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The vividness of India's climate and topography is reflected in its rich flora and fauna. India is renowned for its tigers, elephants and rhinoceros. There are many more, about 500 species of mammals living in the country. They include, elephants,
deer, chinkaras, black bucks, chowsinghas, blue bulls, wild buffaloes, massive Indian
bison, striped hyenas, wild pigs, jackals, mongooses, squirrels, leopards, panthers, various monkeys, etc.
India is also blessed with over 2000 species of birds. Some of them are large hornbills, serpent eagles, fishing owls, peacocks, cranes, pelicans, storks, ibises etc.
Among the other wildlife species of reptiles and amphibians includes magnificent king cobras, pythons, crocodiles, large fresh water tortoises and a variety of lizards. There are also immense variety of insect species including spectacularly large and colorful butterflies.
The vegetation from dry desert scrub to alpine meadow, comprises some 15,000 species of plants.
 Often the Indian Wild life sanctuaries or National Parks are renowned for one or two creatures in particular, such as
Asian lions in Gir forest of Gujarat, Indian rhinoceros in
Kaziranga of Assam, elephants in Periyar of
Kerala, tigers in
Kanha and Corbett sanctuaries of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh respectively. There are many more sanctuaries like
Vedanthangal Water Bird Sanctuary of Tamilnadu, Little
Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary comprising wild
ass, wolf, caracal and desert wild life, Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary including flamingoes, migratory water birds etc of Gujarat state, Valley of Flowers National Park treasuring mountain flowers of Uttar Pradesh etc. Other areas have been established to preserve unique habitats such as lowland tropical rain forest or the mangrove forest of the
Sunderbans.
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