Flora and fauna of Ladakh are of greatest variety due to its location in the midst of the great mountain chains, the Himalaya, the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, the Pamirs, the Kun-lun, the Tien-shan and their subsidiary ranges. Ladakh, is home to a variety of species that is quite remarkable, considering its altitude and the rugged nature of its terrain. There are various types of adaptation that different groups of fauna have been obliged to make in order to be able to fill this unpromising ecological niche.

Some of the flora and fauna of Ladakh are behavioural, like hibernation, or seasonal migration from higher to lower elevations in winter. On the other hand, some are physiological having the enlargement of the nasal cavity, or the development of thick fur or a thick warm winter undercoat which is shed in summer. Several studies were undertaken including a number of studies on Ladakh`s wildlife basically centering on the snow-leopard. The beauty and rarity of the snow-leopard invest it with a certain symbolic grandeur which has fired the imagination of naturalists and lay people alike.

The flora and fauna of Ladakh closely resembles with that of Tibet. However, as far as birds are concerned, migration forms a link between the Indian and the Tibetan regions. The most conspicuous of the migratory birds is the hoopoe; even more common, though smaller and less easy to spot, is the Indian redstart. Perhaps the greatest surprise among the bird life is the brown-headed gull, which is seen along the Indus in summer, and which breeds along the margins of the Star-tsapuk Tso, Rupshu`s freshwater lake. Along with several other species of gulls and terns, this too is migratory bird and stay on the fringes of the Tibetan plateau to nest and breed. Other migratory birds which breed in Ladakh are the brahmini duck (ruddy sheldrake), the barheaded goose, and the great crested grebe. These birds too make their nests in Rupshu, round the fresh-water inlets to the brackish lakes, especially Tso-moriri. Chushul, the region immediately adjoining the Pang-gong Lake to the south-west, and Hanle, south of the Indus on Ladakh`s eastern border, have wide-ranging marshes. These places are frequented crowded by a considerable variety of birds including the Tibetan or black-necked crane, one of the rarest birds in the world.

Apart from migratory species, the birds found on the Tibetan plateau fall into two categories namely the high-altitude birds and desert birds. Among the high-altitude birds, the names of black-necked crane, the Tibetan raven, the red-billed chough, the Bactrian or white-rumped magpie, the snow-cock, and the chukor or mountain partridge can be mentioned. On the other hand, the sand grouse, sand plover, desert wheatear, horned lark and twite fall in the category of the characteristically desert birds. Some members of both categories are common to the Himalayan and Tibetan regions, and sometimes to the plains of India as well. Such cosmopolitan birds are the ubiquitous house-sparrow, the carrion crow and the chukor. All these may be seen in and around Leh, close to human habitation. The pied wagtail, a dapper black and white bird, is common near water. Birds that see the winter out, at least at the altitude of Leh, are the sparrow, the crow, the magpie, the grey tit, and the rather rare ibisbill. Flocks of hill pigeons are present well into the cold weather; they are locally migratory, and descend to lower areas of Ladakh in winter. Of the larger birds, the lammergeier or bearded vulture which is a scavenger is very occasionally found near human habitations at high altitudes.

The total number of bird species include sandpipers, stilts, stints, eagles, owls, bee-eaters, larks, mynas, warblers, thrushes, tits, and no fewer than fourteen different finches. Those on the endangered list include, besides the black-necked crane, the bar-headed goose, the golden eagle, the Tibetan sandgrouse, the Tibetan partridge, the Tibetan snow-cock, and the chukor. The most characteristic bird of Ladakh is perhaps the Bactrian magpie which is almost identical with the common magpie of Europe, whose black feathers have a greenish sheen, and who sports a white breast and wing-bands, and a long fan-like tail.

