Indian Subcontinent

Tigers, elephants and teeming life across India and its neighbours.

ClimateHot, ruled by the dramatic monsoon rains.

LandscapeDry forest, jungle, grassland and great rivers.

Species recorded351

Written profiles0

Groups present9

Coordinates21.0°, 78.0°

About the Indian Subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent contains an exceptional spread of habitat over a relatively compact area — Himalayan alpine, Gangetic floodplain, Thar desert, dry deciduous forest, the Western Ghats rainforest, the Sundarbans mangroves and a long coastline. The monsoon is the organising event of the year, and breeding, migration and movement across most of the region are timed to it. It is also the place where large-mammal conservation has to work at the highest human population densities anywhere, which makes coexistence rather than separation the central problem: tigers, elephants and leopards live in and move through landscapes shared with a very large number of people. The Western Ghats are a biodiversity hotspot with an extraordinary concentration of endemic amphibians, many described only in the last two decades.

Most-recorded wild species here

Photographed and identified by iNaturalist contributors in this region, ordered by number of records.

Bengal Tiger

Panthera tigris tigris

Mammals

Ganges River Dolphin

Platanista gangetica

Mammals

Nilgiri Marten

Martes gwatkinsii

Mammals

Yellow-spotted Wolf Snake

Lycodon flavomaculatus

Reptiles

Gaudy Baron

Euthalia lubentina

Insects

Indian Tent Turtle

Pangshura tentoria

Reptiles

Indian Black Ant

Camponotus compressus

Insects

Deroplatys indica

Insects

Gasteracantha mediofusca

Arachnids

Western Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Insects

Indian Sloth Bear

Melursus ursinus ursinus

Mammals

Indian Spotted Deer

Axis axis axis

Mammals

Indian Egg-eater

Boiga westermanni

Reptiles

Gonipterus platensis

Insects

Redspot

Zesius chrysomallus

Insects

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

Birds

Indian Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros unicornis

Mammals

Grey Slender Loris

Loris lydekkerianus

Mammals

Full species checklist

A further 333 species recorded in the Indian Subcontinent.

