Mammal · Cats
Meet the tiger
India holds around three-quarters of the world's wild tigers, from the mangroves of the Sundarbans to the dry forests of Rajasthan.
Meet the tiger
Mammal · Elephants
Asian elephant
Most of the world's Asian elephants live in India, moving between forests along corridors that are older than any road.
Meet the elephant
Mammal · Rhinos
One-horned rhino
Brought back from fewer than 200 animals a century ago, the rhinos of Kaziranga's floodplain grasslands are one of Asia's great recoveries.
Meet the rhino
Mammal · Bears
Sloth bear
A termite specialist with a shaggy coat and a vacuum-like snout; mothers carry their cubs on their backs for months.
Meet the sloth bear
Bird · Hornbills
Great hornbill
The giant of the Western Ghats and northeast forests, whose wingbeats can be heard long before the bird is seen.
Meet the hornbill
Reptile · Crocodiles
Gharial
A slender-snouted fish-eater of fast rivers, now found almost only in India, with the Chambal river as its stronghold.
Meet the gharial3,000+ mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians
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Iconic species
All species ›Found only in India
Where to see them
All places ›Help us picture every species
Many of India's species still have no photo in this guide. If you have a good, openly licensed photo of one, we would love to use it, with credit.