Zoogeographical Regions

Zoogeographical Regions

• It is an area which has unique fauna.

• An area have endemic species of animals.

• An area have specific group of animal.

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 Zoogeographical regions
Introduction
Many attempts have been made to classify the earth into
different regions:
P.L. Sclater (1858) is the first person who divides the earth
into six Zoogeographical Regions on the basis of bird
distribution.
1. Palearctic
2. Ethiopian
3. Indian
4. Australian
5. Nearctic
6. Neotropical

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Six Zoogeographical Regions
Sclater grouped the regions into two main realms.

Palaeogaea: Palearctic, Ethiopian, Indian and Australian.

Neogaea: Nearctic and Neotropical.

Huxley (1868) proposed the division of the earth
into two primary divisions:

Arctogaea – Northern region (Nearctic,

Palaearctic, Ethiopian and Indian).

Notogaea – Southern region (Neotropical and

Australasian, New Zealand).
• A.R. Wallace in 1876 divided the surface of earth in six
zoogeographical regions, based on the mammal
distribution.
– Abundant mammalian fossil.
– World wide Distribution.
– Limited means of dispersals.
– Accurately identified.
• He followed the same classification as that of P. L.
Sclater but he introduced the Oriental region instead of
Indian region.
Each region is further divided into four sub-divisions.

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Palaearctic Region – 4 sub regions
1. European
2. Mediterranean
3. Manchurian
4. Siberian

Ethiopian Region – 4 sub regions

1. East African
2. West African
3. South African
4. Malagassy

Oriental Region – 4 sub regions

• Indian
2. Ceylon
3. Indo-China
4. Indo-Malayan
Nearctic Region – 4 sub regions
1. California 
2. Rocky mountain
3. Alleghasy
4. Canadian 
Neotropical Region - 4 sub- regions
1. Chillian
2. Brezelian
3. Mexicon
4. West Indies
Australian Region – 4 sub regions
1. Australian
2. Austromalayan
3. Polynesian
4. New Zealand
 Dr. Heliprin (1887) suggested the union of Nearctic and
Palearctic region into a huge Holarctic realm. This is due
to similarity of the flora and fauna.
He grouped into five divisions:
1. Holarctic (Nearctic and Palearctic regions)
2. Ethiopian
3. Oriental
4. Australian
5. Neotropical

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Palaearctic Region
Europe, Asia, North of Himalayas and Northern parts
of Africa.

Ethiopian Region
Africa, Sahara desert, Southern part of Arabia,
Madagascar Island are included.

Oriental Region
Indian sub-continent, Ceylon, Burma, Philippines, China,
the North of this region Himalayas are present.
Nearctic Region
The region above the tropics of North America is the
Nearctic region. Towards north it includes New found
land, the Arctic Archipelago and Greenland.

Neotropical Region
This region includes S. America, Central America,
Mexico and West Indies.

Australian Region
Australian region contains Australia, Newzealand, New
Guinea and nearby Islands in the Pacific ocean
Walice.
Six Zoogeographical Regions.