Animal Info - China

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in China and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.

Critically Endangered:
- Baiji (中国江豚) (Lipotes vexillifer). (Endemic to China.)
- Cat Ba Island Golden-headed Langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus).
- Cheng's Jird (Meriones chengi). (Endemic to China.)
- Gansu Shrew (Sorex cansulus). (Endemic to China.)
- Helan Shan Pika (Ochotona helanshanensis). (Endemic to China.)
- Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus). (May be extinct here.)
- Kozlov's Shrew (Sorex kozlovi). (Endemic to China.)
- Pere David's Deer (Elaphurus davidianus). (Re-introduced.) (Endemic to China.)
- Przewalski's Gazelle (Procapra przewalskii). (Endemic to China.)
- Salenski's Shrew (Soriculus salenskii). (Endemic to China.)
- Wild Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus).
Endangered:
- Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus).
- Black Gibbon (Nomascus concolor). (Previously listed as Hylobates concolor.)
- Capped Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus pileatus).
- Chinese Dormouse (Dryomys sichuanensis). (Endemic to China.)
- Chinese Shrew-Mole (Uropsilus soricipes). (Endemic to China.)
- Chiru (Tibetan Antelope) (Pantholops hodgsonii).
- Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel (Trogopterus xanthipes). (Endemic to China.)
- Dwarf Blue Sheep (Pseudois schaeferi).
- Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).
- Greater Stripe-backed Shrew (Sorex cylindricauda). (Endemic to China.)
- Guizhou (or Gray) Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi). (Endemic to China.)
- Hainan Gymnure (Hylomys hainanensis). (Endemic to China.)
- Hoolock Gibbon (Bunipithecus hoolock).
- Inquisitive Shrew-Mole (Uropsilus investigator). (Endemic to China.)
- Koslov's Pika (Ochotona koslowi). (Endemic to China.)
- Long-eared Jerboa (Euchoreutes naso).
- Long-tailed Birch Mouse (Sicista caudata).
- Northern Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis).
- Particolored Flying Squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger).
- Red Panda (Lesser Panda) (Ailurus fulgens).
- Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia).
- Tiger (Panthera tigris).
- Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti). (Endemic to China.)
Vulnerable:
- Anderson's Squirrel (Callosciurus quinquestriatus).
- Argali (Ovis ammon).
- Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus).
- Asiatic Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii).
- Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus hemionus).
- Assamese Macaque (Macaca assamensis).
- Back-striped Weasel (Mustela strigidorsa).
- Black Muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons). (Endemic to China.)
- Chinese Jumping Mouse (Eozapus setchuanus). (Endemic to China.)
- Chinese Mountain Cat (Felis bieti). (Endemic to China.)
- Chinese Zokor (Mole-rat) (Myospalax fontanierii). (Endemic to China.)
- Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa).
- Common Otter (Lutra lutra).
- Dhole (Cuon alpinus).
- Dugong (Dugong dugon).
- Dusky Shrew (Sorex sinalis). (Endemic to China.)
- Eld's Deer (Cervus eldi).
- Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus).
- Five-toed Pygmy Jerboa (Cardiocranius paradoxus).
- Forrest's Rock Squirrel (Sciurotamias forresti). (Endemic to China.)
- Francois' Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus francoisi).
- Gaur (Bos frontalis).
- Golden Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana).
- Hainan Hare (Lepus hainanus). (Endemic to China.)
- Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena).
- Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus).
- Hugh's Hedgehog (Mesechinus hughi). (Endemic to China.)
- Ili Pika (Ochotona iliensis). (Endemic to China.)
- Irrawaddy Squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus).
- King Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus rex). (Endemic to China.)
- Long-tailed Goral (Naemorhedus caudatus).
- Mainland Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).
- Malayan Porcupine (Hystrix brachyura).
- Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata).
- Owston's Palm Civet (Chrotogale owstoni).
- Pond Bat (Myotis dasycneme).
- Pygmy Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus).
- Red Climbing Mouse (Vernaya fulva).
- Red Goral (Naemorhedus baileyi).
- Siberian Musk Deer (Moschus moschiferus).
- Sikkim Rat (Rattus sikkimensis).
- *Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata). (Previously listed as Lutra perspicillata.)
- Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon).
- Stumptail Macaque (Macaca arctoides).
- Takin (Budorcas taxicolor).
- Thick-tailed Pygmy Jerboa (Salpingotus crassicauda).
- White-lipped Deer (Thorold's Deer) (Cervus albirostris). (Endemic to China.)
- Wild Yak (Bos grunniens).
Other:
- Fea's Muntjac (Muntiacus feae). (Rated Endangered in the 1994 Red List; rated Data Deficient in the 1996 and 2000 Red Lists.)

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 394 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 77 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996: 75 (19 % of total species) (IUCN 1996); 2000: 78 (20 % of total species) (IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

China contains the Southeast China Subtropical Forests, Hainan Island Forests, Central China Temperate Forests, Yangtze River & Lakes, and Yunnan Lakes & Streams Global 200 Ecoregions as well as portions of the Northern Indochina Subtropical Moist Forests, Russian Far East Temperate Forests, Altai-Sayan Montane Forests, Middle Asian Mountains Temperate Forests, Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf & Conifer Forests, Eastern Himalayan Alpine Meadows, Tibetan Plateau Steppe, Daurian Steppe, Russian Far East Rivers & Wetlands, Mekong & Salween Rivers, and the Yellow Sea & East China Sea Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)
China is a Megadiversity Country (Cons. Intl. 1999b)

Population

Population in 1995: 1,218,800,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 127.0 people/sq km (328.9 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 1,236,914,658 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 1.4 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 9,596,961 sq km (3,705,407 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

Other Coastal Aquatic: 1 %
Major Wetland: 1 %
Desert and Semi-desert: 14 %
Polar and Alpine: 22 %
Grass and Shrub: 21 %
Crop and Settlements: 17 %
Interrupted Woods: 5 %
Major Forests: 18 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 32 %; Medium: 35 %; High: 33 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 283,580 sq km (109,462 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 0.01 % totally protected; 2.94 % partially protected; 2.95 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GNP ($ U.S.) (1991): $364 (WRI 1994)
Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $2,800 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent of females in secondary education (1989): 38 % (World Bank 1992)
Percent adult literacy: Female: 62 % (1990); Male: 84 % (1990) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Cons. Intl. 1999b, Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2003a, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for China): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles

Links for China (in English unless otherwise specified): China.org, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment & Development, China Daily Newspaper, China Insight - Information Network, China List, China News Digest (Chinese/中文 and English), Chinese Biodiversity Information Center - Zoological Division, Chinese Environmental Laws and Regulations, Science Museums of China (Chinese/中文 and English), The Nature Conservancy - China, Wildlife Conservation Society - China (Chinese/中文 and English), World Wide Web Virtual Library - China, World Wildlife Fund/WWF - China (Chinese/中文 and English), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - Hong Kong (Chinese/中文 and English), Yangtze Valley Water Resources Protection Bureau (Chinese/中文, English)

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Last modified: August 2, 2006;