Topic:

“Wild-life in Pakistan and their affinities”

Wild-life:It refers to all animals, plants and other living things, living in a natural undomesticated state. It includes all undomesticated animals, non-cultivated plants, fungi, algae, lichens and even microorganisms.

Man has been dependent on wildlife since prehistoric times. Total value of wildlife is unknown yet.

1.75 million Species have been discovered but it is just 20% of the total. Biodiversity is decreasing rapidly. Species of plants, animals, fungi and microscopic organisms such as bacteria are being lost at alarming rates that three species go extinct every hour. Scientists believe that many of these extinctions are due to the Human activities.

Wild life in Pakistan:The Wildlife of Pakistan truly represents the greater geographic and ecological diversity

of the country. Various ecological zones, from tropical to alpine, support a great variety of wildlife species including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects. Although wildlife is on decline in Pakistan due to various threats, mostly man made, yet some species have recovered miraculously due to endless conservation efforts.

The huge altitudinal variation from 8611 meter (K-2, world second highest peak) to recently discovered coral reefs of Makran Coast (Arabian Sea) below sea level host some of the unique diversity of wildlife in the world. The snowfields of Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindu Kush are governed by snow leopard, the predator at top of the food chain. This illusive and endangered cat is rarely noticed physically, except when driven by climatic or biological influences to villages for easy prey like livestock. However at times it also get trapped or killed by the local population in retaliation for the killing of their goats and sheep.

The detail of Wild-life (Flora and Fauna)is given below:

Algae, Fungi & Microorganisms:It is found abundantly but the description of microbes in Pakistan is limited. Fungi exist in the country in the form of 4500 species. Algae have a total of 775 species. Bacteria have also been isolated including some from extreme environments.

Sea Algae

Plants:There are around 5,700 species of vascular plants including both indigenous and alien species.

About 400(7.8%) of these are endemic to Pakistan that represent 149 genera and 41 families.

Approximately 2000 medicinal plant species are estimated to be existed in Pakistan. But very few of them are exploited and 90% of the country’s medicinal herb requirement is imported.

Lavender Trumpet vine (Rare plant in Pakistan)

Major plant Families of Pakistan

Family Total No. of species Endemic species

Compositae 649 49

Poaceae 597 32 Papilionacea 439 57

Brassicaceae 250 20

Cyperaceae 202 xx

Animals:Animal life in Pakistan includes deer, boar, bear, crocodile and water fowls, antelopes, sheep, goats, amphibians, reptiles and fishes. The wetlands provide an essential habitat for a number of species like:

• Coated otter.

• Indus Dolphin.

• Fishing Cat.

• Hog Deer.

• Wild Boar.

During the migration season, at least 1 million water fowls representing more than 100 species visit the extensive deltas and wetlands of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s rivers and coastal waters contain many types of freshwater and saltwater fish including Herring mackerel, sharks and shellfish.

Threatened and endangered species include the:

• Snow leopard.

• Marco polo sheep.

• Blue Sheep.

• Houbara Bustard.

• Himalayan Ibex.

• Western Tragopan.

These animals can still be found in remote and protected areas of the Himalayas. The Houbara Bustard has been over hunted as a game bird in Pakistan and is officially protected.

Invertebrates:There has been very limited research on the invertebrates of Pakistan. The known species probably represent a very small portion of the actual number present in the country.

There are more than 700 recorded marine invertebrate species. These are the best known group of invertebrates and includes crustaceans and mollusks. These are of significant economic importance to Pakistan, as they are one of the major sources of export revenue.

Earthworms

Insects:Currently more than 5000 species of insects have been recorded in Pakistan. The best known insects are the butterflies and the total number of species exceeds 400. Those inhabiting high altitudes are endemic. In the northern mountains alone 85 species of endemic butterflies have been recorded.

Butterflies

Fishes:Life on the earth began in the oceans however much of the oceans remains to be fully explored and new species continue to be identified.

Fishes in sea

• Fresh water Fish:

198 species of fresh water fish are present in Pakistan including exotic. 29 species are endemic.

9 species of snow trout.

The diversity of fish is highest in Indus river plains, Kirthar range and the Himalayan foothills. The diversity is lowest in the mountains zone and the arid parts of Northwest Baluchistan.

The river systems in northeast Baluchistan have the highest levels of endemism.

• Marine Fish:

More than 1000 species reported inhabiting Pakistan’s coastal waters. However there is no analysis of their populations and distribution range. The fish Fauna can be divided into two groups:

• Cartilaginous fish.

• Bony fish.