The land of Ladakh has a sizeable amount of shapu (the Ladakh urial) and bharal, the so-called blue sheep, and even a few goa, or Tibetan gazelle. By 1970 the shapu and bharal were clearly much reduced, though still present in a few areas. Earlier, before the wildlife conservation became an issue, there was indiscriminate shooting of wild animals to supply fresh meat to the forward pickets. By the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Act of 1978 the shooting of some species is now forbidden absolutely. This consciousness has to some extent been reflected in public policy by the establishment of the Hemis High-Altitude National Park, as well as the sanctuaries of Lungnak, Shang, Kanji and Rangdum. Of the various wild goats and sheep that frequent the world`s high mountains, four are represented in Ladakh. These are the Himalayan ibex, which is a true goat; the bharal, which appears to be intermediate between a goat and a sheep; and two species of true sheep namely the shapu and, most magnificent of all, the argali or nay an with its enormous curved horns, a close relation of the Marco Polo sheep found in the Pamirs and parts of the western Karakoram. The bharal is found along almost the whole of the Great Himalaya, on both sides of the crest-line, from Ladakh to Sikkim. This species is now rare in Ladakh. The ibex`s range extends from the Sutlej gorge westward along the Zanskar chain and the northern flank of the Great Himalaya, and on into the Hindu Kush, the Pamirs and the Tien-Shan. The shapu finds its niche in rather lower terrain, especially along river valleys; this brings it into contact with human settlement, the pressure of which has eliminated it from many areas it used to frequent. It is one of the rarest of all the mountain sheep, and is now found only in small isolated populations. It has a wide range, however, extending from a little east of Leh, as far west as Chitral. The nayan, on the other hand, has a limited distribution in India, south-east Ladakh and the adjoining part of Spiti being it`s only known habitat. It occurs however at a few places in Nepal and Bhutan, as well as in Tibet and the Sinkiang, Qinghai and Gansu provinces of China.

Apart from these faunas, Ladakh is known for Tibetan antelope or chiru, whose local name is stos. This particular type produces good quality wool prized for centuries above all others for shawls, known as toosh, or even shahtoosh. The chiru is famous for following the same migration routes year after year and there is believed to be a small breeding population which wanders in from western Tibet to the Aksai Chin in summer. The wild yak, larger and shaggier than the domesticated animal was found mostly in the Changchenmo valley. A few kyang, the Tibetan wild ass, are occasionally seen from a distance in relatively large numbers in this region. Of the smaller animals, marmots are plentiful on the hill slopes, even quite close to the road, in the Dras area and elsewhere. There are plenty of voles and hares; and several varieties of pika, also known as the mouse-hare, a small animal common in the mountains of central Asia. Sometimes Snow Leopards are seen in Ladakh and the adjourning areas. These leopards are praised for their beautiful pelt, whose pattern of white, grey and black blends almost to invisibility into the mountain landscape of rock and snow. The Hemis High Altitude National Park in central Ladakh is especially a good habitat for this predator as it has abundant prey populations. Snow-leopards exist in all the high mountain areas of Ladakh and presently there are probably two hundred snow leopards in the region. The region of Ladakh is also known for two separate categories of cat namely the lynx and Pallas`s cat. The lynx favours scrubby bush habitat, like the seabuckthorn thickets of Nubra, where it preys on small mammals like hare and pika.

Canines are found in Ladakh and are represented by the wild dog, the red fox, the Tibetan fox and the Tibetan wolf. The foxes, along with other small carnivores like marten, weasel and otter, are sought after for their fur. The wolf, which is in most respects the same as the European and American animal, is an important predator of the mountains and plateaux of trans-Himalaya. Moreover, the brown bear is found in Ladakh in the vicinity of Dras and the upper Suru valley, including Rangdum. It is omnivorous, hunting small rodents and prefers to eat the flesh of naturally dead animals. Occasionally they raid domestic livestock as well as crops and fruit trees.

The flora and faunas of Ladakh are maintained by the different organizations situated in the region and they are also a matter of concern to the local people. The land of Ladakh is a cold desert and the atmosphere is extremely dry with rocky and uneven terrain and very low temperature. Due to the climate, the number of trees and vegetation are rare. Some narrow valleys of Ladakh are fertile and grow some plants and agricultural crops. Apart from these valleys, some greenish patch is seen around the riverbanks of land and near the snow line wild roses, willow groves and some herbs are grown. However, vegetation becomes stunted and sparse due to the rapid reduction in temperature.

The flora and fauna of Ladakh have a distinct characteristic, relevant to the land and suitable to the type and the scenario of the hilly area.