# Cholistan Wildlife Sanctuary

Cholistan Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Punjab, Pakistan. It comprises 2.6 million hectares.

## Topography

This desert can be classified into two geomorphic zones based on its topography, the territory of the northern section, known as Lesser Cholistan, is around 7,770 km2, bordering canal-irrigated areas, while the area of the southern region, known as Greater Cholistan, is 18,130 km2. Low sandy ridges alternate with salty alluvial flats, known locally as dahars, to form the smaller Cholistan. Saline or saline-sodic soils are the two categories into which these soils fall, with pH values varying from 8.2 to 8.4 and from 8.8 to 9.6, respectively. The Greater Cholistan consists of river terraces, sizable sand dunes, and depressions. It is a wind-sorted sandy desert. The dunes are approximately 100 metres tall on average.
The region experiences a wide range of temperatures, with summers potentially reaching over 50°C. The temperature difference between day and night is significant. The region experiences sporadic, erratic, and sparse rainfall, often between 100 and 250 mm, primarily during the monsoon season.

## Flora and fauna
### Fauna

List of fauna found in the sanctuary.
| # | Name | Scientific name |
| 1 | Caracal | Caracal caracal |
| 2 | Jungle cat | Felis chaus |
| 3 | Indian grey mongoose | Urva edwardsii |
| 4 | Asiatic wildcat | Felis lybica ornata |
| 5 | Indian jackal | Canis aureus indicus |
| 6 | Bengal fox | Vulpes bengalensis |
| 7 | Long-eared hedgehog | Hemiechinus auritus |
| 8 | Chinkara | Gazella bennettii |
| 9 | Nilgai | Boselaphus tragocamelus |
| 10 | Indian ratel | Mellivora capensis indica |
| 11 | Indian crested porcupine | Hystrix indica |
| 12 | Indian hare | Lepus nigricollis |
| 13 | Arabian wolf | Canis lupus arabs |
| 14 | Indian boar | Sus scrofa cristatus |
| 15 | White-footed fox | Vulpes vulpes pusilla |
| 16 | Small Indian mongoose | Urva auropunctata |
| 17 | Small Indian civet | Viverricula indica |
| # | Name | Scientific name |
| 1 | Grey francolin | Ortygornis pondicerianus |
| 2 | Desert lark | Ammomanes deserti |
| 3 | Common starling | Sturnus vulgaris |
| 4 | Houbara bustard | Chlamydotis undulata |
| 5 | Great Indian bustard | Ardeotis nigriceps |
| 6 | Black-bellied sandgrouse | Pterocles orientalis |
| 7 | Great grey shrike | Lanius excubitor |
| 8 | Spotted owlet | Athene brama |
| 9 | Laggar falcon | Falco jugger |
| 10 | Saker falcon | Falco cherrug |
| 11 | Common buzzard | Buteo buteo |
| 12 | Eurasian sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus |
| 13 | Tawny eagle | Aquila rapax |
| 14 | Pallid harrier | Circus macrourus |
| 15 | Eurasian collared dove | Streptopelia decaocto |
| 16 | Cinereous vulture | Aegypius monachus |
| # | Name | Scientific name | Picture |
| 1 | Indian marbled toad | Duttaphrynus stomaticus | |
| 2 | Common skittering frog | Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis | |
| 3 | Indian bullfrog | Hoplobatrachus tigerinus | |
| 4 | Indian burrowing frog | Sphaerotheca breviceps | |
| 5 | Black pond turtle | Geoclemys hamiltonii | |
| 6 | Brown roofed turtle | Pangshura smithii | |
| 7 | Indian roofed turtle | Pangshura tecta | |
| 8 | Indian flapshell turtle | Lissemys punctata | |
| 9 | Indian softshell turtle | Nilssonia gangetica | |
| 10 | Oriental garden lizard | Calotes versicolor | |
| 11 | Brilliant ground agama | Trapelus agilis pakistanensis | – |
| 12 | Afghan ground agama | Trapelus megalonyx | – |
| 13 | Indian spiny-tailed lizard | Uromastyx hardwickii | |
| 14 | Sind gecko | Crossobamon orientalis | – |
| 15 | Rough-tailed gecko | Cyrtopodion scaber | |
| 16 | Yellow-belly gecko | Hemidactylus flaviviridis | |
| 17 | Leschenault's leaf-toed gecko | Hemidactylus leschenaultii | |
| 18 | Indian fringe-fingered lizard | Acanthodactylus cantoris | |
| 19 | Eremias cholistanica | Eremias cholistanica | – |
| 20 | Persian long-tailed desert lizard | Mesalina watsonana | |
| 21 | Striped mole skink | Eumeces indothalensis | – |
| 22 | Ribbon-sided skink | Eurylepis taeniolata | |
| # | Name | Scientific name | Picture |
| 23 | Indian three-banded skink | Eutropis trivittata | – |
| 24 | Bronze grass skink | Eutropis macularia | |
| 25 | Three-toed snake skink | Ophiomorus tridactylus | – |
| 26 | Bengal monitor | Varanus bengalensis | |
| 27 | Indian desert monitor | Varanus griseus koniecznyi | – |
| 28 | Sindh thread snake | Myriopholis blanfordi | – |
| 29 | Long-nosed worm snake | Myriopholis macrorhyncha | |
| 30 | Slender worm snake | Indotyphlops porrectus | – |
| 31 | Indian sand boa | Eryx johnii | |
| 32 | Indian gamma snake | Boiga trigonata | |
| 33 | Common cliff racer | Platyceps rhodorachis | |
| 34 | Hardwicke's rat snake | Platyceps ventromaculatus | |
| 35 | Dotted dwarf racer | Eirenis punctatolineatus | |
| 36 | Sind longnose sand snake | Lytorhynchus paradoxus | – |
| 37 | Pakistan sand racer | Psammophis leithii | – |
| 38 | Steppe ribbon racer | Psammophis lineolatus | |
| 39 | Red-spotted diadem snake | Spalerosophis arenarius | – |
| 40 | Black headed royal snake | Spalerosophis atriceps | |
| 41 | Checkered keelback | Xenochrophis piscator | |
| 42 | Indian cobra | Naja naja | |
| 43 | Sind krait | Bungarus sindanus | |
| 44 | Eastern saw-scaled viper | Echis carinatus sochureki | |