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.-Etymology:...
- Gray Snub-nosed MonkeyGray Snub-nosed MonkeyThe gray snub-nosed monkey , also known as the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is endemic to China, where it is known as the Guizhou golden hair monkey or gray golden hair monkey . It is threatened by habitat loss...
(Rhinopithecus brelichi) - Great GerbilGreat GerbilThe Great Gerbil is a large gerbil found throughout much of Central Asia.-Description:The largest of the gerbils, Great Gerbils have a head and body length between 15-20cm . Their skulls are distinctive by having two grooves in each incisor...
(Rhombomys opimus) - Hainan HareHainan HareThe Hainan Hare is a species of hare endemic to Hainan Island, China.-Description:The Hainan Hare is small; its body length is less than 40 cm and weighs only 1.5 kg. Its head is small and round. It has long ears that are longer than its hind feet. The upper part of the tail is black, while the...
- Himalayan TahrHimalayan TahrThe Himalayan Tahr or Common Thar is a large ungulate related to the wild goat.-Habitat:...
(Hemitragus jemlahicus) - Hog BadgerHog BadgerThe hog badger is a terrestrial species of the mustelid family. It has medium-length brown hair, stocky body, white throat, two black stripes on an elongated white face and a pink pig-like snout. The head-and-body length is , the tail measures and the body weight is...
- Indochinese TigerIndochinese TigerThe Indochinese tiger or Corbett's tiger is a subspecies of tiger found in Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam and formerly in China. Tigers in peninsular Malaysia, formerly classified as Indochinese, have recently been reclassified as a separate subspecies, Malayan tiger Panthera tigris...
- Indotestudo elongataIndotestudo elongataElongated Tortoise is a species of tortoise found in Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia.-Description:Shell considerably depressed, more than twice as long as deep, with flat vertebral region; anterior and posterior margins slightly reverted, strongly serrated in young, feebly in old specimens;...
- Java Mouse-deerJava Mouse-deerThe Java Mouse-deer is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family. At maturity it is about the size of a rabbit, making it one of the smallest ungulates. It is found in forests in Java and perhaps Bali. It formerly included the more widespread T. kanchil and the poorly known T....
(Tragulus javanicus) - JerboaJerboaThe jerboa form the bulk of the membership of the family Dipodidae. Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found throughout Asia and Northern Africa. They tend to be found in hot deserts....
- Jungle CatJungle CatThe jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....
(Felis chaus) - KulanKulanKhulan was an empress of Genghis Khan and head of the second Court of Genghis Khan. Her status in the Mongol Empire was second only to Grand Empress Borte.-Biography:...
(Equus hemionus) - KiangKiangThe kiang is the largest of the wild asses. It is native to the Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabits montane and alpine grasslands. Its current range is restricted to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, plains of the Tibetan plateau and northern Nepal along the Tibetan border...
(Equus kiang) - Large Bamboo RatLarge Bamboo RatThe Large Bamboo Rat is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is found in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.-References:...
(Rhizomys sumatrensis) - Large MoleLarge MoleThe Large Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Mogera robusta) - Least WeaselLeast WeaselThe least weasel is the smallest member of the Mustelidae , native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, though it has been introduced elsewhere. It is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and presumably large population...
(Mustela nivalis) - LeopardLeopardThe leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
- Leopard CatLeopard CatThe leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...
- Long-eared JerboaLong-eared JerboaThe Long-eared Jerboa, Euchoreutes naso, is a nocturnal mouse-like rodent with a long tail, long hind legs for jumping, and exceptionally large ears...
- LynxLynxA lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
(Lynx lynx) - Malayan PorcupineMalayan PorcupineThe Malayan Porcupine or Himalayan Porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae. Three subspecies are extant in South and South-east Asia.-Geographical distribution:...
(Hystrix brachyura) - Manchurian HareManchurian HareThe Manchurian Hare is a species of hare found in northeastern China, the Amur River basin, and in the higher mountains of northern Korea. The adult Manchurian Hare weighs about 2 kilograms, and has a body length of , in addition to a tail of . The ears are typically 7.5–10.4 centimeters in length...
- Marbled CatMarbled CatThe Marbled Cat is a small wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as vulnerable by IUCN as it occurs at low densities, and its total effective population size is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, with no single population numbering more than...
- Marbled PolecatMarbled polecatThe marbled polecat is a small mammal belonging to the monotypic genus Vormela within the Mustelinae subfamily. Vormela is from the German word Würmlein, which means "little Worm". The term peregusna comes from pereguznya, which is Ukrainian for polecat...
(Vormela peregusna) - Marco Polo sheepMarco Polo sheepThe Marco Polo sheep is a subspecies of argali sheep, named after Marco Polo. Their habitat is the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Marco Polo sheep are distinguishable mostly by their large size and spiraling horns. Their conservation status is "near threatened" and efforts have been made to...
- Mongolian Gazelle (Procapra gutturosa)
- Ovophis monticolaOvophis monticolaOvophis monticola is a venomous pitviper species found in Asia. Currently, five subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:Total length males 49 cm, females 110 cm; tail length males 8 cm, females 15 cm....
