Flora and Fauna

Physiography, geology, climate, and precipitation are responsible for deciding the types of vegetation and habitats of wild animals in a wildlife ecosystem.  The tiger reserve supports a wide range of floral and faunal biodiversity, including trees, shrubs, grass, mammals, birds, reptiles and the lesser life forms.

Kanha is a repository of around 850 species of 10 varieties of Angiosperms belonging to 506 genera and 134 families, and 22 species of Pteridophyte belonging to 14 genera and 14 families.  The above floral diversity also includes 2 species of Gymnosperm belonging to 2 genera and 2 families.  The above flora of the also includes around 50 species of aquatic plants and 18 species of rare plants.  Besides tigers, leopards and wild dogs, Kanha is also renowned for thousands of ungulates of at least 9 major species: chital (Axis axis), sambar (Cervus unicolor), barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii branderi), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis), gaur (Bos gaurus), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), wild pig (Sus scrofa), and the recently reintroduced blackbuck. There are over 325 species of birds, 18 species of lesser mammals, 39 of reptiles, around 500 of insects, 114 of spiders and around 150 species of butterflies. Camera-traps have also captured some uncommonly sighted species such as the mouse deer, rusty spotted cat and small Indian civet etc. The heterogeneity of habitats influences the local distribution of mammals. The presence of the mosaics of meadows within the woodland, being large expanses of herbage availability, also has a bearing on the concentrations of herbivores.

Apart from the above two endangered species, some other wildlife species of different status as per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2010.2 and the Schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, are as under: