Fauna of Palaearctic Region

Palaearctic Region Fauna

Introduction

The  Palaearctic is one of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth and this biogeographical realms have many divisions which are based on the classification of the animals living in the terestrial environment. Firstly it was used in the 19th century, and is still in use as the basis for zoogeographic classification. This region is the biggest region of the eighth realms. This region includes Europe, Russia up to pacific coast and Mediterranean up to Sahara. In the north climate is temperate. Eastern Asia is temperate and it has many deciduous forests. In northern zone there are many grasslands and interior portion is arid.

                                  

Charactersitics and Classification

Mammals:

• ·       There are representative 28 families of land mammals except of bat families in palaearctic region.
• ·       This region has not any large spectacular mammals. There are moles, shrews, rabbits, hedgehogs, squirrils, bears, cats, dogs, oxen, deers, donkeys, camels, pocupines(largest rodents with sharp spines on the body that protects them fom the predators and harmful animals).
• ·     The two families of the mammals that are unique to the palaearctic region are both of rodents mole rat (Spalacidae) and Camel (Seleviniidae), dormice( small rodents with furr and resembles with the mouse but are not mouse).

 Animals that are restricted to the Old World include hedge hog(spiny mammals and can be harmful because their squills can penetrate the skin and cause harm), porcupine, civets, giant panda (Ailuropoda), hyena and pigs.

                                                      

Birds:

There are 53 families of birds most of which are migratory. All birds have wide distribution and are shared with Nearctic, Oriental and African regions, e.g. Hawks, ducks, storks, cukoons, kingfisher, swifts, swallow, blackbird, pheasants, wrens, finches, warblers, sea birds, geese, birds of prey, cranes, terns, gulls etc.

Restricted bird: Hedge sparrow and parrots are restricted to this region.

 Reptiles:

The fauna is characterized by turtles, tortoise, Lizard and snakes. There is alligator in china. No family is confined to this region. Many reptile species are present in this region.

Amphibians:

There are common newts, crested newt (Triton), Spanish newt and alpine newt. The colourless Proteus is blind and lives in European caves. There are European salamanders, Salamandra  and a species of giant salamander in Japan and China that attains a length of over 5 feet. This slamandra is one of the biggest specie in amphibians which is present in this region.

Anurans are represented by frogs, toads, tree frogs.

Affinities

·         The vertebrate fauna is not very rich and presents a complex of old world tropical families and temperate new world faunaof palaearctic mammals, rabbits, murids, dogs and bats families in worldwide distribution.

·         There are  shrews, squirrels, mustelids and mambers of cat families in every region except Australia. It shares beavers, wolves, reindeers, otters with nearctics.

·         Some of the families such as hedgehogs, porcupines, hyenas, pigs and antelopes are confines to old world. The camel family is only the mammals family found in palaearctic region has discontinuous distribution. The relatives of camels vicunas and guanacos live in neotropical region.