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Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
The Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. It consists of the catchment area of the Karamana River, which originates from Chemmunjimottai, the tallest hill within the sanctuary. The sanctuary is named after the Peppara Dam, commissioned in 1983 to augment the drinking water supply to Thiruvananthapuram city and suburban areas. Considering the ecological significance of the area, it was declared a sanctuary in 1983. The terrain is undulating with elevation ranging from 100 m to 1717 m. The area of the sanctuary is 75 km2 with tropical moist evergreen forests and myristica swamps. It is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is by car from the nearest railway station, at Thiruvananthapuram, and from the Thiruvananthapuram airport. History The area was formerly a part of the Paruthippally range of the Thiruvananthapuram territorial division. Forests consist of part of the Palode res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thiruvananthapuram District
Thiruvananthapuram District (), is the southernmost district in the Indian state of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, which is also Kerala's administrative centre. The present district was created in 1956 by separating the four southernmost Taluks of the erstwhile district to form Kanyakumari district. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is also known as the Information technology capital of the State, since it is home to the first and largest IT park in India, Technopark, established in 1990. The district is home to more than 9% of total population of the state. The district covers an area of . At the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,301,427, making it the second most populous district in Kerala after Malappuram district. Its population density is the highest in Kerala, with . The district is divided into six subdistricts: Thiruvananthapuram, Chirayinkeezhu, Neyyattinkara, Nedumangadu, Varkala, and Kattakada. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hopea Parviflora
''Hopea parviflora'' is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is Endemism, endemic to India. It is called 'kampakam' or 'thampakam' in Malayalam and கோங்கு 'vellaikongu' or 'irubogam' in Tamil language, Tamil. ''Hopea parviflora'' is a tree growing 30 – 37 metres tall. The bole can be 150 cm in diameter. The tree produces a beautiful timber and is commonly harvested from the wild, both for local use and for trade. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. See also * List of Indian timber trees References Hopea, parviflora Endangered plants Endemic flora of India (region) Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Dipterocarpaceae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nilgiri Tahr
The Nilgiri tahr (''Nilgiritragus hylocrius'') is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.Prater, S. H. 1948, 1971. ''The book of Indian Animals'', Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press, India. 324 pages. . Despite its local name, it is more closely related to the sheep of the genus ''Ovis'' than the ibex and wild goats of the genus ''Capra''. It is the only species in the genus ''Nilgiritragus''. Etymology In Tamil, the Nilgiri tahr is called வரையாடு (''varaiaadu''). The word ''varaiaadu'' is derived from the Tamil words ''wurrai'' meaning "precipice" and ''aadu'' meaning "goat". The word in ancient Tamil was வருடை (''varudai''). In Malayalam, the word is വരയാട് (''varyaadu''). The Nilgiri tahr was described as ''Capra warryato'' by Gray. The genus name ''Ni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nilgiri Langur
The Nilgiri langur (''Semnopithecus johnii'') is a langur (a type of Old World monkey) . This primate has glossy black fur on its body and golden brown fur on its head. It is similar in size and long-tailed like the gray langurs. Females have a white patch of fur on the inner thigh. It typically lives in troops of nine to ten monkeys. Its diet consists of fruits, shoots and leaves. The species is classified as vulnerable due to habitat destruction and poaching for its fur and flesh, the latter believed to have aphrodisiac properties. Taxonomy and Classification The classification of the Nilgiri langur has been disputed. Traditionally it has been placed within the genus ''Trachypithecus'' based on morphological similarities such as cranial morphology and neonatal pelage color, and within the ''Trachypithecus vetulus'' group within ''Trachypithecus'' based on a presumed close relationship with the purple-faced langur, which had been classified as ''Trachypithecus vetulus''. DNA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bonnet Macaque
The bonnet macaque (''Macaca radiata''), also known as zati,Chambers English Dictionary is a species of macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers, along with its related competitor the rhesus macaque in the north. Land use changes in the last few decades have resulted in changes in its distribution boundaries with the rhesus macaque, raising concern for its status in the wild. The bonnet macaque is diurnal, arboreal, and terrestrial. Males have a head-body length of with a tail while females are with a tail. Males weigh and females . It can live up to 35 years in captivity. The bonnet macaque feeds on fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, invertebrates, and cereals. In southern India, this macaque exists as commensal to humans, feeding on food given by humans and raiding crops and houses. Taxonomy Two subspecies of bonnet macaques have been identified: *''Macaca radiata radiata'', pale-be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sambar (deer)