Common name	Scientific name	Group	Records
Rhesus Macaque	Macaca mulatta	Mammals	189
Dhole	Cuon alpinus	Mammals	189
Lesser Florican	Sypheotides indicus	Birds	189
Bonnet Macaque	Macaca radiata	Mammals	188
Indian Flying Fox	Pteropus medius	Mammals	188
Red Giant	Indrella ampulla	Mollusks	187
Destroyer Ant	Trichomyrmex destructor	Insects	186
Indian Tiger Centipede	Scolopendra hardwickei	Other animals	186
Gaur	Bos gaurus	Mammals	185
Southern Dhole	Cuon alpinus dukhunensis	Mammals	185
Ganges Softshell Turtle	Nilssonia gangetica	Reptiles	184
Pale Awlet	Burara gomata	Insects	184
Laughing Dove	Spilopelia senegalensis	Birds	183
Large-billed Crow	Corvus macrorhynchos	Birds	183
Oriental Mud-dauber Wasp	Chalybion bengalense	Insects	183
Purple Frog	Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis	Amphibians	183
Coromandel Marsh Dart	Ceriagrion coromandelianum	Insects	182
Fraser’s Clubtail	Acrogomphus fraseri	Insects	181
Nilgai	Boselaphus tragocamelus	Mammals	181
Jansenia psarodea	Jansenia psarodea	Insects	180
Bank Myna	Acridotheres ginginianus	Birds	180
Greater Coucal	Centropus sinensis	Birds	179
Odontolabis burmeisteri	Odontolabis burmeisteri	Insects	179
Black-necked Stork	Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus	Birds	179
Ditch Jewel	Brachythemis contaminata	Insects	178
Oriental Honey-buzzard	Pernis ptilorhynchus	Birds	178
Acanthopsyche bipars	Acanthopsyche bipars	Insects	178
Green Tiger Beetle	Cicindela whithillii	Insects	177
Pale Grass Blue	Pseudozizeeria maha	Insects	176
Sahyadris Forest Rat	Rattus satarae	Mammals	175
Russet Percher	Neurothemis fulvia	Insects	174
Blue Pansy	Junonia orithya	Insects	174
Indian Cobra	Naja naja	Reptiles	174
Indian Garden Lizard	Calotes versicolor	Reptiles	174
Euchariomyia dives	Euchariomyia dives	Insects	173
Stegodyphus tibialis	Stegodyphus tibialis	Arachnids	172
Oriental Rat Snake	Ptyas mucosa	Reptiles	171
Sambar	Rusa unicolor	Mammals	171
Eucorydia ornata	Eucorydia ornata	Insects	171
Kadar Burrowing Frog	Minervarya kadar	Amphibians	171
Indian Flapshell Turtle	Lissemys punctata	Reptiles	171
Indian Leopard	Panthera pardus fusca	Mammals	170
Indian Honey Bee	Apis cerana indica	Insects	169
Musca domestica domestica	Musca domestica domestica	Insects	169
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Birds	168
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo	Dicrurus paradiseus	Birds	168
Black Heron	Egretta ardesiaca	Birds	168
Beautiful Clubtail	Megalogomphus superbus	Insects	168
Sceliphron madraspatanum	Sceliphron madraspatanum	Insects	168
Bipalium univittatum	Bipalium univittatum	Other animals	167
Red-rumped Hawklet	Epithemis wayanadensis	Insects	166
Malabar Banded Peacock Swallowtail	Papilio buddha	Insects	165
Indian Hare	Lepus nigricollis	Mammals	165
Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis	Birds	163
Indian Boar	Sus scrofa cristatus	Mammals	163
Gryllus quadrimaculatus	Gryllus quadrimaculatus	Insects	163
South Asian sambar deer	Rusa unicolor unicolor	Mammals	162
Red Weaver Ant-mimicking Spider	Myrmaplata plataleoides	Arachnids	162
Psyche	Leptosia nina	Insects	162
Ochlandra shrub frog	Raorchestes ochlandrae	Amphibians	161
Stegodyphus pacificus	Stegodyphus pacificus	Arachnids	160
Stenaelurillus megamalai	Stenaelurillus megamalai	Arachnids	159
Golden Giant Asian Mantis	Hierodula membranacea	Insects	158
Yellow Orange Tip	Ixias pyrene	Insects	158
Indian Hog Deer	Axis porcinus porcinus	Mammals	157
