King Cobra

But the flagship species of the western ghats is the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Growing upto 15ft and weighing upto 10kgs. It's the world's largest venomous snake. The snake derives its scientific name from the fact that it feeds only on snakes. They've recently be documented to be cannibalisti...

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Malabar Giant Squirrel

While some species are gray in color like the tahr and others dark like the macaques. There are other species which are bright in color and the Rufous colored Malabar Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) is among them. They too are arboreal and their huge bushy tail which can grow upto 2ft helps them balance on the precarious tree top...

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Nilgiri Tahr

A large number of herbivores also make the ghats their home due to this abundant vegetation. And the Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is one of them. It is a high altitude dweller and is found mostly in grasslands above 1,200 meters. During the rutting season, the Tahr males get into fights with other males to win the female. Their strong horns are their primary weapons in the battle. &nbs...

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Endemic bronzed frog

Most frogs though are found on the ground close to water bodies. The Bronzed frog (Hylarana temporalis) is mostly found on edges of rocky streams. They sit exposed on flat rocks and stones and can leap, often to a considerable distanc...

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Mountain Range

Along the south-western coast of India lies the western ghats mountain range. These ranges are known for their rich bio-diveristy and natural heritage. The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, hence known also as monsoon mountain...

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Fauna of Western Ghats

The Western Ghats are home to thousands of animal species including at least 325 globally threatened species. Many are endemic species, especially in the amphibian and reptilian classes. Thirty two threatened species of mammals live in the Western Ghats. Of the 16 endemic mammals, 13 are threatened.   Mammals- There are at least 139 mammal species. A critically endangered mammal of the Western Ghats is the nocturnal Malabar large-spotted civet. The arboreal Lion-tailed macaque is endangered. Only 2500 of this species are remaining.The largest...

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Flora of Western Ghats

Among the 25 hot spots of the world, two are found in India extending into neighboring countries - the Western Ghats/Sri Lanka and the Indo-Burma region (covering the Eastern Himalayas). The Western Ghats are a chain of highlands running along the western edge of the Indian subcontinent, from Bombay south to the southern tip of the peninsula, through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Covering an estimated area of 159,000 sq. km, the Western Ghats is an area of exceptional biological diversity and conservation...

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Climate

Climate in the Western Ghats varies with altitudinal gradation and distance from the equator. The climate is humid and tropical in the lower reaches tempered by the proximity to the sea. Elevations of 1,500 m (4,921 ft) and above in the north and 2,000 m (6,562 ft) and above in the south have a more temperate climate. Average annual temperature here are around 15 °C (60 °F). In some parts frost is common, and temperatures touch the freezing point during the winter months. Mean temperature range from 20 °C (68 °F) in the south to 24 °C (75 °F)...

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Mountains of Western Ghats

Hill ranges The Western Ghats extend from the Satpura Range in the north, go south past Maharashtra, Goa, through Karnataka and into Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Major gaps in the range are the Goa Gap, between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections, and the Palghat Gap on the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border between the Nilgiri Hills and the Anaimalai Hills. Sahyadhris The major hill range starting from the north is the Sahyadhri (the benevolent mountains) range. This range is home to many hill stations like Matheran, Lonavala-Khandala, Mahabaleshwar,...

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Geology of Western Ghats

The Western Ghats are not true mountains, but are the faulted edge of the Deccan Plateau. They are believed to have been formed during the break-up of the super continent of Gondwana some 150 million years ago. into being somewhere around 100 to 80 mya after it broke away from Madagascar. After the break-up, the wesGeophysicists Barron and Harrison from the University of Miami advocate the theory that the west coast of India came tern coast of India would have appeared as an abrupt cliff some 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in elevation.       Basalt...

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Introduction to Western Ghats

The Western Ghats or the Sahyādri constitute a mountain range along the western side of India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity in the world. It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India.The range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain, called Konkan, along the Arabian Sea. A total of thirty nine properties including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests were designated...

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