Asian Animals China and India

Wildlife of China

The Asian country of China has a great majority of the animal species in the world. There are more than 7.500 animals making their homes here.

Official National Animal

The Giant Panda

These pandas are found in the mountain ranges of the Sichuan Province.

The Tibet Autonomous Region has a lovely landscape.

It’s home to snow leopards, Himalayan tahrs, and Tibetan wolves.

The Yunnan Province has great biodiversity with vibrant forests and grasslands.

It is home to tigers, elephants, and more than 800 bird species.

The Sichuan Province located at the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau has diverse landscapes among them thick forests.

It is home to giant pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, and red pandas. In the rocky cliffs are many raptors like vultures and eagles.

Native Animals

Chinese giant salamanders are amphibians and the largest species of giant salamander.

Tibetan macaques are endemic to Tibet, central and southern China, and eastern India. They are the largest breed of macaques in the world.

Siberian tigers are the largest of the big cats and the largest tiger species.

Birds

China is a great country for birdwatchers with both stationary and migratory birds. Among them are golden pheasants, black-faced spoonbills, and others.

There are many waterfowl making their home in the wetlands of the eastern region. Birds like geese and swans. Among native species are owls, storks, partridges, and quails.

Migratory birds enjoy Poyang Lake the largest freshwater lake in China. You’ll find Oriental white storks, swans, and white cranes.

Qinghai Lake has Bird Island which is a distinctive avian breeding ground in Asia. There are bar-headed geese, cormorants, and seagulls among others.

One of the most popular bird breeding sites in the world is Cahohai. It is home to black-necked cranes, one of the rarest waterfowl in the world.

Biggest Animals

The Chinese alligators are found mostly along rivers with sandy banks near marshes or ponds as well as large lakes in Eastern China.

Wild yaks are iconic animals of Tibet living on grasslands at high elevations near mountain passes.

Wildlife of India

India is home to some of the largest and even smallest wildlife. India’s landscape includes mountains, grasslands, tropical jungles, forests, wetlands, and deserts. The prominent regions include the Himalayas, the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Western Ghats mountain range, and toward the south the Deccan Plateau.

Official National Animal

Bengal tiger

Official National Bird

Indian Peacock

India has over 500 wildlife sanctuaries and a hundred national parks for the wildlife living here.

Nagarahole National Park is in the southern state of Karnataka. It consists of forests, jungles, and marshlands. The park is home to tigers, elephants, crocodiles, and aquatic birds.

Kaziranga National Park is located on the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River in the northeast state of Assam. It is home to buffalo, deer, tigers, rhinos, and river dolphins.

Keoladeo National Park is in the northern state of Rajasthan. It has savannas and wetlands making it a haven for migrating birds.

Native Animals

Asiatic lions live in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, in western India. The Asiatic Lion is the state animal of Gujarat.

Royal Bengal Tigers make up about half of all wild tigers. They are the largest cats in India and are found in different types of forests.

Indian leopards have larger spots and their coat colors vary depending on habitat.

Clouded leopards are of two subspecies with one found in the forests of southeastern Asia. The Clouded Leopard is the state animal of Meghalaya.

Languar monkeys can be found throughout southern and southeastern Asia. They are the state animals of Tripura.

Lion-tailed macaques live in the rainforests of the Western Ghats in India. Their tails have pom-poms at the tip.

Sloth bears have black, shaggy coats and live in the forests of India.

Birds

Great Indian hornbills have amazing bright yellow beaks.

Mrs. Gould’s sunbirds were named for Elizabeth Gould, the wife of English ornithologist John Gould. These birds live in eastern and southeastern Asia.

Sarus cranes are the tallest flying birds in the world.

Marine Animals

River dolphins can be found in the Ganges River. They are the national aquatic animals of India.

Mugger crocodiles are among the largest crocodile species.

Gharials are found in the northern Indian rivers.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles live in the warm water of the Indian Ocean. They are among the smallest sea turtles in the world.