Mudumalai National Park is a

national park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...

in the Nilgiri Mountains in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...

south India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...

. It covers at an elevation range of in the Nilgiri District and shares boundaries with the states of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...

and

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

. A part of this area has been protected since 1940. The national park has been part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986 and was declared a tiger reserve together with a buffer zone of in 2007. It receives an annual rainfall of about and harbours

tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, disco ...

with 498 plant species, at least 266 bird species, 18

carnivore A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other ...

and 10

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthp ...

species. It is drained by the

Moyar River The Mayar River is one of the tributaries of the Bhavani in Tamil Nadu, South India. The Mayar river originates from a small town called Mayar off the Masinagudi–Ooty road. This is a natural line of separation between the state of Karnataka ...

and several tributaries, which harbour 38

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% ...

species. Traffic on three public roads passing through the national park has caused significant

roadkill Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by drivers of motor vehicles on highways. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how it can be mi ...

s of mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The park's northern part has been affected by several

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

s since 1999.

History

The word Mudumalai is a Tamil word with 'mutu' meaning old, ancient, original; and 'mudhukadu' meaning ancient forest. The word 'malai' means hill or mountain. The name 'Mudumalai forest' was already in use when the British Government rented the forest in 1857 for logging purposes from the Raja of

Neelambur Neelambur is a suburb in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu. Neelambur is situated in the Eastern Part of Coimbatore. Neelambur is also the East-End of Coimbatore City. Neelambur lies on the Junction of Avinashi Road Avinashi Road, is an arteri ...

. In 1914, large forest tracts on the

Sigur Plateau Sigur Plateau (Segur Plateau) is a plateau in the north and east of Nilgiri District in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, South India. It covers the portion of the Moyar River drainage basin on the northern slopes of the Nilgiri Hills, south of t ...

were declared as reserve forest for systematic logging. An area of about was established as Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in 1940. The sanctuary was enlarged in 1977 and incorporated into Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986. It was declared as a Tiger Reserve under

Project Tiger Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 by the Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger in its natural habitats, protect ...

in April 2007 and notified as 'Critical Tiger Habitat' in December 2007. At the time, 1947 people lived in 28 hamlets inside the reserve; they kept about 1,060

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

. In 2010, it was proposed to resettle them. This notification was criticised by activists and conservationists as having been intransparent and undemocratic. In 2010, the National Tiger Conservation Authority approved the release of funds to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the frame of Project Tiger. In 2020, Project Tiger has been extended until 2021 with funding of 114.1 million borne by the

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

and the

Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...

Geography

Mudumalai National Park covers in the eastern hills of the Western Ghats at an elevation range of ; it is bordered in the west by Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, in the north by Bandipur National Park and in the east by Sigur Reserve Forest. In the south, it is bordered by Singara Reserve Forest. The

enters the national park in the south and is joined by five tributaries. Together they drain this area, and several artificial waterholes provide drinking water for wildlife during dry seasons. The original national park area together with a surrounding

buffer zone A buffer zone is a neutral zonal area that lies between two or more bodies of land, usually pertaining to countries. Depending on the type of buffer zone, it may serve to separate regions or conjoin them. Common types of buffer zones are demil ...

of was designated as the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The elevation range of in the Western Ghats is characterised by

evergreen forest An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, Live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperat ...

with

dipterocarp Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = fru ...

species prevailing. Its undulating hills consist mostly of hornblendite and

biotite gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...

with black sandy

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand ( particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...

; red heavy loam prevails in the southern part. It is part of the

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...

South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of in Kerala, Karnataka and ...

. Mudumalai National Park and the adjacent Sigur Reserve Forest form an important

wildlife corridor A wildlife corridor, habitat corridor, or green corridor is an area of habitat (ecology), habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities or structures (such as roads, development, or logging). This allows an exchange of i ...

within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and provide the highest

landscape connectivity In landscape ecology, landscape connectivity is, broadly, "''the degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement among resource patches''". Alternatively, connectivity may be a continuous property of the landscape and independent of ...

for the

Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus '' Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in ...

