Melursus ursinus Shaw, 1791 - Sloth Bear

It is sometimes called as Labiated Bear due to its long lower lip and pallate, though it is never used/recognized as an alternative name. There are two subspecies recognized viz. "Indian" Sloth Bear M. u. ursinus and "Sri Lankan" Sloth Bear M. u. inornatus. There are taxonomic disputes over putting this species under Ursinus or Melursinus.

Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 - Himalayan Brown Bear

Brown Bear has very wide distribution in palearctic and nearctic reagion. There are as many as 16 extant subspecies and 5 extinct subspecies. Ursus arctos isabellinus precisely is the subspecies to be called as Himalayan Brown Bear.


This species is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).

 

Cuon alpinus Pallas, 1811 - Asiatic Wild Dog

It is also known as Dhole or Indian Wild Dog. There are seven subspecies recognized namely: C. a. alpinus, C. a. adjustus, C. a. fumosus, C. a. hesperius, C. a. laniger, C. a. lepturus, C. a. sumatrensis. Nevertheless, in the absence of enough molecular and morphological evidences this subspecies recognition is debated.

Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 - Grey Wolf

Grey wolf Canis lupus has wide distribution in Eurasia and N. America. There are several subspecies of this species of which Indian wolf Canis lupus pallipes and Mongolian Wolf/Himalayan Wolf Canis lupus chanco are distributed in India. There still exists an open debate over species recognition of these two subspecies. Some taxonomists consider them as subspecies under Canis lupus (as represented here) owing to lack of enough molecular and morphological studies to elevate it to individual separate species.

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