Archive · 19 Sep 2026
New guide documents 454 mammal species found in India
Mammals of India is a very large book about the mammals that live in India.
It describes 454 species, including elephants, tigers, bats and aquatic mammals.
The book explains where these animals live, what they eat and how their bodies work.
It also uses maps and drawings to help readers identify them.
Scientists AJT Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer wrote the guide.
Johnsingh died in June 2024 after a long career studying wildlife.
The book gives special attention to bats, of which India has 135 species.
It also explains dangers to animals and suggests ways to protect them.
The guide describes how changes to Earth’s climate and land shaped India’s mammal diversity.
Mammals of India is an 800-plus-page guide covering 454 terrestrial and aquatic mammal species.
The book was written by wildlife biologists AJT Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer, with maps by Raghunath Rangaswamy and illustrations by Chirag Thumbar.
It combines taxonomic, ecological and biological information with distribution maps, historical research and conservation recommendations.
The guide identifies 135 bat species in India and highlights threats including habitat loss, pollution, climate change and disturbance of roosting sites.
The book traces mammal evolution in India and discusses the conservation challenges facing elephants, tigers, bears, leopards and other species.
- Who
- Wildlife biologists AJT Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer wrote the guide, with maps by Raghunath Rangaswamy and illustrations by Chirag Thumbar.
- What
- Mammals of India is an 800-plus-page reference guide to 454 mammal species found in India.
- When
- The book’s origins date to 2018; AJT Johnsingh died in June 2024.
- Where
- The guide focuses on mammals found across India’s varied biogeographic zones, including the Himalayas and Western Ghats.
- Why
- It was created to provide updated information on India’s mammals and outline conservation challenges and recommendations.
- Book
- Mammals of India
- Species covered
- 454 mammalian species
- Length
- More than 800 pages
- Bat species
- 135 species found in India
- Authors
- AJT Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer
- Maps and illustrations
- Maps by Raghunath Rangaswamy; illustrations by Chirag Thumbar
- Origins
- The project began in 2018 as an idea for an updated version of The Book of Indian Animals, before becoming an independent volume.