(''Elephas maximus'') population in the region.

Climate

Mudumalai National Park receives about rainfall annually, most of it during the

southwest monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...

season from June to September. The temperature drops during the cool season from December to January, but rises during April to June, which are the hottest months. Annual precipitation ranges from in the south and west to in the east.

Flora

Jungle trek, Wild planet resort, Mudumalai 10

Mudumalai National Park harbours

. The

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

l diversity comprises 498 plant species including 154

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

, 77 shrub, 214

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicina ...

and 53

vine A vine ( Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners thems ...

species.

Teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters (panicl ...

''(Tectona grandis)'' and axlewood ''(

Anogeissus latifolia ''Anogeissus latifolia'' is a species of small to medium-sized tree native to the India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Its common names are axlewood (English), ''bakli, baajhi, dhau, dhawa, dhawra'', or ''dhaora'' (Hindi), ''takhian-nu'' (Thai) ...

)'' are the dominant tree species with a density of more than . Prominent tree species include flame-of-the-forest ''(

Butea monosperma ''Butea monosperma'' is a species of '' Butea'' native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of the South Asia and Southeast Asia, ranging across Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysi ...

)'', Indian laurel ''( Terminalia elliptica)'', kusum tree ''( Schleichera oleosa)'', weaver's beam tree ''(

Schrebera swietenioides ''Schrebera swietenioides'' is a flowering plant in the family Oleaceae found in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. It prefers dry forests. It is commonly known as weaver's beam tree. Other names are mala plasu, muskkakavrks ...

)'', Malabar kino tree ''( Pterocarpus marsupium)'', Indian rosewood ''( Dalbergia latifolia)'', Malabar plum ''(

Syzygium cumini ''Syzygium cumini'', commonly known as Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun, jaman, jambul, or jambolan, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value. It is ...

)'', silk-cotton tree ''(

Bombax ceiba ''Bombax ceiba'', like other trees of the genus '' Bombax'', is commonly known as cotton tree. More specifically, it is sometimes known as Malabar silk-cotton tree; red silk-cotton; red cotton tree; or ambiguously as silk-cotton or kapok, both of ...

)'' and Indian beech ''(

Millettia pinnata ''Millettia pinnata'' is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to eastern and tropical Asia, Australia, and Pacific islands. It is often known by the synonym '' Pongamia pinnata''. Its common names include Indian beech and Ponga ...

)''; moist deciduous forest is interspersed with giant thorny bamboo ''(

Bambusa bambos ''Bambusa bambos'', the giant thorny bamboo, Indian thorny bamboo, spiny bamboo, or thorny bamboo, is a species of clumping bamboo native to southern Asia (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indochina). It is also naturalized in Seychelles, Centra ...

)''. Mango ''(

Mangifera indica ''Mangifera indica'', commonly known as mango, is a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is a large fruit tree, capable of growing to a height of . There are two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoesthe "Indian type ...

)'' and persimmon ''(

Diospyros ''Diospyros'' is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark ...

)'' grow along river courses. Climbers include orange climber ''(

Zanthoxylum asiaticum ''Zanthoxylum asiaticum'' is a species of plant in the family Rutaceae. Under its synonym ''Toddalia asiatica'', it was the only species in the monotypic genus ''Toddalia'', now included in ''Zanthoxylum''. It is known by the English name orange c ...

)'', '' Dregea volubilis'', frangipani vine ''(

Chonemorpha fragrans ''Chonemorpha fragrans'', the frangipani vine or climbing frangipani, is a plant species in the genus ''Chonemorpha''. It is a vigorous, generally evergreen, climbing shrub producing stems or more long that can climb to the tops of the tallest ...