Yellow Pansy	Junonia hierta	Insects	156
Commander	Moduza procris	Insects	156
spotted royal	Tajuria maculata	Insects	156
Travancore pied kingfisher	Ceryle rudis travancoreensis	Birds	154
Gram Blue	Euchrysops cnejus	Insects	152
Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher	Ceyx erithaca	Birds	152
Common Leopard	Phalanta phalantha	Insects	151
Eastern Barn Owl	Tyto javanica	Birds	150
Indian Paradise-Flycatcher	Terpsiphone paradisi	Birds	150
Sedge Warbler	Acrocephalus schoenobaenus	Birds	150
Phimenes flavopictus	Phimenes flavopictus	Insects	149
Painted Stork	Mycteria leucocephala	Birds	149
Red-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus cafer	Birds	148
Shiny Harvester Ant	Trichomyrmex glaber	Insects	148
Agathia hemithearia	Agathia hemithearia	Insects	147
Malabar Banded Swallowtail	Papilio liomedon	Insects	146
Brahminy Starling	Sturnia pagodarum	Birds	145
Indian Chevrotain	Moschiola indica	Mammals	145
Indian Grass Mantis	Schizocephala bicornis	Insects	144
Chunam Tree Frog	Polypedates maculatus	Amphibians	143
Danaid Eggfly	Hypolimnas misippus	Insects	142
Zebra Blue	Leptotes plinius	Insects	142
Scarlet Skimmer	Crocothemis servilia	Insects	141
Common Pierrot	Castalius rosimon	Insects	141
Bengal Sacred Langur	Semnopithecus entellus	Mammals	140
Silent Valley bushfrog	Raorchestes silentvalley	Amphibians	140
Indian Peafowl	Pavo cristatus	Birds	139
Saiva nodata	Saiva nodata	Insects	139
Mottled Wood-Owl	Strix ocellata	Birds	138
Two-striped Telamonia	Telamonia dimidiata	Arachnids	138
Domestic Dog	Canis familiaris	Mammals	137
Black-headed Ibis	Threskiornis melanocephalus	Birds	137
Brown-headed Barbet	Psilopogon zeylanicus	Birds	137
Purple Sunbird	Cinnyris asiaticus	Birds	136
Coorg False Spreadwing	Indolestes pulcherrimus	Insects	136
Ceryle rudis leucomelanurus	Ceryle rudis leucomelanurus	Birds	136
Eurasian Collared-Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	Birds	135
Pied Bushchat	Saxicola caprata	Birds	134
Apefly	Spalgis epius	Insects	134
Daurian Starling	Agropsar sturninus	Birds	133
Garden tent-web spider	Cyrtophora cicatrosa	Arachnids	132
Indian Chameleon	Chamaeleo zeylanicus	Reptiles	132
Lime Swallowtail	Papilio demoleus	Insects	131
Sorting Hat Spider	Eriovixia gryffindori	Arachnids	131
Red-whiskered Bulbul	Pycnonotus jocosus	Birds	131
House Crow	Corvus splendens	Birds	129
Indian Nightjar	Caprimulgus asiaticus	Birds	129
Chestnut-tailed Starling	Sturnia malabarica	Birds	128
Rock Pigeon	Columba livia	Birds	128
Large Scaled Forest Lizard	Calotes grandisquamis	Reptiles	128
Thackeray's cat snake	Boiga thackerayi	Reptiles	127
Painted Globular Frog	Uperodon taprobanicus	Amphibians	126
Ruddy Shelduck	Tadorna ferruginea	Birds	125
Pagyda salvalis	Pagyda salvalis	Insects	125
Bagrada Bug	Bagrada hilaris	Insects	125
Anisephyra ocularia	Anisephyra ocularia	Insects	124
Chocolate Pansy	Junonia iphita	Insects	123
Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus	Birds	123
Indian Golden Oriole	Oriolus kundoo	Birds	123
Indian Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri manillensis	Birds	123
Plains Cupid	Luthrodes pandava	Insects	122
Amegilla dizona	Amegilla dizona	Insects	121
Six-spotted Zigzag Ladybird	Cheilomenes sexmaculata	Insects	121
Black-winged Bambootail	Disparoneura quadrimaculata	Insects	120
Chequered Keelback	Fowlea piscator	Reptiles	120
Crested Serpent-Eagle	Spilornis cheela	Birds	120
Red Avadavat	Amandava amandava	Birds	119
Short-toed Snake-Eagle	Circaetus gallicus	Birds	118
