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China is a great country with a vast territory. The diverse climates and landform in China provide diversified habitats suitable for different animal and plant species, and thus make China one of the countries with multi-diversity in the world, ranking eighth in the world and first in the Northern Hemisphere. Statistics show that there are 30,000 species of higher plants in China, accounting for 10% of the world's total and ranking third in the world. Among them, there are 250 species of gymnosperms. There are 6,347 species of vertebrates, accounting for 14% of the world's total, among which there are 1,244 species of birds and 3,862 species of fish, both taking a leading position in the world. Some 667 species of vertebrates are endemic in China including giant panda, golden monkey, white-flag dolphin, Chinese alligator and Père David's deer. There are 17,300 species of endemic higher plants in China such as Cathaya argyrophylla, golden larch and dove tree.  

Table 1.Numbers of animal species of major taxa in China

Ratio of endangered species to the total (%)

Taxa	Species	Endemic Species	Ratio of Endemic Species to the Total      (%)
Mammals	581	110	18.93
Birds	1,244	98	7.88
Reptiles	376	25	6.65
Amphibians	284	30	10.56
Fish	3,862	404	10.46
Total	6,347	667	10.5

Table2. Numbers of plant genera of major taxa in China

Taxa	Genera	Endemic Genera	Ratio of Endemic Genera to the Total (%)
Angiosperms	3,123	246	7.5
Gymnosperms	34	10	29.4
Ferns	224	6	2.3
Mosses	494	13	2.0
Total	3,875	275	10.3

Distribution of Mammalian Species in China

The complex climates and varied types of vegetation in China provide diversified habitats suitable for different animal species. Thus China boasts most rich animal species and quite a few of them are endemic species in China. Animal species in China account for 10.72% of the world's total, some of which are world-level rare animals.

 In Northeast Temperate and Cold Temperate Zones

In Jilin and Liaoning provinces there are reindeer, moose, wolverine, snow hare, ermine, lynx, brown bear, wolf, fox, vole, flying squirrel, squirrel, polecat, badger and so on. Such mammalian species are distributed in the adjacent areas of former Soviet Union, Korea and Japan as pika, sable, Siberian chipmunk, field mouse and Northeast rabbit

 In Warm Temperate Zone of North China

Animal species in Eurasian continental damp climate including roe, goral, Siberian chipmunk, North vole and hamster can be found in North China. Such species are endemic or mainly distributed in this region as greater hamster, brown vole, hedgehog and desman. There are a few animal species in arable areas of Huanghuai Plain, only hamster, zokor, hedgehog and desman included.

 In the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

There are some animal species widely distributed in hills and plains in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. They include pangolin, civet, macaque, golden cat, antelope, squirrel, greater zokor and many kinds of mice. Sambar, Hydropotes inermis, white-flag dolphin and Chinese alligator are endemic animals in this region.

 On Northwest Grassland and Desolate Prairie

Such mammalian species as Mongolian gazelle, Daur pika, Daur suslik, prairie zokor, gerbil, field mouse, marmot, red deer and roe are distributed in Tianshan Mountains. There are varied mice and carnivorous animals such as tiger weasel, steppe cat and corsac living in Gobi desert to the border of Inner Mongolia. In the west desolate prairie there are wild two-humped camel, wild ass, antelope and several kinds of Mongolian gazelles.

 In Southwest Hengduan Mountains

Giant panda and lesser panda are typical mammalian species in this region. Giant pandas are distributed in the central and northern part of Hengduan Mountains and the south slope of Qingling, while lesser pandas are distributed in the whole Hengduan Mountains and the Himalayas as well. In addition, takins, musk deer and flying squirrels are as widely distributed as lesser pandas. In the south slope of the Himalayas are Indian shrew, guenon, red goral and so on. Such species as snow leopard, corsac, goral, blue sheep, argali, Himalayan marmot and Himalayan hamster are widely distributed in this region.

 In the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wild yak, goral and wild ass are major mammalian species in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. White-lip deer, red deer and alpine squirrel are often seen in the alpine coniferous forest or alpine shrubs and marshland. Several kinds of pikas including narrow-head pika and chuanxi pika are endemic in this plateau.

 In Tropical and Subtropical Zones of South China

The representative mammalian species in South China include gibbon, sloth monkey, Assamese macaque, leaf monkey, Asiatic elephant, binturong, zibet and hog deer. Some of them are indigenous to the south of Yunnan Province.