)'', trellis-vine ''( Pergularia daemia)'', purple morning glory ''(

Argyreia cuneata ''Argyreia cuneata'' is a perennial climbing shrub which is native to the Indian subcontinent and is related to ''Argyreia nervosa''. Common names include purple morning glory, mahalungi, and kallana gida. Description ''Argyreia cuneata'' is a ...

)'', striped cucumber ''( Diplocyclos palmatus)'' and several

jasmine Jasmine ( taxonomic name: ''Jasminum''; , ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family ( Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cult ...

species. Ceylon satinwood ''(

Chloroxylon swietenia ''Chloroxylon swietenia'' , the Ceylon satinwood or East Indian satinwood, is a tropical hardwood, the sole species in the genus ''Chloroxylon'' (from the Greek χλωρὸν ξύλον, "green wood"). It is native to southern India, Sri Lanka, ...

)'', red cedar ''(

Erythroxylum monogynum ''Erythroxylum monogynum'', the bastard sandal or red cedar, is a tropical tree in the family Erythroxylaceae. It is native to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-s ...

)'' and catechu ''(

Senegalia catechu ''Senegalia catechu'' is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to in height. The plant is called ''khair''
in H ...

)'' are the dominant plants in

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ...

patches. ''

Lantana camara ''Lantana camara'' (common lantana) is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family (Verbenaceae), native to the American tropics. It is a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it has been introduc ...

'' is an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

that negatively affects the dispersal of the native Indian gooseberry ''(

Phyllanthus emblica ''Phyllanthus emblica'', also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, or amla, from the Sanskrit आमलकी (āmalakī), is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical ...

)'' and '' Kydia calycina'', but does not affect growth and dispersal of other shrubs. A study on

nest A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materi ...

ing behaviour of birds revealed that red-vented bulbul ''(Pycnonotus cafer)'' and red-whiskered bulbul ''(P. jocosus)'' prefer its top canopy level for building nests in spring. An exceptionally large arjun tree ''(

Terminalia arjuna ''Terminalia arjuna'' is a tree of the genus '' Terminalia''. It is commonly known as arjuna or arjun tree in English. Description ''T. arjuna'' grows to about 20–25 metres tall; usually has a buttressed trunk, and forms a wide canopy at t ...

)'' with a height of and a girth of was detected in the Moyar River valley in 2019; it was used by white-rumped vulture ''(Gyps bengalensis)'', brown fish owl ''(Ketupa zeylonensis)'',

spot-bellied eagle-owl The spot-bellied eagle-owl (''Bubo nipalensis''), also known as the forest eagle-owl is a large bird of prey with a formidable appearance. It is a forest-inhabiting species found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. This species is con ...

''(Bubo nipalensis)'',

crested honey buzzard The crested honey buzzard (''Pernis ptilorhynchus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles, and harriers. ''Pernis ptilorhynchus'' has 6 subspecies. The size range ...

''(Pernis ptilorhynchus)'',

changeable hawk-eagle The changeable hawk-eagle ''(Nisaetus cirrhatus)'' or crested hawk-eagle is a large bird of prey species of the family Accipitridae. More informal or antiquated English common names include the marsh hawk-eagle or Indian crested hawk-eagle.Ferg ...

''(Nisaetus cirrhatus)'' and shikra ''(Accipiter badius)'' for roosting.

Fauna

During the major flowering season, 394 nests of the giant honey bee (''

Apis dorsata ''Apis dorsata'', the giant honey bee, सिङ्गुस in Nepali, is a honey bee of South and Southeast Asia, found mainly in forested areas such as the Terai of Nepal. They are typically around long. Nests are mainly built in exposed pla ...

'') were detected in the park between January and June 2007; bee colonies comprised an average of 19 nests, mostly built in large trees.

Mammals

A survey carried out between November 2008 and February 2009 revealed that about 29

Indian leopard The Indian leopard (''Panthera pardus fusca'') is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. The species ''Panthera pardus'' is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because populations have declined following habita ...

s (''Panthera pardus fusca'') and 19

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...

s (''P. tigris tigris'') lived in the park's core area of . As of 2018, the tiger population in the wider Mudumalai Tiger Reserve was estimated to comprise 103 resident individuals.

