The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a checklist of India’s fauna, identifying 1,04,561 species, on the 109th foundation day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Bhupender Yadav, India’s minister of environment, announced that India has become the first nation to reach this landmark. There are 121 checklists totaling all taxa from 36 different phyla available on the Fauna of India checklist page.
All species, including those that are endemic, endangered, or on a schedule, are included in this list. Out of India’s 455 mammal species, 59 call Telangana home; five of those are endemic. There are 439 bird species in the state, with 11 of those being endemic. Birds play an important part in ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and pest control, in addition to pollinating and dispersing seeds. They also hunt animals and are predators.
Among India’s 778 reptile species, 426 are considered endemic, according to the ZSI. There are 66 species of reptiles in Telangana, with four of them being unique to the state. Out of all the reptile species, one is listed as endangered, three as vulnerable, and six as near-threatened.