Amphibians:The amphibian fauna in Pakistan is not rich due to its mainly arid and semi-arid terrain. Only 21 species of amphibians have been recorded and 9 species of them are endemic.

Fire salamanders

Reptiles:They have ideal habitat in Pakistan and around 174 species are reported in which 40 species are endemic (33 Lizards, 7 snakes).

Chaghi desert is distinctive for reptiles.

72 species of snakes are present, 26 of them are poisonous and more than half of them are sea snakes. Main four snakes are:

• Indian Cobra.

• Common Krait.

• Saw-scaled Viper.

• Russell’s viper.

These are common through the sub-continent including Pakistan.

Indian-Python, a non-poisonous snake is now rare due to its severe hunting for its very precious skin.

The southern beaches are of great importance as a nesting site of Green Turtles and Olive Ridley Turtles but the population is on decline because of Stray Dogs and Egg Poaching. The Mugger is also in danger due to over hunting. The Ghariyal is in a precarious situation and has only be seen in small numbers between the Sukkur and Guddu barrages. In addition, monitor species are heavily hunted for their skins.

Reptiles of Pakistan

Group No. of Species

Turtles 10

Tortoises 2

Crocodile 1

Gharial 1

Lizards 88

Snakes 72

Endemic reptiles of Pakistan:

• Whip-tailed sand gecko.

• Salt range rock gecko.

• Warty rock gecko.

• Quetta rock gecko.

• Sharp tailed spider gecko.

• Mountain dwarf gecko.

• Sindh broad tailed gecko.

• Earless dwarf gecko.

• Reticulate dessert Lacerta.

• Sindh thread snake.

• Red spotted diadem snake.

• Maynard’s awl-headed snake.

• Sindh awl-headed snake.

• Sindh river snake.

Birds:The rich Indus delta and the high lands are a great attraction for birds. The Indus flyway is one of the world’s top migration routes. There are at least 668 species of birds which have been recorded in Pakistan. 375 species of birds are breeding.

Chakor (National Bird of Pakistan)

Palaearctic species (30% of the recorded species) visit the country in winters. The global center for bird endemism partly comprises the Suleiman range, Hindu Kush and the Himalayas and has ten restricted range species in Pakistan. The Indus valley wetlands constitute a secondary area of endemism with one restricted range species. The Margalla Hills in Islamabad, one of the richest bird areas in the country, are home to various Sino-Malayan species.

The wetlands are also of great importance for birds. In January 1990, 1,134,269 wildfowl from 108 species were recorded in 140 wetlands. Pakistan also has a variety of birds of prey. These magnificent predators include the:

• Migratory goshawk.

• Asian sparrow hawk.

• Imperial eagle.

• Eastern steppe eagle.

• Saker falcon.

• Hen harrier.

• Osprey.

Mammals:

There are reportedly up to 175 mammal species. Some estimates suggest that there are 188 species. Palaearctic species have either reached the country from Iran via southern Baluchistan or from Central Asia through the Himalaya and Hindu Kush (northern route). The Indo-Malayan species also seem to have entered by two main routes; The Coast, mangroves and dry hinter land and the southern slopes of Himalayas.

Species with Ethiopian affinities entered through the southern coastal birds.

• Carnivores:

There are 31 species of carnivores in Pakistan including four foxes and six small cats. Carnivores specifically include the Snow leopard, common leopard, Lynx, caracal, civet, mongoose, hyena, desert Palla’s cat and fishing Palla’s cat.

The snow leopard has become the center of much research recently.

Snow Leopard

• Herbivores:

Wild herbivores include the only species of wild horse and the Indian wild ass.

The Urial, Marco polo sheep, the Markhor, Bharal or blue sheep are important game animals. The Sindh Ibex is found in the dry, high mountains of Sindh and Baluchistan.

The Himalayan Ibex is found in Swat and Gilgit. The Black Buck was once found in Cholistan. It had completely vanished but is now being reintroduced.

Mammals of Pakistan

Group No. of species

Insectivora [spiny ant eater] 12

Chiroptera [bat] 44

Primates [human, monkey] 2

Pholidota [pangolin] 1

Carnivora [lion, wolf] 33

Perissodactyla [zebra, horse] 1

Artiodactyla [giraffe, deer] 15

Lagomorpha [rabbit] 4

Rodentia [mouse, squirrel] 43

Cetacea [dolphin, shark] 13

Endemic mammals of Pakistan:

• Yellow Dessert bat.

• Woolly flying Squirrel.

• Long tail hamster.

• Murree vole.

• Indus River Dolphin.

Steps are taken to conserve the Biodiversity of Pakistan.

References:• pakistangeographic.com/wildlife.html