VERTEBRATE FAUNA AND NATIONAL ANIMALS OF PAKISTAN by Saghir Ahmad

                               
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Definition of Animal: “Any multicellular, eukaryotic, heterotroph  that feeds on organic matter by ingesting is known as  an animal”. The study of animals is called zoology.” 

Fish 

Definition of a fish: “A limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins and living wholly in water is known as a fish”. The study of fishes is called ichthyology.

National Fish of Pakistan:

                          Mahseer is the National fish of Pakistan. Mahseer is a Local word which  means "the Big Mouth". it is found in every province throughout Pakistan in fresh water. It is also known as the King of Swat. Pakistan is an excellent place to find Mahseer. Popularly known as the Himalayan Mahasher or Golden Mahasher, it is commercially important game fish in Pakistan. Although it is such a beautiful fish, a very few people in Pakistan are well familiar about it. Pakistan has one of the best freshwater fishing places available in the world for Mahseer. Mahseers is of considerable importance because of its large size and high commercial value.
                       There are 531 species of  fish in  Pakistan 233 of them are of fresh  water. Fishes of Pakistan are found in canals, Same Nullas and some lakes (dhands) in Cholistan in natural conditions. Some fishes are also reared in fish farms.
Some Common Fishes of Pakistan:       

• Rhu: Labeo rohita                                    
• Thela Fish: Catla catla
• Mahaseer  Tor putitora (the National fish of Pakistan)       
• Rainbow trout Oncorrhynchus mykiss
• Brown trout Salmo trutta fario
• Common carp or Gulfam Cyprinus carpio
• Sea Horse  Hippocampus fuscus
• Mirgal or Morakhi  Cyrrinus mirigala 

Amphibians          

Definition of an amphibian: A cold-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that comprises the frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. The study of amphibians is called batrachology. They are distinguished by having an aquatic gill-breathing larval stage followed (typically) by a terrestrial lung-breathing adult stage.

National Amphibian of Pakistan:

                          The  Indus Vally toad (Bufo stomaticus) is the national amphibian of Pakistan.
Some Common Amphibians of Pakistan:  
 Common Frog Rana tigrina
Indus valley Toad Bufo stomaticus

Reptiles

Definition of a Reptile: A cold-blooded vertebrate that includes are distinguished by having a dry scaly skin and typically laying soft-shelled eggs on land are known as reptiles. The study of amphibians and reptiles is called herpetology.

National Reptile of Pakistan:

                           Mugger crocodile (Crocodilus palustris) is the national reptile of Pakistan. The name "mugger" is a corruption of the Urdu word mugger which means "water monster" (Adam 2002). 

Habitat:  It is found in freshwater rivers, lakes and marshes and prefers slow-moving, shallow areas. mugger has also adapted to live in reservoirs, irrigation canals, and other man-made freshwater bodies in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. It has occasionally been reported from saltwater lagoons as well.

Relatives: It is sympatric with Gavialis gangeticus in some areas of India, but usually separated by habitat. Also known to dig burrows for shelter. They have been reported to migrate considerable distances over land (several km) in search of more suitable habitat.       

There are around 170 species of reptiles living in Pakistan.

Some Common Reptiles of Pakistan:

• Cobra or Kala Nag (Cobra naja )
• Crate (Bungarus caeruleus)
• Sahna or Sanda Uromastix harvickii 
• Varanus or Goh Varanus monitor
• Lizard Lacerta spp

  BIRDS

Definition of a Bird: “A warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate distinguished by the possession of feathers and a beak are known as birds. The study of birds is called ornithology”.

National Bird of Pakistan:

                             The Chakur Partridge (Alectoris chukar) is the national bird of Pakistan. The Chakor is a rotund 32-35 cm long bird, with a light brown back, grey breast, and buff belly. Its face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it flies a short distance. Chakor prefers rocky, steep, and open hillsides. The Chakor is a resident breeder in dry, open, and often hilly areas. In the wild, Chakor travels in groups of 5-40 birds called coveys. It nests in a scantily lined ground scrape laying 8 to 20 eggs. Chakors take a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food. When in captivity, it lays 1 egg per day throughout the breeding season if the eggs are collected daily. For hunters, Chakor is a very challenging bird because of its upward flights and sudden disappearances in the bushes.

