About 200 species of mammals are found in Bangladesh. Among them the famous Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sundarbans is the pride of the country's fauna. Next comes the elephant found in the forests of Chittagong Hill Tracts. Three types of bear are seen namely, the sloth bear, the himalayan black bear and the malayan bear. Six types of deer are found in the Hill Tracts and Sundarbans forests of which the spotted deer, barking deer and Samber are most familiar. Clouded leopard, leopard cat, mongoose, jackal, rhesus monkey etc. are also found. Among the bovine animals three species namely, buffalo, ox and gayal (a bison) are found.
About 750 species of birds are found in the country. Among them are the common house crow, bulbul—a small smokey brown bird, magpie robin, common game birds, cuckoos, hawks, owls, hornbills, kingfishers, wood peckers, vultures etc. A wide variety of warblers are also found of which some are migrants that appear only in winter. Several kinds of mayna birds also occur. There are also crested serpent eagles, ring tailed fishing eagles, herons, hoopoes, storks, ducks, wild geese etc.
There are about 150 species of reptiles of which the sea turtle, river tortoise, mud turtle, crocodiles, gavial, python, krait, cobra etc. are common.
About 200 species of marine and fresh water fishes are found. |