Tawny Pipit	Anthus campestris	Birds	118
Indian Nawab	Polyura bharata	Insects	117
Yellow-spotted Tiger Beetle	Cicindela flavomaculata	Insects	117
Indian Wolf Snake	Lycodon aulicus	Reptiles	116
Black Coralsnake	Calliophis nigrescens	Reptiles	116
Black Drongo	Dicrurus macrocercus	Birds	115
Pied Paddy Skimmer	Neurothemis tullia	Insects	115
Indian Common Clubtail	Ictinogomphus rapax	Insects	115
Pheasant-tailed Jacana	Hydrophasianus chirurgus	Birds	114
Northern Palm Civet	Paradoxurus hermaphroditus	Mammals	113
Mung Bean Moth	Maruca vitrata	Insects	112
Red Spurfowl	Galloperdix spadicea	Birds	112
Malabar Torrent Toad	Blaira ornata	Amphibians	112
Jungle Owlet	Glaucidium radiatum	Birds	111
Indian Gazelle	Gazella bennettii	Mammals	110
Shikra	Tachyspiza badia	Birds	109
Black planthopper	Ricania speculum	Insects	109
Crested Hawk-Eagle	Nisaetus cirrhatus cirrhatus	Birds	108
Anomalous Nawab	Polyura agraria	Insects	108
European Little tern	Sternula albifrons albifrons	Birds	107
Indian White-eye	Zosterops palpebrosus	Birds	107
Indian Pitta	Pitta brachyura	Birds	106
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher	Cyornis tickelliae	Birds	106
Stork-billed Kingfisher	Pelargopsis capensis	Birds	105
Indian Pied Starling	Gracupica contra	Birds	105
Common Owl Moth	Erebus macrops	Insects	104
Blue Tiger Moth	Dysphania percota	Insects	104
Forget-me-not	Catochrysops strabo	Insects	103
Achrosis rondelaria	Achrosis rondelaria	Insects	102
Indian Robin	Copsychus fulicatus	Birds	102
Swan plant flower moth	Chabulina onychinalis	Insects	101
Nilgiri Tahr	Nilgiritragus hylocrius	Mammals	101
Eurybrachys tomentosus	Eurybrachys tomentosus	Insects	100
Orphnus cribratellus	Orphnus cribratellus	Insects	100
Tawny Coster	Acraea terpsicore	Insects	99
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Birds	98
Wire-tailed Swallow	Hirundo smithii	Birds	98
Malabar Spiny Dormouse	Platacanthomys lasiurus	Mammals	98
Red House Spider	Nesticodes rufipes	Arachnids	97
Indian Lily Moth	Polytela gloriosae	Insects	97
Pea Blue	Lampides boeticus	Insects	96
Gharial	Gavialis gangeticus	Reptiles	96
Black-naped Monarch	Hypothymis azurea	Birds	95
Black Eagle	Ictinaetus malaiensis	Birds	95
Malabar Slender Loris	Loris lydekkerianus malabaricus	Mammals	94
Chital	Axis axis	Mammals	93
Bronze-winged Jacana	Metopidius indicus	Birds	93
Bank Swallow	Riparia riparia	Birds	93
Eastern Cattle-Egret	Ardea coromanda	Birds	92
Jungle Palm Squirrel	Funambulus tristriatus	Mammals	92
Pseudomicronia advocataria	Pseudomicronia advocataria	Insects	91
Mugger Crocodile	Crocodylus palustris	Reptiles	90
Russell's Viper	Daboia russelii	Reptiles	89
Dark Grass Blue	Zizeeria karsandra	Insects	89
Gray-headed Fish-Eagle	Icthyophaga ichthyaetus	Birds	88
Grote's Buff-tip	Phalera grotei	Insects	88
White-browed Fantail	Rhipidura aureola	Birds	87
Pseudocatharylla nigrociliella	Pseudocatharylla nigrociliella	Insects	87
Common Tailorbird	Orthotomus sutorius	Birds	86
Footman moth	Nepita conferta	Insects	86
Psilochira lineata	Psilochira lineata	Insects	86
Bicolored Frog	Clinotarsus curtipes	Amphibians	85
Indian Wanderer	Pareronia hippia	Insects	85
Brown Rock Chat	Oenanthe fusca	Birds	84
Saunders's Tern	Sternula saundersi	Birds	84
Oriental leafworm moth	Spodoptera litura	Insects	83
Indian Giant Squirrel	Ratufa indica	Mammals	83
Brahminy Blindsnake	Indotyphlops braminus	Reptiles	83
Domestic Water Buffalo	Bubalus bubalis	Mammals	82
