Special Sub-Topic: Indian Mammals Click Here To Play: Indian Mammals

Name the variety of Asiatic wild ass found in Ladhak.

kiang. The kiang is also known as Tibetan wild ass, tarpan and gorkhar. It is found all over the Tibetan plateau, thus you can spot a kiang in India, China, Nepal and even Pakistan (although rarely). It falls under the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

Which Indian mammal comes in three main varieties- common or grey, golden and crab eating? (Hint: This animal created havoc for local Hawaiian fauna when introduced there.)

mongoose. Mongooses are kept as pets in India, especially in rural areas. They reproduce very fast. They can kill venomous snakes, especially a king cobra. In rural India cobra-mongoose fights are a common sight during various festivals. I had once seen such a fight. The cobra won by spitting venom. It was very gruesome but I was helpless to do anything about it (animal cruelty), since the local authorities weren't concerned at all!

Which aberrant goat, with sheep like affinities, is found above the timberline in the Himalayas?

bharal. The blue sheep or bharal (actually a goat) is found in India, Nepal, Pakistan and the Tibet autonomous region. It has a blue sheen on its coat, and is thus called blue sheep. The name "bharal" is from the Hindi language.

Which animal predominantly found in Kashmir, and also called the rock rabbit, hoards large heaps of green vegetation for winter food? (Hint: one species of this animal is found in North America.)

pika. Pikas are also known as "mouse hare". They are related to rabbits. They live in a cold climate. They are often seen to share their burrows/holes with snow finches (a kind of sparrow found in Eurasia and especially on the Himalayas). A single glance at a pika would make it look similar to a hamster! Pikas hoard hay and grass before winter as food. They dry the green grass (by sunlight of course) and then take it to their burrows for storage.

Which mouse deer is found mainly in peninsular India and normally rests in tree holes?

spotted chevrotain. Four species of mouse deer exist. Among them the spotted chevrotain is found in Southern India (which is a peninsula) and Sri Lanka. It's a nocturnal animal and lives in sub-tropical forests.

Ailurus fulgens is the scientific name of which relative of giant panda found in Himalayan forests?

red panda. It’s classified under the raccoon family. Although it’s a distant relative of the giant panda it has more characteristics similar to the raccoons than to bears. The family Ailuridae was created especially to accommodate the red panda. They are generally herbivorous. They are popularly known as "fire foxes". It's also found in southern China.

Which species of insectivorous mammal was discovered in a cave near Talewadi village in Belgaum district of Karnataka?

Wroughton's free-tailed bat. Also known as "mastiff bat" and "big eared freetailed bat". It is found in mostly in the Western Ghats of India. They are found at the Barapede caves near the Bhimgad forest in Talewadi village, Belgaum district of Karnataka. It's their sole natural habitat that's intact. It's a critically endangered species.

Which species of freshwater aquatic mammal is unique to the Indian sub-continent? (Hint: think about the river Ganges)

dolphin. Ganges river dolphins are literally blind since their eyes are devoid of the eye lens. Locomotion is essentially done by echolocation. They are a highly endangered species falling under the red category.

Which variety of bear has a peculiarly modified mouth to enable it to feed on the larvae of insects by suction?

sloth bear. The sloth bear is a nocturnal (active at night) animal. It’s endemic to the whole Indian subcontinent. They suck the larvae of ants and termites. They don't hibernate. "Baloo" from "Jungle Book" the famous book authored by Rudyard Kipling is a sloth bear.

Which species of the domesticated one-humped camel is believed to have spread to India from central Arabia?

dromedary camel. The dromedary camel has only one hump. The Bactrian camel has two humps. Dromedary camels are faster than their Bactrian counterparts. The Bactrian camel is a sturdier animal.