Palaearctic region

Geographical boundary:

Europe, Africa north to tropics of cancer, Asia north to Himalaya and Nan ling range of China.

Climatic condition:

Extreme cold of Siberia and extreme hot of Sahara are are characteristic climate of this region.

Ecological condition:

Deciduous forest, large grassland, corniferous forest and mixed forest. Tundra area also present in this region.

Characteristics vertebrate fauna:

sticklebacks

Salmon

1. Fish: Carp, Salmon, Pike, Sticklebacks are common in freshwater in this region.

Siren

Amphuma

Hyla

Proteus

2. Amphibia: Rich and contained a large number of tailed amphibians. These are Necturus, Siren, Amphiuma and Proteus. The tailless amphibians including genera Rana, Hyla, Bufo and Rhacophorus are wide spread.

Asian pit viper

Testudo

Chinese Alligator

Trionyx

3. Reptiles: The reptilian fauna is not very rich and there is not even are single genus, which could be described as endemic or exclusive. True vipers and Asian pit vipers and colubrids are only snakes found in palaearctic region. But in the southern edge of palaearctic region are found Testudo, Trionyx of eastern Asia, Alligator of China, Chameleon, Varanus, Typhlops and Sand boas.

4. Birds: Represented by 53 families, out of which 17 more or less widely distributed, while rest are migratory. These are grebes, loons, kingfisher, swallowes, finches, cuckoos, ducks, herons, woodpecker etc.

Grebes

loons

Swallow

Heron

Hedge sparrow family are exclusively palaearctic and loons, creepers are holoarctic.

hedgehog

otter

beaver

mustelids

caribou

panda

5. Mammals: Mammals in palaearctic region are represented by 33 families, but only 2 families of mammals are endemic. The important mammalian fauna includes beavers, moles, hedgehogs, pandas, pigs, squirrels, rabbit, mice, mustelids, dog, deer, and cat families.

moose

The mammalian fauna overlapping with Nearctic region

Beaver, Otter, bear, wolf, reindeer(Caribou), elk(moose) and red deer.

Distribution of mammalian fauna in Palaearctic region

walrus

Northern margin: Arctic fox, Polar bear, Arctic hare, seal, walrus.

lynx

Coniferous forest: moose, lynx, wolf

Deciduous forest: bear,boars, deer, fox, squirells, hedgehogs and many other burrowing creatures.

Steppe and semidesert areas: ass, horse, camels, sheep, goat, antelope, gazelle, jackal, fox.

Tibetan area: yak

yak

SUBREGION

The palaearctic region has 4 subregion:
1. European subregion
2. Mediterranean subregion
3. Siberian subregion
4. Manchurian subregion

1. European subregion:

Geographical limit: Central Europe, Black sea and Caucasus.

galemys(now called Myogale)

wagtails

thrushes

Characteristic fauna: It includes 85 families of terrestrial vertebrates. Only one genus of mammals Myogale is endemic. Tits, thrushes, wagtails among birds and wolf, hedgehogs, shrews and moles among mammals are very common.

2. Mediterranean subregion:

Geographical limit: It includes remaining parts of europe, all the African and Arabian portions, Asia minor, Persia, Afghanistan and Baluchistan.

upupa

elephant Shrew

civet

hyrax

pastor

Characteristic fauna: Richest part of the Palaearctic region, comprising about 124 families of vertebrates.Upupa and Pastor among the birds and elephant shrew, civet, haena, hyrax and porcupine among mammals are very common.

3. Siberian region

Geographical limit: Northern Asia north to himalayas.

Musk Deer

Phoca sibirica

Characteristic fauna: Vertebrates fauna comprises of 94 families, of which families of yak, musk deer and mole are exclusively confined to this subregion. Phoca sibirica(fresh water seal found in Baikal lake)  is another characteristic fauna from this region.

4. Manchurian subregion:

Geographical limit: Mongolia, Japan, Korea and Manchuria

tibetan langur

Chinese water deer

tufted deer

Characteristic fauna: Its fauna is rich and varied with 120 families and a number of peculiar forms. Tibetan Langur (Rhinopithecus), great panda (Ailuropus), Chinese water-deer(Hydropotes), and tufted deer(Elaphodus) are represented in this region only.