Jungle cat The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat, swamp cat and jungle lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to the Middle East, the Caucasus, South and Southeast Asia and southern China. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, litto ...

(''Felis chaus''), rusty-spotted cat (''Prionailurus rubiginosus'') and leopard cat (''P. bengalensis'') were recorded during

camera trap A camera trap is a camera that is automatically triggered by a change in some activity in its vicinity, like presence of an animal or a human being. It is typically equipped with a motion sensor – usually a passive infrared (PIR) senso ...

surveys in 2010–2011 and 2018. Two

dhole The dhole (''Cuon alpinus''; ) is a canid native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia. Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, red wolf, and mountain wolf. ...

(''Cuon alpinus'') packs were monitored during 1989–1993 and had

home range A home range is the area in which an animal lives and moves on a periodic basis. It is related to the concept of an animal's territory which is the area that is actively defended. The concept of a home range was introduced by W. H. Burt in 1943. H ...

s of ; packs comprised between four and 25 individuals during this period.

Golden jackal The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale crea ...

(''Canis aureus''), striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') and

Nilgiri marten The Nilgiri marten (''Martes gwatkinsii'') is the only marten species native to southern India. It lives in the hills of the Nilgiris and parts of the Western Ghats. With only around a thousand members left it is listed as Vulnerable on the ...

(''Martes gwatkinsii'') were also recorded in 2018. Scat of

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 on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradatio ...

(''Melursus ursinus'') collected along forest roads and animal trails contained remains of 18 plant species with golden shower ('' Cassia fistula''), Indian plum ('' Zizyphus mauritiana'') and clammy cherry ('' Cordia obliqua'') forming the bulk of its diet apart from fungus-growing termites (''

Odontotermes ''Odontotermes'', commonly known as the fungus-growing termites, is a termite genus belonging to family Termitidae, which is native to the Old World. They are most destructive in wooden homes, and are agricultural pests in the tropics and subtrop ...

''),

fire ant Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the nam ...

s and

honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmop ...

Small Indian civet The small Indian civet (''Viverricula indica'') is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in ag ...

(''Viverricula indica''),

Asian palm civet The Asian palm civet (''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus''), also called common palm civet, toddy cat and musang, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, it is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern as it accommodates to a broad ran ...

(''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus'') and brown palm civet (''P. jerdoni'') live in both deciduous and semi-evergreen forest patches; ruddy mongoose (''Urva smithii'') lives foremost in deciduous forest, whereas stripe-necked mongoose (''U. vitticollis'') frequents riverine areas, and Indian grey mongoose ''U. edwardsii'' open habitats. The mongooses forage foremost for pill millipedes,

dung beetle Dung beetles are beetles that feed on feces. Some species of dung beetles can bury dung 250 times their own mass in one night. Many dung beetles, known as ''rollers'', roll dung into round balls, which are used as a food source or breeding cha ...

s, fruits, small

rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

, birds and reptiles.

Smooth-coated otter The smooth-coated otter (''Lutrogale perspicillata'') is an otter species occurring in most of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with a disjunct population in Iraq. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 and is threa ...

(''Lutrogale perspicillata'') groups were observed along the Moyar River in 2010 and 2011. Their habitat preference was studied between 2015 and 2017; the groups preferred rocky areas near fast flowing water with loose sand and little vegetation cover. A_family_group_of_elephants_in_Mudumalai_TR_AJTJohnsingh

A_family_group_of_elephants_in_Mudumalai_TR_AJTJohnsingh

The Asian elephant is the largest mammal in the park with an estimated 536–1,001 individuals in 25 herds in 2000. Herds comprise up to 22 individuals. The

gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 ...

