9 rare animals in the land of the gods

India is not only famous for its magnificent temples worshiping Hindu and Muslim gods but also home to many of the world's rarest animals.

The world's rarest animals in India

1. Indian giant flying squirrel

This unique animal lives on trees and is only visible at night.As the name suggests, they have folds on the skin that can stretch between the forelimbs and the back limbs, allowing them to fly smoothly through the canopy.Hunting and devastating habitats are causing a rapid decline in flying squirrels in India.(Photo: Dong Lei / NPL.)

2. Ganges dolphins

The Ganges dolphin, also known as Susu, lives in one of the world's most populated areas with less than 2,000 children.They have an elongated beak that is easy to identify with sharp teeth.Concentrated in dark estuaries year-round, the eyes of this dolphin are small, almost useless.They can sense the light intensity and direction but do not distinguish the shape.(Photo: Roland Seitre / NPL.)

3. Asian hornets

India is home to the world's largest wasps.The 5 cm-long Asian wasps, which live along southeastern Asia and are the culprits for the deaths of many people.The venom produced by them can dissolve tissues in the human body.(Photo: t-mizo / CC by 2.0.)

4. Indian black scorpion

With an average length of 10 cm, the Indian black scorpion is among the largest scorpion species in nature.One study has shown that the venom of this species contains anticancer agents.Indian red scorpions, their relatives, are often considered the most dangerous scorpions in the world.(Photo: Jayendra Chiplunkar / CC by 2.0.)

5. Giant water beetle

Giant water beetles are among the largest beetles in the world.They live in the northern Indian plains, around the Ganga and Gandal rivers.Adults are usually longer than 8 cm and very painful.They are prey of vertebrate animals such as fish, amphibians, snakes and baby turtles.(Photo: Andrew Butko / CC by 3.0.)

6. Whale sharks

This is the largest fish in the world.They live in warm and tropical seas (except the Mediterranean) and often wander off the coast of India, where they are protected.Despite its size, whale sharks have a smaller liver than most other sharks.(Photo: wplyn / CC by 2.0.)

7. Spotted cat Rusty

India is home to many world-famous cats like Bengal tiger, Asian lion, snow leopard and jaguar.It is also home to small cats like bobcat, wild cat and desert cat.Rusty spotted cats live in India and Sri Lanka in the smallest of the wild cats with smaller sizes than a regular tabby cat.(Photo: Edwin Giesbers / NPL.)

8. Red panda

Red pandas are scattered in the eastern Himalayas.Having a small and cute shape, the red pandas have been confusing for scientists for a long time because they cannot determine which species they belong to.Red panda is a herbivore.They mainly eat leaves, bamboo shoots and fruits.(Photo: Dr Axel Gebauer / NPL.)

9. Crocodile Gharial

Possessing the most impressive form of all crocodiles, Gharial has long jaws with razor-sharp teeth.The males use a bulging nose to produce crowing sounds to attract females and warn the enemies.They can be up to 6 meters long.In 1970, this species only had about 200 left in the wild.In 1975, the Indian government created a program to protect the gharial crocodile.(Photo: Rate Every Animal.)