The sambar (''Rusa unicolor'') is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local insurgency, and industrial exploitation of habitat. The name "sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine deer called the "Philippine sambar", and the Javan rusa called the "Sunda sambar". Description The appearance and the size of the sambar vary widely across its range, which has led to considerable taxonomic confusion in the past; over 40 different scientific synonyms have been used for the species. In general, they attain a height of at the shoulder and may weigh as much as , though more typically .Burnie D and Wilson DE (Eds.), ''Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife''. DK Adult (2005), Head and body length varies from , with a tail. Individuals belonging to western subspecies tend to be larger ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. The order was formerly much more diverse during the Pleistocene, but most species became extinct during the Late Pleistocene epoch. Distinctive features of elephants include a long proboscis called a trunk, tusks, large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and tough but sensitive skin. The trunk is used for breathing, bringing food and water to the mouth, and grasping objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears, and convex or level backs. Elephants ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and Habitat degradation, degradation. It is the only species in the genus ''Melursus''. It has also been called "labiated bear" because of its long lower lip and palate used for sucking up insects. It has a long, shaggy fur, a mane around the face, and long, sickle-shaped claws. It is lankier than brown bear, brown and Asian black bears. It shares features of insectivorous mammals and evolved during the Pleistocene from the ancestral brown bear through divergent evolution. Sloth bears breed during spring and early summer and give birth near the beginning of winter. When their territories are encroached upon by humans, they sometimes attack them. Historically, humans have drastically reduced these bears' habitat and diminished their popula ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, and on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range. The leopard is considered locally extinct in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Jordan, Morocco, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, Tunisia and most likely in North Korea, Gambia, Laos, Lesotho, Tajikistan, Vietnam and Israel. Contemporary records suggest that the leopard occurs in only 25% of its historical global range. Compared to other wild cats, the leopard has relatively short legs and a long body with a large skull. Its fur is marked with rosett ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ungulates, such as deer and wild boar. It is territorial and generally a solitary but social predator, requiring large contiguous areas of habitat to support its requirements for prey and rearing of its offspring. Tiger cubs stay with their mother for about two years and then become independent, leaving their mother's home range to establish their own. The tiger was first scientifically described in 1758. It once ranged widely from the Eastern Anatolia Region in the west to the Amur River basin in the east, and in the south from the foothills of the Himalayas to Bali in the Sunda Islands. Since the early 20th century, tiger populations have lost at least 93% of their historic range and have been extirpated from Western and Central Asia, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alstonia Scholaris
''Alstonia scholaris'', commonly called blackboard tree, Scholar Tree, Milkwood or devil's tree in English, is an evergreen tropical tree in the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae). It is native to southern China, tropical Asia (mainly the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia）and Australasia, where it is a common ornamental plant. It is a toxic plant, but is used traditionally for myriad diseases and complaints. Description ''Alstonia scholaris'' is a glabrous tree and grows up to tall. Its mature bark is grayish and its young branches are copiously marked with lenticels.One unique feature of this tree is that in some places, such as New Guinea, the trunk is three-sided (i.e. it is triangular in cross-section). The upper side of the leaves are glossy, while the underside is greyish. Leaves occur in Whorl (botany), whorls of three to ten; Petiole (botany), petioles are ; the leathery leaves are narrowly obovate to very narrowly spathulate, base cuneate, apex usually rounded and up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albizia
''Albizia'' is a genus of more than 160 species of mostly fast-growing subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae. The genus is pantropical, occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, America and Australia, but mostly in the Old World tropics. In some locations, some species are considered weeds. They are commonly called silk plants, silk trees, or sirises. The obsolete spelling of the generic name – with double 'z' – is still common, so the plants may be called albizzias. The generic name honors the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, who introduced ''Albizia julibrissin'' to Europe in the mid-18th century. Some species are commonly called mimosa, which more accurately refers to plants of genus ''Mimosa''. Species from southeast Asia used for timber are sometime termed East Indian walnut. Description They are usually small trees or shrubs with a short lifespan, though the famous ''Samán del Guère'' near Maracay in Venez ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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