- Northern Fur SealNorthern Fur SealThe Northern fur seal is an eared seal found along the north Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. It is the largest member of the fur seal subfamily and the only species in the genus Callorhinus.-Physical description:Northern fur seals have extreme sexual dimorphism, with males...
(Callorhinus ursinus) - Northern Pig-tailed MacaqueNorthern Pig-tailed MacaqueThe northern pig-tailed macaque is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Traditionally, it has been considered a subspecies of M. nemestrina...
(Macaca leonina) - Northern TreeshrewNorthern TreeshrewThe Northern Treeshrew is a species of treeshrew found in Southeast Asia.It was chosen as one of the 16 mammals to have their genomes sequenced by the Broad Institute, and a low coverage assembly of genome was released by the Broad Institute in June 2006. The genome will be useful in comparisons...
(Tupaia belangeri) - Pacific codPacific CodThe Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, is an important commercial food species. It is also known as gray cod, gray goo, gray wolf, grayest or grayfish. It has three separate dorsal fins, and the catfish-like whiskers on its lower jaw. In appearance, it is similar to the Atlantic Cod...
- Pallas's Cat
- Painted BatPainted BatThe Painted Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It is found in Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. It is found in arid woodland....
(Kerivoula picta) - Pelochelys cantoriiPelochelys cantoriiThe Cantor's giant softshell turtle or Asian giant softshell turtle is a species of fresh water turtle. The turtle has a broad head and small eyes close to the tip of its snout. The carapace is smooth and olive colored...
- Père David's DeerPère David's DeerPère David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
- Protobothrops jerdoniiProtobothrops jerdoniiTrimeresurus jerdonii is a venomous pitviper species found in India , Burma, Tibet, China and Vietnam. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:...
- Przewalski's HorsePrzewalski's HorsePrzewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
- Pygmy Slow LorisPygmy Slow LorisThe pygmy slow loris is a rare species of loris found in the tropical dry forests of Vietnam, Laos, southern China, and east of the Mekong River in Cambodia....
(Nycticebus pygmaeus) - Qinling PandaQinling PandaThe Qinling panda is a subspecies of the giant panda, discovered in the 1960s but not recognized as a subspecies until 2005. Disregarding the nominate subspecies, it is the first giant panda subspecies to be recognized...
- Raccoon DogRaccoon DogThe raccoon dog , also known as the magnut or tanuki, is a canid indigenous to east Asia. It is the only extant species in the genus Nyctereutes...
- Rafetus swinhoeiRafetus swinhoeiThe Yangtze giant softshell turtle is an extremely rare species of softshell turtle found in Vietnam and China. It is also known as the Red river giant softshell turtle, Shanghai softshell turtle, or Swinhoe's softshell turtle. In Chinese it is known as the specked softshell turtle...
(Yangzte Giant Softshell Turtle) - Red GoralRed GoralThe Red Goral is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Bovidae family. It is found in China, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.The red goral is a bright foxy-red...
(Naemorhedus baileyi) - Red PandaRed PandaThe red panda , is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is the only species of the genus Ailurus. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs...
- Red-crowned craneRed-crowned CraneThe Red-crowned Crane , also called the Japanese Crane or Manchurian Crane , is a large east Asian crane and among the rarest cranes in the world...
- Red FoxRed FoxThe red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
(Vulpes vulpes) - ReindeerReindeerThe reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
(Rangifer tarandus) - Rhesus MacaqueRhesus MacaqueThe Rhesus macaque , also called the Rhesus monkey, is one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats...
(Macaca mulatta) - Ringed SealRinged SealThe ringed seal , also known as the jar seal and as netsik or nattiq by the Inuit, is an earless seal inhabiting the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions...
(Pusa hispida) - SableSableThe sable is a species of marten which inhabits forest environments, primarily in Russia from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, in northern Mongolia and China and on Hokkaidō in Japan. Its range in the wild originally extended through European Russia to Poland and Scandinavia...
(Martes zibellina) - Saiga
- Short-tailed GymnureShort-tailed GymnureThe Short-tailed Gymnure is a small erinaceomorph that is found in southeast Asia. This gymnure, which resembles a large mouse, grows to a length of 4-6 inches, and feeds on insects, worms and other small animals.-External links:*...
(Hylomys suillus) - Siberian IbexSiberian IbexThe Siberian Ibex or Common ibex is a species of ibex that lives in central and northern Asia. It has traditionally been treated as a subspecies of the Alpine Ibex, and whether it is specifically distinct from other ibex is still not entirely clear...
(Capra sibirica) - Siberian Musk DeerSiberian musk deerThe Siberian musk deer is a musk deer found in the mountain forests of Northeast Asia. Its is most common in the taiga of southern Siberia, but is also found in parts of Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria and the Korean peninsula. It is largely nocturnal, and migrates only over short distances. ...