Some Common Birds of Pakistan: 

• Goose (Anser anser)
• Common Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
• Black Crow (Corvus splendans)
• Pea Cock (Pavo cristatus)
• Dove    (Zenaida macroura) 
• Pigeon (Columba livia)
• Pigeon wild (Columba veriegata)
• Parrot Psitacula krameri
• Owl  Bubo bubo
• Jay 
• Koil
• Quil
• Falcon
• Eagle
• Vulture
• Mena (Lali)

Mammals

Definition of a Mammal: The animals which have hair on body and feed their young ones with their own milk are known as mammals. The study of mammals is called mammology derived from mamma which mammary gland. There are 173 mammal species in   of which 0 are critically endangered, 9 are endangered, 14 are vulnerable, and 7 are near-threatened. The largest mammal in  is the Asiatic Brown Bear (Solenorctos tibatenus).  

National Mammal of Pakistan:

                                Markhore (Capra falconeri)  is the national animal (mammal) of Pakistan. The colloquial name is thought by some to be derived from the Persian word mar, meaning snake, and khor, meaning "eater", which is sometimes interpreted to either represent the species' ability to kill snakes, or as a reference to its corkscrewing horns, which are somewhat reminiscent of coiling snakes.The species is classed by the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature)as Endangered as there are fewer than 2,500 mature individuals and the numbers have continued to decline by an estimated 20% over two generations (Valdez, 2008).

General Characters of Mammals:

These animals have hair on body a character even known to a blind man.

Their chest cavity and abdominal cavity are separated by diaphragm (a sheet of skeletal muscles) an antomical feature. They have 3 middle ear bones (the malleus, incus, and stapes).

They nourish their young ones with milk produced in females modified sweat glands that are called mammary glands.

Classification of Class Mammalia

Subclass  Prototheria (All the Prototherians are absent in Pakistan)

Order Monotremata

There are families of mammals that lay eggs with leathery shells and nourish the young with milk from belly pores:

Family Ornithorhynchidae, duck-billed platypus 

Family Tachyglossidae, spiny anteaters

Subclass Metatheria (All the metatherians are absent in Pakistan) (marsupials, about 270 species of mammals whose young are in an immature state, most females have pouches)

Order Didelphimorphia  opossums

Order Paucituberculata  shrew-like insectivores

Order Microbiotheria  only one living species, called "monito del monte" (Dromiciops australis)

 Order Dasyuromorphia   numbat, extinct Tasmanian wolf

Order Peramelemorphia   bandicoots and bilbies

Order Notoryctemorphia  marsupial moles

Order Diprotodontia (10 families and 117 species) kangaroos, wallaby, wombats, koalas

Subclass Eutheria (Placental mammals of Pakistan and their relatives)  

Order Insectivora (insect-eaters: hedgehogs, moles, shrews)  

Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)

        Family Equidae: asses, horses, and zebras

       Family Rhinocerotidae: rhinoceroses

        Family Tapiridae: tapirs

Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)

        Family: Bovidae: 

                  Subfamily Antilopinae: antelopes, dik-diks, gazelles, and relatives

                  Subfamily Bovinae: bison, buffalos, cattle, and relatives

                  Subfamily Caprinae: chamois, serows, goats, sheep, and relatives

                  Subfamily Hippotraginae: addax, oryxes, roan antelopes,

                  Subfamily Antilopinae: antelopes, dik-diks, gazelles, and relatives

                  Subfamily Bovinae: bison, buffalos, cattle, and relatives

        Family Cervidae deer

        Family: Equidae horse, donkey, zebra

        Family: Suidae  pigs

        Family Antilocapridae: Pronghorn antelope 

        Family Camelidae: 

                   Bactrian camel, Camelus bactrianus 

                   Dromedary camel Camelus dromedarius

                   Llama, Lama glama

                   Alpaca, Lama pacos

                   Guanaco , Lama guanicoe

Order Carnivora (carnivores: Flesh eaters)

                   Family  Canidae  (coyotes, dogs, foxes, jackals, and wolves)

                   Family  Felidae  (cats)

                   Family  Herpestidae  (mongooses)

                   Family  Hyaenidae  (aardwolf and hyenas)

                   Family  Mephitidae  (skunks and stink badgers)

                   Family  Mustelidae  (badgers, otters, weasels, and relatives)

                   Family  Nandiniidae  (African palm civet)

                   Family  Ursidae  (bears)

                   Family  Odobenidae  (walruses)

                   Family  Otariidae  (fur seals and sea lions)

                   Family  Phocidae  (seals)

                   Family  Procyonidae  (cacomistle, coatis, raccoons, and relatives)

                   Family  Viverridae  (civets, genets, linsangs, and relatives)

Order Cetacea (whales, dolphins)

                                                          REFERENCES

1. Adam, B. 2002. Crocodilian species list, retrieved August 30, 2007 Crocodylus palustris).

2. Valdez, R. 2008.Capra falconeri. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is regarded as endangered.



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