Grazing animals of the grasslands include five species of deer, barasingha, sambar, chital, hog deer and muntjac along with four large grazing animals, Asian elephant, rhinoceros, gaur and nilgai. Endangered mammals found here include the wild water buffalo and the near-endemic hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus). The grasslands are also home to a number of reptiles including the gharial, mugger crocodile and soft-shelled turtles. The grasslands partly cover two BirdLife International Endemic Bird Areas, the Central Himalayas EBA in western Nepal and the western end of the Assam Plains EBA south of Bhutan. There are three near-endemic bird species including the vulnerable Manipur bush quail (Perdicula manipurensis). The 44 threatened and declining bird species of the grasslands include the Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis), lesser florican (Sypheotides indica), sarus crane (Grus antigone) and rufous-rumped grassbird (Graminicola bengalensis). Threats and conservation Although the population density has been low it is now growing, especially in the Terai belt. Much of the ecoregion has been converted to farmland since the forest was cut down for timber. Shuklaphanta National Park, Chitwan, Bardia and Dudhwa National Parks, Some protected areas preserve significant sections of habitat, and are home to some of the greatest concentrations of Indian rhinoceros and Bengal tiger remaining in South Asia. The areas with tall grasslands are of special conservation importance. The remaining forest is mostly in the drier bhabar belt, with some forest patches in Chitwan National Park. See also List of ecoregions in India References External links WWF: Map of ecoregions in Nepal, showing the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: The Annotated Ramsar List of Nepal Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Ecoregions of the Himalayas Grasslands of Bhutan Grasslands of India Grasslands of Nepal Ecoregions of India Ecoregions of Nepal Ecoregions of Bhutan . Geography of Uttarakhand Ecoregions of Asia Indomalayan ecoregions