Endemic Species of Pakistan

**Arosa Hya** · 07-22-2015, 10:26 AM

Endemic Species

Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere.

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1. Indus blind Dolphin (Platanista minor)

Introduction:-

It is also called Bhulan. It is also Pakistan’s national aquatic marine
mammal. It is a sub-specie of South Asian river dolphin. It is one of the most endangered river dolphin. It’s eye sight is very weak, as the name suggests, due to the muddy water of of Indus river.

Habitat:-

They are found in Indus river in the area starting from Guddu barrage to Sukkur barrage.

Population:-

This is one of the world’s most rarest species and the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin with a population of 821 (Sindh Wildlife department).Steps are being taken to protect the rare creature.

Body description:-

The Indus River Dolphin has a long beak which thickens toward the tip, revealing the large teeth; the mouth line curves upward. The body is stocky with a rounded belly, the flippers are large and paddle-shaped, and there is a low triangular hump in place of a ‘true’ dorsal. The forehead is steep and the blowhole is on the left of the head, above the tiny, poorly-seeing eye. The tail flukes are broad in relation to the body size. Indus River Dolphins are grey-brown in colour, sometimes with a pinkish belly, and measure between 1.5 and 2.5 m in length, weighing a maximum of 90 kg.

Diet:-

The species feeds on a variety of shrimp and fish, including carp and catfish. Dolphins are usually encountered on their own or in loose aggregations; they do not form tight, obviously interacting groups.

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**Arosa Hya** · 07-22-2015, 10:31 AM

2. Pakistan sand cat (Felis Margarita Scheffeli)

Introduction:-

This cat is a sub-specie of Felismargarita. The Sand cat is one of the
smallest of all the wild cat species.

Habitat:-

As its name implies the sand cat is commonly found in sandy desert areas. Despite early reports that the sand cat population of Baluchistan’s Chagai desert was devastated by commercial collectors within 10 years after foreign collectors became aware of its existence, more recent information indicates that the sand cat still occurs widely in the area. But, still the Sand Cat is rare in Pakistan and is only found in the Chagai desert in South west Baluchistan.

Population:-

Its exact population is unknown but The Pakistan Sand Cat is considered endangered and will not survive until stronger wildlife laws are put in to place to stop it’s export from Pakistan.

Body description:-

Its body which is about the size of a small domestic cat – a male measures up to 57 cm and weighs only 3 kg. The coat varies in colour from grey to sandy yellow and is marked irregularly with indistinct stripy markings – the legs are often banded with horizontal dark stripes. Characteristic dark reddish/drown markings appear on the cheeks and to the side of the eyes as well as covering the rear of the ears – the chin and throat of the sand cat are white.

Diet:-

The sand cat is solitary and nocturnal in its hunting. It stays at its den during day time at sunset the cat will become active, moving away from its den in search of prey at the onset of darkness. The extent of the sand cats prey species is uncertain, however its is known to include small rodents such as gerbil and jerboas, insects, reptiles, including venomous desert snakes and birds. Caching of larger prey has been observed – the sand cat using loose sand to cover its kill. It is probable that as well as taking prey on the surface, sand cats may also use there strong fore limbs to dig into the burrows of certain species of diurnal gerbil. Interestingly, and again by way of adapting to its environment the sand cat can live without drinking water, instead obtaining all the fluid it requires from its prey.

**Arosa Hya** · 07-22-2015, 10:35 AM

3. The Woolly Flying Squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus)

Introduction:-

This is the most interesting animal, I wrote about so far. The Woolly Flying Squirrel

(Eupetaurus cinereus) is the sole species placed in the genus Eupetaurus. Until recently scientific knowledge of this rare species was limited to 11 skins collected in the late nineteenth century. However, some new skins have been found and its existence is confirmed in Pakistani Kashmir. It is the longest member of the family Sciuridae and the most massive gliding animal known, but observations confirm that despite its size, it does glide effectively like other flying squirrel.

Habitat:-

Kashmir under Pakistani control and from northern Sikkim, India (Nowak 1999). The range possibly extends to China (Agrawal and Chakraborty 1969, Roberts 1977). Corbet and Hill (1992) report that two skins have been collected from Yunnan, however, the species is not reported from China by Smith and Xie (2008). The presence of the species in Sikkim, India as reported by Agarwal and Chakraborty (1970) is based on a single skin. However, due to the lack of osteological and other distinguishing characteristics of the species, and the lack of subsequent records from Sikkim, the distribution of the species in Sikkim is doubtful. Eupetaurus cinereus is currently known only from a very small region in northern Pakistan, in Diamer and southern Gilgit districts and (Zahler and Woods 1997) and there is currently no evidence that the species exists in India or other nearby countries.

Population:-

Until 1994 there had been no confirmed sightings of this species since 1924 (Zahler 1996). Pakistan the vast majority of recent sightings have been in Diamer and southern Gilgit Districts (Zahler and Woods 1997). Estimates in 1996 based on potential available habitat and local knowledge suggest a population in the core region of Diamer of between 1,000 and 3,000 (Zahler and Woods 1997). There is no current information available on the population abundance of this species elsewhere in South Asia (Molur et al. 2005).

Body description:-

The Woolly Flying Squirrel is very large for a flying squirrel (head and body = 45–60 centimeters (18–24 in)). The cheek teeth are unique as they are both flat-crowned and high crowned (hypsodont), setting Eupetaurus apart from other squirrels and suggesting that it feeds on very abrasive plant material, including pine needles (Zahler and Khan, 2003). The animal has fur that is long and thick, with a grizzled pattern that gives the appearance of a woolly pelage, thus the name.

A rare picture of Woolly Flying Squirrel

Diet:-

The high crowned molars of E. cinereus indicate a diet of extremely rough vegetation. It appears that much of the diet consists of buds and cones, particularly those of the native spruce, Picea morinda. At high elevations, Picea morinda begins producing buds in April and cones in late summer. The cones are shed in winter when the ground is covered by snow, meaning that, by early spring, food for E. cinereus may be in extremely short supply. During these hard times, E. cinereus probably turns to mosses and lichens as a main food source (Roberts, 1977).