Flora and Fauna in Nepal have a diverse landscape with altitudes between 70m to 8848m; you can find diverse Flora and Fauna segregated into four zones or regions. According to the altitude and climate, the Zones are Tropical Zone, Subtropical Zone, Temperate Zone, and Subalpine and Alpine Zone. The Subalpine and Alpine zones are higher up in the Himalayas beyond 4000m, with significantly less vegetation and wildlife. However, the Flora and Fauna keep increasing once you get lower into the Temperate, Subtropical, and Tropical Zone.
If you plan on spotting rare and wild Flora and Fauna, Nepal is undoubtedly a perfect destination for you. Traveling all around Nepal, you will encounter various Flora and Fauna depending on the region. To know further, let’s get deep into the Flora and Fauna in Nepal.
Tropical Zone (Up to 1000m)
The Tropical Zone in Nepal is mostly the Terai Flatlands with few hill ranges. The region has a vast abundance of Flora and Fauna. You can see tree species like Sal, Semal, Asna, Dalbergia spp, Pinus Rosburghi, and other species predominantly in the region. The terai forests have other different species, including mimosa, bamboo, jasmine, and acacia reeds. You can see birds like peacocks, black partridge, jungle fowl, and many migrating birds in the region.
The region has a vast population of wildlife with several species. You can find much wildlife like buffaloes, leopards, deer, tigers, Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, elephants, and other animals. Crocodiles and Gangetic dolphins are also found in the rivers of the Tropical zone.
Subtropical Zone(1100m-2400m)
The region covers the Mahabharata range in Nepal, the outer wall of the Himalayan range with green hills and thick luscious forests. You can find plants like Oaks, Orchids, and even Rhododendrons higher up in the region.
You can also find great rivers like Karnali, Narayani, and Sapta Koshi flowing through the Subtropical zone to the terai flatlands.
Although this region has heavy forests, it is poor in Wildlife. However, it is home to some animals like Ghoral, Deer, Bear, and Wild Boar with various species of Birds. You can find plenty of Flora and Fauna as you decline lower into the Subtropical zone.
Temperate Zone(2400-4000m)
The temperate Zone, from an elevation of 2400m to 4000m, has a suitable climate for rhododendron, pine, bamboo, conifers, and maples. As a result, you can see coniferous forests dominating in this zone.
In terms of fauna, you can find the endangered Red Panda, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer, Serow, Ghoral, Wild Boar, and occasionally Himalayan Tahr in the Temperate Zone. If you want to spot a red panda, they are predominantly found in some areas of the forests above 100m. In terms of birds, if you are lucky, you can even get a glimpse of the beautiful national bird, Danfe, and other beautiful pheasants.
Subalpine and Alpine Zone (Beyond 4000m)
When you climb beyond 4000m, you enter Nepal’s Subalpine and Alpine Zone. This region is not as green as other areas and generally covered with ice or snow most of the year. However, you can find rhododendrons in the lower part of the Zone. As you climb higher, Juniper scrub and other woody vegetation are pretty much everything you will find in this zone.
Although there is not much flora in this region, you can find endangered species like Himalayan marmots, Himalayan Tahr, musk deer, Snow Leopard, mouse hare, and occasionally blue sheep. If you get to Dolpa and Humla regions, you can also encounter wild Yak and great Tibetan Sheep. You can also spot birds like Lammergeyer, snow partridge, bunting, and snowcock in altitudes above 4000m.
Putting it Together
With the diverse landscape, there are diverse flora and fauna in Nepal, with different regions home to different plants and wildlife. You will see abundant flora and fauna when traveling to Chitwan National Park or other National parks in Terai. However, when you start climbing up to the Hilly region and travel to Shivapuri National Park or climb higher up to Dolpa, Annapurna, Everest, or any other Himalayan region, the number of flora and fauna will start to decline with an increase in altitude. Once you reach the altitude of 5100-5000m, you might even notice just a few species of animals and the land being all covered by snow and ice.
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