- Siberian Roe DeerSiberian Roe DeerCapreolus pygargus, also known as the Siberian roe deer or eastern roe deer, is a species of roe deer found in northeastern Asia. In addition to Siberia and Mongolia, it is found in Kazakhstan, the Tian Shan Mountains, Eastern Tibet, the Korean peninsula, and northeastern China...
- Siberian Tiger
- Sichuan Niviventer (Niviventer excelsior)
- Spotted SealSpotted SealThe spotted seal , also known as the larga or largha seal, is a member of the family Phocidae, and is considered a "true seal". It inhabits ice floes and waters of the north Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas...
(Phoca largha) - Small Indian CivetSmall Indian CivetThe Small Indian Civet or Rasse is a species of civet found across south and South-east Asia as well as in the Indonesian archipelago. The Assamese name Johamaal refers to its glandular odour similar to a scented rice variety called Joha...
(Viverricula indica) - Snow LeopardSnow LeopardThe snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
- South China TigerSouth China TigerThe South China tiger is a tiger subspecies that originated in southern China and northern Indochina and has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN since 1996 as it is possibly extinct in the wild....
- Southern Red Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak)
- Spotted LinsangSpotted LinsangThe Spotted Linsang is a linsang found in the forests of the central and eastern Himalaya. It is short, light coloured terrestrial mammal, with a slender body, a pointed head and small limbs. It stalks its prey by crawling on its belly, when it is often mistaken for a python or other heavy-built,...
(Prionodon pardicolor) - Steller's Sea LionSteller's Sea LionThe Steller sea lion also known as the northern sea lion, is a threatened species of sea lion in the northern Pacific. It is the sole member of the genus Eumetopias and the largest of the eared seals . Among pinnipeds, it is inferior in size only to the walrus and the two elephant seals...
(Eumetopias jubatus) - Stump-tailed MacaqueStump-tailed MacaqueThe stump-tailed macaque , also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque found in Southern Asia. In India, it is found in south of the Brahmaputra river, in northeastern part of the country.Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Aruanchal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur,...
(Macaca arctoides) - Sun BearSun BearThe sun bear , sometimes known as the honey bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China, Peninsular Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.-Description:The sun bear...
(Helarctos malayanus) - TakinTakinThe Takin , also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. There are four subspecies: B. taxicolor taxicolor, the Mishmi Takin; B. taxicolor bedfordi, the Shanxi or Golden Takin; B. taxicolor tibetana, the Tibetan or Sichuan Takin; and B. taxicolor...
(Budorcas taxicolor) - Tibetan FoxTibetan FoxThe Tibetan sand fox is a species of true fox endemic to the high Tibetan Plateau in Nepal, China, Sikkim, and Bhutan, up to altitudes of about 5300 m...
- Tibetan WolfTibetan wolfThe Tibetan wolf , also known as the woolly wolf, is a subspecies of grey wolf native to Central Asia from Turkestan, Tien Shan throughout Tibet to Mongolia, northern China, Shensi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and the western Himalayas in Kashmir from Chitral to Lahul. They also occur in the Korean peninsula...
- Tibetan antelopeTibetan antelopeThe Tibetan antelope or chiru is a medium-sized bovid which is about in height at the shoulder. It is the sole species in the genus Pantholops and is placed in its own subfamily, Pantholopinae...
- Tibetan MacaqueTibetan macaqueThe Tibetan macaque , also known as the Chinese stump-tailed macaque or Milne-Edwards' macaque, is found from eastern Tibet east to Guangdong and north to Shaanxi in China and has recently been reported from north-eastern India. This species lives in subtropical forests at altitude that range from...
(Macaca thibetana) - TigerTigerThe tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
- Trimeresurus gramineusTrimeresurus gramineusTrimeresurus gramineus is a venomous pitviper species found only in southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...
- Trimeresurus mangshanensis
- Trimeresurus medoensisTrimeresurus medoensisTrimeresurus medoensis is a venomous pitviper species found in India, Burma and Xizang , China. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...
- Trimeresurus stejnegeriTrimeresurus stejnegeriTrimeresurus stejnegeri is a venomous pitviper species found in India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, China and Taiwan. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:...
- Wolf (Canis lupus)
- WolverineWolverineThe wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
(Gulo gulo) - YakYakThe yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
(Bos grunniens) - Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer)
- Yellow-Throated Marten (Martes flavigula)
- Yunnan Hadromys (Hadromys yunnanensis)
- ZerenZerenThe Mongolian gazelle , or Zeren, is a medium-sized antelope native to the semi-arid Central Asian steppes of Mongolia, as well as some parts of Siberia and China. The name zeren is Russian corruption of the Mongolian language name of zeer.In the summer its coat is light brown with pinkish tones,...
(Mongolian Gazelle)
Birds
The avifauna of ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
includes a total of 1314 species, of which 52 are endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
, two have been introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
by humans, and 55 are rare or accidental. One species listed is extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
in China and is not included in the species count. Eighty seven species are globally threatened.
Flora
More than 30,000 plant species are native to ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, representing nearly one-eighth of the world's total plant species, including thousands found nowhere else on Earth.