Common Sailer	Neptis hylas	Insects	82
Grape Fruit Piercer	Eudocima hypermnestra	Insects	82
Lime Blue	Chilades lajus	Insects	82
Long Sand Racer	Psammophis longifrons	Reptiles	80
Southern Green Stink Bug	Nezara viridula	Insects	79
Asian Long-tailed Climbing Mouse	Vandeleuria oleraceus	Mammals	79
Falsocossyphus pilosus	Falsocossyphus pilosus	Insects	78
Bastilla crameri	Bastilla crameri	Insects	77
Curubis tetrica	Curubis tetrica	Arachnids	77
Plain Prinia	Prinia inornata	Birds	77
Slender Blue Skimmer	Orthetrum luzonicum	Insects	76
Coorg Bambootail	Caconeura ramburi	Insects	76
Hyperechia xylocopiformis	Hyperechia xylocopiformis	Insects	75
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	Birds	74
Common Indian trinket snake	Coelognathus helena helena	Reptiles	74
Darth Maul Bug	Spilostethus hospes	Insects	74
Mottled Emigrant	Catopsilia pyranthe	Insects	73
Indian Pond-Heron	Ardeola grayii	Birds	73
Peacock Pansy	Junonia almana	Insects	72
Ashy Prinia	Prinia socialis	Birds	72
Slender-scaped Carpenter Bee	Xylocopa tenuiscapa	Insects	72
Slender Skimmer	Orthetrum sabina	Insects	71
Arboreal Bicolored Slender Ant	Tetraponera rufonigra	Insects	71
Changeable Hawk-Eagle	Nisaetus cirrhatus	Birds	71
River Lapwing	Vanellus duvaucelii	Birds	71
Indian Roller	Coracias benghalensis	Birds	70
Nilgiri keelback	Sahyadriophis beddomei	Reptiles	70
Western Golden Dartlet	Ischnura rubilio	Insects	70
Malabar Whistling-Thrush	Myophonus horsfieldii	Birds	69
Xyleutes persona	Xyleutes persona	Insects	69
Slate Flash	Rapala manea	Insects	68
Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	Birds	68
Icius alboterminus	Icius alboterminus	Arachnids	66
Spot-breasted Fantail	Rhipidura albogularis	Birds	65
Makdiops agumbensis	Makdiops agumbensis	Arachnids	65
Spiny-headed fan-throated lizard	Sitana spinaecephalus	Reptiles	64
Tropical Fire Ant	Solenopsis geminata	Insects	64
Crimson-tailed Marsh Hawk	Orthetrum pruinosum	Insects	62
Blue-tailed Bee-eater	Merops philippinus	Birds	60
Metoeca foedalis	Metoeca foedalis	Insects	59
Chrysochroa rajah	Chrysochroa rajah	Insects	59
Little Swift	Apus affinis	Birds	58
Pixie Dartlet	Ischnura nursei	Insects	58
Phimenes flavopictus flavopictus	Phimenes flavopictus flavopictus	Insects	58
Red Sand Boa	Eryx johnii	Reptiles	57
Brown-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth	Theretra silhetensis	Insects	56
Mainland Asian Elephant	Elephas maximus indicus	Mammals	55
Silverstreak Blue	Iraota timoleon	Insects	55
Kerala stream toad	Blaira rubigina	Amphibians	54
Coppersmith Barbet	Psilopogon haemacephalus	Birds	53
Indian Orange-headed Thrush	Geokichla citrina cyanota	Birds	53
Common Green Forest Lizard	Calotes calotes	Reptiles	53
Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri	Birds	52
Pygmy White-toothed Shrew	Suncus etruscus	Mammals	52
Great Stone-curlew	Esacus recurvirostris	Birds	52
Waynad bush frog	Pseudophilautus wynaadensis	Amphibians	51
Great Hornbill	Buceros bicornis	Birds	50
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	Birds	48
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	Birds	48
Common Mormon Swallowtail	Papilio polytes	Insects	48
White-bellied Drongo	Dicrurus caerulescens	Birds	48
Propylea dissecta	Propylea dissecta	Insects	48
Yellow-throated Sparrow	Gymnoris xanthocollis	Birds	47
House Crow (Indian)	Corvus splendens splendens	Birds	47
White-breasted Waterhen	Amaurornis phoenicurus	Birds	46
Anamala Pit Viper	Craspedocephalus anamallensis	Reptiles	45