(''Bos gaurus'') is the largest

ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Ungulata which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. These include odd-toed ungulates such as horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, giraff ...

in the park, with herds of up to 42 individuals that frequent foremost grasslands in the vicinity of water sources. The

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 ins ...

(''Cervus unicolor'') forms smaller groups of up to five individuals, but also congregates in groups of up to 45 individuals in the wet season. The

chital The chital or cheetal (''Axis axis''; ), also known as the spotted deer, chital deer, and axis deer, is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. It was first described and given a binomial name by German naturalist Johann Christian Po ...

(''Axis axis'') forms large groups of at least 35 individuals, with some herds increasing to more than 100 members in the wet season. Chital, Indian spotted chevrotain (''Moschiola indica'') and

Indian muntjac The Indian muntjac or the common muntjac (''Muntiacus muntjak''), also called the southern red muntjac and barking deer, is a deer species native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. In popular local l ...

(''Muntiacus muntjak'') have been recorded eating fallen fruit of the Indian gooseberry in a forest monitoring plot; they are therefore considered to be the primary

seed disperser In Spermatophyte plants, seed dispersal is the movement, spread or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their seeds, including both abiotic vectors, ...

s in the park. Present are also

four-horned antelope The four-horned antelope (''Tetracerus quadricornis''), or ''chousingha'', is a small antelope found in India and Nepal. Its four horns distinguish it from most other bovids, which have two horns (with a few exceptions, such as the Jacob shee ...

(''Tetracerus quadricornis''),

blackbuck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the shoulder. Male ...

(''Antilope cervicapra''),

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

(''Sus scrofa''),

Indian pangolin The Indian pangolin (''Manis crassicaudata''), also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent. Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body which act as armour. The colou ...

(''Manis crassicaudata'') and Indian crested porcupine (''Hystrix indica''). Four

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 w ...

(''Macaca radiata'') troops were studied in 1997, which ranged in size from 28 to 35 members and lived in

sympatry In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species s ...

with gray langur (''Semnopithecus entellus'') troops. A troop in the Moyar River valley foraged on leaves, flowers and fruits of several tree and shrub species including

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae. ...

(''Tamarindus indica''), banyan fig (''

Ficus benghalensis ''Ficus benghalensis'', commonly known as the banyan, banyan fig and Indian banyan, is a tree native to the Indian Subcontinent. Specimens in India are among the largest trees in the world by canopy coverage. It also known as the "strangler fig" ...

''), wild jujube (''

Ziziphus oenoplia ''Ziziphus oenopolia'', commonly known as the jackal jujube, small-fruited jujube or wild jujube, is a flowering plant with a broad distribution through tropical and subtropical Asia and Australasia. In India, it is mostly found in the deciduo ...

''), neem (''

Azadirachta indica ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus '' Azadirachta'', and is native to the Indian subcontinent and most of the countries in Afr ...

''), kaayam (''

Memecylon edule ''Memecylon edule'' is a small evergreen tree native to India especially the Deccan Plateau including most of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Singapore and Borneo. It is found in shores with sand or ...

'') and indigoberry ('' Randia malabarica''), but also consumed herbs,

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

s and grasshoppers. The range of the Indian giant squirrel (''Ratufa indica'') is continuous in the national park's moist deciduous forest; in the drier eastern part, it inhabits foremost riverine habitat with contiguous

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an ...

. It builds nests in trees with a mean canopy height of and feeds on 25 plant species including teak, Indian laurel and ''

Grewia tiliifolia ''Grewia tiliifolia'' (syn. ''Grewia damine'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae ''sensu lato''. A tree reaching , it is found in monsoon and intermediate forest gaps and fringes of Sri Lanka, where the plant is known as "da ...

''. The

Indian giant flying squirrel The Indian giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista philippensis''), also called the large brown flying squirrel or the common giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is capable of gliding flight using a skin membrane ...

