N
S
W E
Location
Indian forests stretch from
the Himalayan mountains
south to the Indian Ocean.
The weather here is hot or
warm most of the year.
HABITAT KEY
Wetlands
Mountains
Cold desert
Sloth bear
The shy sloth bear digs
ants and termites with its
long, curved claws. As it
laps them up, its loud
slurping can be heard from
several miles away.
New Delhi
Indian cobra The Indian giant hornet’s bright
orange color makes it easy to spot.
Indian giant hornet
The giant hornet is the world’s
largest—and probably angriest—
wasp. It grows up to 2 in (5 cm)
long and will sting anything that
even slightly disturbs its nest.
Bengal tiger
Asian elephant
Partridges run rather than fly
away when threatened.
200 kilometers
200 miles
The cobra hunts lizards,
rodents, and frogs. Venom
from its bite stops its prey
from being able to move.
This tiger’s canine
teeth (fangs) grow up
to 4 in (10 cm) long.
Asia’s largest land mammal
is much smaller than its African
cousin. It spends three-quarters
of its day eating plants.
INDIA
SRI
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PAKISTAN
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Male gazelles have
“air-cushion” fights—
they charge at each
other but stop just
before they crash.
Indian grey
mongoose
Mongooses kill
scorpions by throwing
them against a hard
surface until they crack.
Indian giant
squirrel
The giant squirrel
builds nests in trees
that are the same size
as eagles’ nests.
Indian
peafowl
Male peafowl are
called peacocks.
They use their bright,
eyespotted feathers
to attract mates.
Indian rhinoceros
The Indian rhino’s
horn grows to
2 ft (60 cm) long.
It’s made from
keratin—just
like our hair.
Ganges
Yamuna
Krishna
Narmada
Ganges
Go
davani
SCALE
200 kilometers
0
0
200 miles
Indian forests
India’s forests can be wet or dry, but all are warm
and tropical. Many trees have broad leaves that
they lose in the dry season. For animals, the forests
provide food and shelter. However, since trees are cut
down for wood or to make farmland, animals like
the Bengal tiger have fewer places to live.
Colombo
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Coniferous
forests
Deciduous
forests
Tropical
forests
HABITAT KEY
Deciduous
forests
Hot desert
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