Table 2.
Animal species recorded and their ethno-zoological usage in Ladakh region, Trans Himalayas, India.
| Scientific Name | English and Local Name | Class Order Family |
Traditional Uses | Medicinal Uses | Previous Use with Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alectoris chukar J. E. Gray, 1830 | Chukar Srakpa |
Aves Galliformes Phasianidae |
Food (meat and eggs), Fun and Sports. | Meat soup is used for the treatment of paralysis | |
| Camelus bactrianus Linnaeus, 1758 | Double-hump camel Nabong |
Mammalia Artiodactyla Camelidae |
Food (meat), Fun and Sports. Used to treat black magic | Meat is used to gain body strength and vitality, also to relieve joint pain. Milk is used as sexual stimulant and antidote. | Meat stew is used to strengthen bones, relieve arthritis, and stiff limbs. Stomach is used to aid digestion, cure liver disease. Hump is believed to contain Qu tonic that softens human skin [34,41] |
| Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 | Tibetan wolf Shanku |
Mammalia Carnivora Canidae |
Medicine (TML), Clothing (fur is used for caps and gloves). | Tongue, stomach, and blood are used to cure inflammation, to increases digestion and treat diabetes, respectively. | Used to cure chicken pox, smallpox, mumps, varicella, asthma, measles, warts, menstrual cramps [42] |
| Capra sibirica Pallas, 1776 | Asiatic Ibex Skin |
Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae |
Food, Agriculture, Aesthetic (horn used for making handles, trophy). | Horns are crushed into powder form mixed with hot water and used against chest infections | Horns are used in traditional medicine [43] |
| Columba rupestris Pallas, 1811 | Pigeon Mukron |
Aves Columbiformes Columbidae |
Food (meat), Medicine (TML). | Dropping are used against inflammation. | Flesh gives physical strength and excreta dries away pus and heal swellings [44] |
| Cuon alpinus Pallas, 1811 | Asiatic wild dog Phara |
Mammalia Carnivora Canidae |
Clothing (fur is used in caps and gloves), Medicine (TML). | Tongue is used to cure ulcers | |
| Equus kiang Moorcroft, 1841 | Wild ass Khyang and Gorkhar |
Mammalia Perissodactyla Equidae |
Medicine, transport | Blood is used in rheumatism and eye disorders. And tongue is used in diarrhea. | Penis is used to enhance the men’s virility [45] |
| Lepus oiostolus Hodgson, 1840 | Hares Ribong |
Mammalia Lagomorpha Leporidae |
Food, Medicine (TML). | Dropping are used to treat skin diseases | |
| Lutra lutra Linnaeus, 1758 | Common Otter Eurasian Otter Chusham |
Mammalia Carnivora Mustelidae |
Medicine (TML) | Liver is used against reproductive disorders | |
|
Lynx lynx Linnaeus, 1758 |
Eurasian lynx Yie |
Mammalia Carnivora Felidae |
Aesthetic (fur), Medicine (TML). | Dried meat is used to overcome body weakness, arthritis. | Used against evil eye’’, arthritis, avoid acne, distend, earache, fever, leishmaniosis, making the child talk; pain in bones, rheumatism, scare, stomachache, wounds [46]. |
| Marmota himalayana Hodgson, 1841 | Marmots Phia |
Mammalia Rodentia Sciuridae |
Food, Medicine (TML). | Liver is used to treat bone disorders. | |
| Ovis ammon Linnaeus, 1758 | Tibetan argali Nyan |
Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae |
Food (meat), Aesthetic (Horns). | Meat is used to overcome protein deficiency in adults | Hunted for their meat and their horns for CTM [47] |
| Ovis aries vignei Blyth, 1841 | Ladakh Urial Shapo |
Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae |
Food (meat), Aesthetic (Horns for homes and shrines). | Meat is used in cough. | |
| Panthera uncia Schreber, 1775 | Snow leopard Shan |
Mammalia Carnivora Felidae |
Social cultural (meat used to protect young ones from black magic), Economic (bones, claws and fur mostly used as a source of income). | Bile is used to treat respiratory disorders; Dry meat is made into amulet to treat body weakness | Nails and Hairs are used to keep away evil spirits [48] |
| Pantholops hodgsonii Abel, 1826 | Tibetan antelope Szos |
Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae |
Clothing (Wool is used for making famous “Shahtoosh”). Aesthetic (Horns), Agriculture (Horns) | Horn is used in childbirth | |
| Procapra picticaudata Hodgson, 1846 | Tibetan gazelle Goa |
Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae |
Food (meat), Aesthetic (Horns). | Horn is used to treat diarrhea | |
| Pseudois nayaur Hodgson, 1833 | Blue sheep Napo |
Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae |
Food (meat), Aesthetic (Horns), Matting (fur) | Horn is used as an antibiotic. And hair is used as poisoning agent. | |
| Tetraogallus himalayensis G. R. Gray, 1843 | Himalayan snow cock Ripja |
Aves Galliformes Phasianidae |
Food (meat), Sometimes domesticated for “fun and sport” or source for eggs. | Meat is used against asthma and cough in children | |
| Tetraogallus tibetanus Gould, 1854 | Tibetan snow cock Ticok |
Aves Galliformes Phasianidae |
Food (meat), Sometimes domesticated for “fun and sport” or source for eggs. | Meat soup is used in the treatment of paralysis. And droppings against inflammation. | |
| Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 | Brown bear Denmo |
Mammalia Carnivora Ursidae |
Medicine (bile and fat), and fur for matting and Aesthetic purposes. | Bile is used to treat pulmonary affliction. Fat is used for treatment of bone and joint pain. | Used to treat liver problem, to improve eyesight in fever fighting, inflammation, swelling and pain reduction. It was also used in the cure of carbuncle of heat type, pyocutaneous diseases and epilepsy [46]. |
| Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758 | Tibetan sand fox Watse |
Mammalia Carnivora Canidae |
Medicine (TML), Clothing (fur is used in caps and gloves). | Lungs are used in lung ulcer, meat is used to over back pain, and rheumatic pain. | Oil is obtained and used against jaundice [43] |