WILDLIFE IN INDIA

WILDLIFE IN INDIA
    Leopards are found in the jungles of the terai, i.e. the Asam-Myanmar border, and in Madhya Pradesh. Hyenas, cheetah and jackals are wide spread in the forests of North India. Elephants are found in the forests of West Bengal, Assam, Madhya                    Pradesh,Kamataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and in the terai regions, i.e. at the foothills of the Himalayas. The one-horned rhinoceros is an endangered species. It is confined to the protected areas of the Kaziranga Forets and Manas National Parks of Assam.       The one-horned rhinocero can also be seen in the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal.
   Various species of birds are also found in India: of which many are striking ones. Cranes, parrots, mynahs, owls, kites, pigeons, doves, bulbuls, crows and honey eaters are the main Indian birds.
   Vultures and kites arc found in large numbers in India. They arc very useful as scavengers. Many migratory birds such as pelicans, Siberian cranes, flamingoes, curlew and storks migrate to India in winters and return home in March. The Bharatpur Bird         Sanctuary in Rajasthan is one of those Indian bird sanctuaries where some of these migratory birds appear in winter.
   Reptiles such as crocodiles and snake like cobra, karait, python and many others are found in India. The Indian forest are also populated with house lizards and chameleons.

  Steps taken to Conserve Natural Vegetation and Wildlife.
  Many steps have been take to conserve national vegetation and wildlife. Biosphere reserves have been set up in various parts of India where wild animals and birds are kept in their natural habitat. Nilgiri at the junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala,    and Nanda Devi in Uttar Pradesh are some such biosphere reserves. India has 86 national parks, 480 wildlife sanctuaries and 35 zoological gardens to protect wildlife. Periodic censuses are being taken to find out the latest position of some rare species so    that they can be preserved for our future generations. The killing of wildlife has been banned by the government. Special Forest Officers have been appointed to catch illegal animal hunters.

Key Words
•    WEATHER : day to day changes in the temperature, pressure, rainfall etc. in the atmosphere.
•    CLIMATE : the average weather patterns in places over many years.
•    ALTITUDE : height above sea level.
•    LAPSE RATE : drop in temperature with increasing altitude — 6°C for 1,000 metres.
•    MONSOON : seasonal winds that originate in tropical sea and bring in rain.
•    Loo : the hot and dry, local winds in summer over the northern plains.
•    OCTOBER HEAT : the period of high humidity after the monsoon rains.
•    RAIN FORESTS : dense forests with close canopy in areas of heavy rainfall.
•    DECIDUOUS TREES : hardwood, broad leaved trees.
•    CONIFEROUS TREES : softwood one shaped trees.
•    ALPINE VEGETATION : vegetation on high altitude (of mountains).
•    TIDAL FORESTS : forests grown in deltas where the fresh water of river mixes up with saline water of sea at the times of high tides.