Asian Animals

The fauna of Asia includes animals living in the continent as well as the islands, seas, and oceans (Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea) surrounding it. The diverse habitats in Asia, from mountains to plateaus, plains to deserts, and variations in altitude, temperature, and rainfall make it home to various wildlife.

Fauna in Asia started from the Mesozoic Era or the Age of Reptiles (as alternately called) after the Laurasian supercontinent segregated from Gondwana.

Of the several zoogeographic regions encompassing Asia, the common ones include the European-Siberian area, where animals like the Siberian roe deer and moose are found. The Mediterranean Basin, a part of which is bordered by southwestern Asia, has around 13,000 species of plants and animals. The Middle-East desert region that includes the Arabian Desert has species like oryx, gazelles, spiny-tailed lizards, and sand cats. The Indochina area covering a significant part of Southeast Asia, including countries like Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia, has over 500 mammals, 1300 birds, 500 reptiles, and 300 amphibians.

The other regions in Asia, home to different animals, birds, reptiles, and insects, include Central Asia, West Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Philippines, and Sunda Shelf.

List of Animals Living in Asia

Here is a list of some of the mammals, reptiles, birds, and insects native to Asia.

Mammals

Alai Mole Vole
Asian Elephant
Asian Golden Cat
Asian Palm Civet
Asiatic Black Bear
Asiatic Brush-Tailed Porcupine
Asiatic Cheetah
Asiatic Lion
Baiji
Beluga Whale
Bengal Tiger
Bharal
Binturong
Blackbuck
Bornean Orangutan
Bornean Smooth-tailed Treeshrew
Borneo Elephant
Brown Bear
Burmese Ferret-badger
Caracal
Clouded Leopard
Colugo
Colugos
Crab-eating Macaque
Dugong
Eastern Black-crested Gibbon
Four-horned Antelope
Gaur
Giant Panda
Great Gerbil
Great Jerboa
Honey Badger
Indian Elephant
Indian Rhino
Indochinese Tiger
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Japanese Macaque
Javan Mongoose
Javan Rhino
Kting Voar
Lar Gibbon
Malayan Tapir
Malayan Tiger
Markhor
Moose
Mountain Treeshrew
Narwhal
Nicobar Treeshrew
Northern Smooth-tailed Treeshrew
Palawan Treeshrew
Polar Bear
Proboscis Monkey
Przewalski’s Horse
Red Fox
Red Panda
Rhesus Macaque
Sambar
Siamang
Siberian Roe Deer
Sloth Bear
Slow Loris
Snow Leopard
South China Tiger
Sperm Whale
Sumatran Tiger
Sumatran Orangutan
Sun Bear
Sunda Pangolin
Tapanuli Orangutan
Tibetan Antelope
Water Buffalo
Wild Bactrian Camel
Wild Boar
Yak

Reptiles

Andamans Krait
Arakan Forest Turtle
Asian Brown Tortoise
Asian Grass Lizard
Asian Leaf Turtle
Asian Pipe Snake
Assam Roofed Turtle
Banded Krait
Bengal Monitor
Blood Python
Brahminy Blind Snake
Brown Roofed Turtle
Burmese Python
Central Asian Tortoise
Cochin Forest Cane Turtle
Common Indian Krait
Common Krait
Common Sand Boa
Crowned River Turtle
Desert Monitor
Draco Lizard
Earless Monitor Lizard
False Gharial
Flatback Turtle
Gharial
Goalpara Grass Lizard
Greater Black Krait
Green Turtle
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Hump-nosed Pit Viper
Impressed Tortoise
Indian Black Turtle
Indian Cobra
Indian Earth Snake
Indian Eyed Turtle
Indian Rock Python
Indian Roofed Turtle
Indian Star Tortoise
Indian Tent Turtle
Java Grass Lizard
Keeled Box Turtle
Keeled Box Turtle
King Cobra
Komodo Dragon
Lesser Black Krait
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Malayan Box Turtle
Malayan Flat-shelled Turtle
Mugger Crocodile
Northeastern Hill Krait
Ocellated Shieldtail
Oldham’s Leaf Turtle
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Painted Roofed Turtle
Phipson’s Shieldtail
Red Sand Boa
Red-lined Earth Snake
Red-spotted Earth Snake
Reticulated Python
Russian Tortoise
Saltwater Crocodile
Shieldtail Earth Snake
Sindh Krait
Small-spotted Lizard
Southern Earth Snake
Spotted Pond Turtle
Sri Lankan Krait
Sri Lankan Pipe Snake
Three-striped Roofed Turtle
Travancore Tortoise
Tricarinate Hill Turtle
Water Monitor
Woodmason’s Earth Snake
Yellow Monitor

Birds

Andaman Teal
Arabian Ostrich
Bald Eagle
Cinereous Vulture
Common Ostrich
Dwarf Cassowary
Golden Eagle
Great Hornbill
Greater Flamingo
Green-winged Teal
Grey-headed Fish eagle
House Sparrow
Indian Peafowl
Magpie Goose
Negros Fruit Dove
Osprey
Painted Stork
Peregrine Falcon
Philippine Eagle
Red-crowned Crane
Sunda Teal
White-bellied Heron
Zebra Dove

Insects

Asian Giant Hornet
Atlas Beetle
Cream-spot Ladybird,
Dark Blue Tiger Butterfly
Strawberry Blossom Weevil

Invertebrates

Fattail Scorpion
Giant Squid
Kinabalu Giant Red Leech

Fish

Golden Dottyback
Mekong Giant Catfish
Ribbon Eel
Siberian Taimen

FAQs

Q. Which animals are endemic to Southeast Asia?

A. Malayan tiger, Sumatran orangutan, Javan rhino, Philippine eagle, Burmese Ferret-badger

Q. Which animals are found in Central Asia?

A. Bactrian camel, alai mole vole, great gerbil, great jerboa

Q. Which animals are found in the Asian rainforest?

A. Sun bear, clouded leopard, proboscis monkey

Q. Which are the endangered animals in Asia?

A. South China tiger, Sunda pangolin, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran orangutan, White-bellied heron

Q. Which are the unique animals of Asia?

A. Proboscis monkey, draco lizard, Sunda pangolin, gharial, Malayan tapir

Subscribe our newsletter

Enter your email here to stay updated with the animal kingdom