Common Evening Brown	Melanitis leda	Insects	44
Orange-winged Dropwing	Trithemis kirbyi	Insects	43
Collared Cat Snake	Boiga nuchalis	Reptiles	43
Spotted Dove	Spilopelia chinensis	Birds	41
Blackbuck	Antilope cervicapra	Mammals	41
Plain Tiger Butterfly	Danaus chrysippus	Insects	40
Tropical Paper Wasp	Polistes stigma	Insects	40
Indian Silverbill	Euodice malabarica	Birds	39
Indomenella indica	Indomenella indica	Insects	39
Shiva's pygmy trishula	Tettilobus trishula	Insects	38
Little Cormorant	Microcarbo niger	Birds	37
Sarus Crane	Antigone antigone	Birds	37
Granite Ghost	Bradinopyga geminata	Insects	36
Common Woodshrike	Tephrodornis pondicerianus	Birds	35
Sri Lankan Atlas Moth	Attacus taprobanis	Insects	35
Common Picture Wing	Rhyothemis variegata	Insects	34
Red Dwarf Honey Bee	Apis florea	Insects	34
Eucentrobolus maindroni	Eucentrobolus maindroni	Other animals	32
Arctic Tern	Sterna paradisaea	Birds	31
Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis	Birds	31
Giant Golden Orbweaver	Nephila pilipes	Arachnids	31
Asian Green Bee-eater	Merops orientalis	Birds	31
Brahminy Kite	Haliastur indus	Birds	29
Ammophila clavus	Ammophila clavus	Insects	27
Eristalinus arvorum	Eristalinus arvorum	Insects	27
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon	Treron phoenicopterus	Birds	26
Pasilobus sahyadriensis	Pasilobus sahyadriensis	Arachnids	25
Golden Jackal	Canis aureus	Mammals	25
Indian long-tailed tree mouse	Vandeleuria nilagiricus	Mammals	24
Adanson's House Jumper	Hasarius adansoni	Arachnids	24
Chalky Percher	Diplacodes trivialis	Insects	23
Eugryllacris panteli	Eugryllacris panteli	Insects	23
Falcated Duck	Mareca falcata	Birds	22
red spot reedtail	Protosticta sanguinostigma	Insects	22
Common Crow	Euploea core	Insects	20
Whitaker’s Termite Hill Gecko	Hemidactylus whitakeri	Reptiles	20
Orange-faced Sprite	Pseudagrion rubriceps	Insects	19
Catamiarus brevipennis	Catamiarus brevipennis	Insects	19
Asian Koel	Eudynamys scolopaceus	Birds	19
Indian Jungle Cat	Felis chaus affinis	Mammals	18
Indian Jumping Ant	Harpegnathos saltator	Insects	18
Five-striped Palm Squirrel	Funambulus pennantii	Mammals	17
Blue Tiger	Tirumala limniace	Insects	17
Woolly Wall Bee	Megachile lanata	Insects	16
Egyptian Vulture	Neophron percnopterus	Birds	15
Auplopus blandus	Auplopus blandus	Insects	15
Indian Jackal	Canis aureus indicus	Mammals	14
Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis	Birds	14
Lophocephala guerini	Lophocephala guerini	Insects	12
Painted Lady	Vanessa cardui	Insects	11
Northern Red Muntjac	Muntiacus vaginalis	Mammals	11
Protaetia aurichalcea	Protaetia aurichalcea	Insects	11
Tailed Cellar Spider	Crossopriza lyoni	Arachnids	10
White Combed-Sweat Bee	Lasioglossum albescens	Insects	10
Heteracris pulchra	Heteracris pulchra	Insects	8
Asian House Shrew	Suncus murinus	Mammals	7
Malayan	Megisba malaya	Insects	6
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	Birds	5
Lesser Grass Blue	Zizina otis	Insects	4
Cyrba ocellata	Cyrba ocellata	Arachnids	3
Grey Junglefowl	Gallus sonneratii	Birds	3
Brown Palm Civet	Paradoxurus jerdoni	Mammals	3
Ceylon Green Puffer	Dichotomyctere fluviatilis	Fish	2
Booted Eagle	Hieraaetus pennatus	Birds	1
Gray-fronted Green-Pigeon	Treron affinis	Birds	1

Indian Subcontinent

About the Indian Subcontinent

Most-recorded wild species here

Full species checklist

Groups found here

Mammals

Birds

Fish

Reptiles

Amphibians

Insects

Arachnids

Mollusks

Other animals