Predators in India That are Endangered Animals
As in much of the world, India faces diminishing populations of many of its native species. Illegal hunting, habitat loss and other factors of modern life encroach on wildlife and threaten their future.
Among India's best-known species facing mounting threats are its big cats and wildcats. Among the country's feline predators are the Snow Leopard, the Bengal Tiger, the Siberian Tiger and the Fishing Cat.
Beyond the cats, there are few predators listed as endangered in India with the exception of the Asiatic Brown Bear.
Other People Are Reading
-
Bengal Tiger
-
The Bengal Tiger's zoological name is Panthera tigris tigris. The cats can be as long as 9 feet, and males average about 500 lbs. The Bengal's status is highly endangered. The main diet of the Bengal Tiger is deer, antelope, pigs and buffaloes, though sometimes they do eat smaller animals. The greatest threat to the Bengal is illegal hunting and habitat loss.
Asiatic Lion
-
The Asiatic Lion's zoological name is Panthera leo persicus. The cats are up to 9 feet in length and can weigh up to 500 lbs. The lion's status is critically endangered. The Asiatic Lion's diet consists of wild pigs, goats and camels as well as other mammals. The Asiatic Lion, in addition to facing habitat loss and loss of prey, is also hunted by various tribes for its meat.
-
Snow Leopard
-
The snow leopard is also known as Ai Ye Bao and Barfani Chita. Its status is endangered. With a thick coat of gray fur, the Snow Leopard can weigh up to 165 lbs. Its prey includes wild and domestic sheep and goats as well as smaller wildlife such as hares and birds. Its future is questionable because it is hunted for its fur and as a trophy and killed because it is seen as a pest by livestock owners and because it faces habitat loss.
Siberian Tiger
-
The Siberian Tiger, also known as Amba Darla and Babr, is the largest member of the cat family and weighs in at as much as 790 lbs. Its status is endangered. The Siberian Tiger's main dish is deer and wild pigs, but it will also feast upon young elephants, rhinos and smaller wildlife, including monkeys and birds. Poaching of the tiger, the loss of its prey and the loss of habitat threaten its future.
Asiatic Golden Cat
-
The Asiatic Golden Cat, also known as Chat de Temminck, weights about 30 lbs. Its coat is browns and reds or gray. Its status is vulnerable. A nighttime hunter, the Golden Cat eats rats, mice, birds and reptiles, but occasionally will kill larger prey such as deer. The Golden Cat's future is questionable because of habitat loss, loss of prey and illegal hunting.
Clouded Leopard
-
The Clouded Leopard, also known as Engkuli and Harimau Dahan, weighs in at up to 42 lbs. Its coat colors range from gray to yellow. Its status is vulnerable. The Clouded Leopard hunts orangutan, deer, monkeys and porcupine. Deforestation, loss of habitat, loss of prey and hunting threaten its future.
Other Cats
-
The Fishing Cat, also known as Bagh Dasha and Blacan, has a coarse coat of gray or brown with black spots and weighs as much as 35 lbs. The Fishing Cat's diet consists primarily of water creatures, thus its name. These include crabs, frogs, snakes, lizards, birds and fish. Wetland loss, pesticide usage and chemical residue in its food chain threaten its future.
The Marbled Cat, also known as Gato Jaspeado and Kucing Batu, is about the size of a house cat, weighing between 4 and 11 lbs. Living in the tropical rain forest, the Marbled Cat hunts birds and rodents. Deforestation and habitat loss are the major threats to the Marbled Cat.
-
References
- Photo Credit Flickr/Just chaos