(''Petaurista philippensis'') inhabits foremost moist deciduous forest with old trees of a mean height, a mean density of and a canopy height of at least . In 2013, a

painted bat The painted bat (''Kerivoula picta'') or painted wooly bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is also known as "butterfly bat" (''projapoti badur''), "rongin chamchika" (coloured bat) or "komola-badami chamchika" (ora ...

(''Kerivoula picta'') was sighted in the eastern part of the tiger reserve.

Birds

Birds observed from 1994 to 1996 comprised 266 species; the 213 resident ones include Malabar grey hornbill (''Ocyceros griseus''),

Indian grey hornbill The Indian gray hornbill (''Ocyceros birostris'') is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. It has grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The h ...

(''O. birostris''),

Indian peafowl The Indian peafowl (''Pavo cristatus''), also known as the common peafowl, and blue peafowl, is a peafowl species native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been introduced to many other countries. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and ...

(''Pavo cristatus''),

Bonelli's eagle The Bonelli's eagle (''Aquila fasciata'') is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an ...

(''Aquila fasciata''), crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela''), black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis''), besra (''Accipiter virgatus'') and crested goshawk (''A. trivirgatus''),

white-rumped shama The white-rumped shama (''Copsychus malabaricus'') is a small passerine bird of the family Muscicapidae. Native to densely vegetated habitats in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, its popularity as a cage-bird and songster has led t ...

(''Copsychus malabaricus''),

Indian roller The Indian roller (''Coracias benghalensis'') is a bird of the family Coraciidae. It is long with a wingspan of and weighs . The face and throat are pinkish, the head and back are brown, with blue on the rump and contrasting light and dark blu ...

(''Coracias benghalensis''), greater flameback (''Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus'') and

white-naped woodpecker The white-naped woodpecker (''Chrysocolaptes festivus'') is woodpecker which is a widespread but a scarce breeder in the Indian Subcontinent. It is associated with open forest and scrub with some trees. It nests in a tree hole, laying one or tw ...

(''C. festivus''),

black-rumped flameback The black-rumped flameback (''Dinopium benghalense''), also known as the lesser golden-backed woodpecker or lesser goldenback, is a woodpecker found widely distributed in the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the few woodpeckers that are seen ...

(''Dinopium benghalense''), white-bellied woodpecker (''Dryocopus javensis''),

heart-spotted woodpecker The heart-spotted woodpecker (''Hemicircus canente'') is a species of bird in the woodpecker family. It has a contrasting black and white plumage, a distinctively stubby body and a large wedge-shaped head making it easy to identify while its freq ...

(''Hemicircus canente''), rufous woodpecker (''Micropternus brachyurus''),

greater racket-tailed drongo The greater racket-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus paradiseus'') is a medium-sized Asian bird which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips. They are placed along with other drongos in the family Di ...

(''Dicrurus paradiseus''), grey-bellied cuckoo (''Cacomantis passerinus'') and Indian cuckoo (''Cuculus micropterus''), coppersmith barbet (''Psilopogon haemacephalus''), white-cheeked barbet (''P. viridis'') and brown-headed barbet (''P. zeylanicus''),

grey francolin The grey francolin (''Ortygornis pondicerianus''), also known as "manu moa" or "chicken bird", is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of the Indian subcontinent and Iran. This species was formerly also called the grey partr ...

(''Ortygornis pondicerianus''),

speckled piculet The speckled piculet (''Picumnus innominatus'') is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It was defined by Burton in 1836. Description The male and female birds look alike. They have olive-green backs, with two white stripes on the side of t ...

(''Picumnus innominatus''), Indian pond heron (''Ardeola grayii''), white-throated kingfisher (''Halcyon smyrnensis''), blue-winged parakeet (''Psittacula columboides''), Nilgiri wood pigeon (''Columba elphinstonii''), common emerald dove (''Chalcophaps indica''),

yellow-footed pigeon The yellow-footed green pigeon (''Treron phoenicopterus''), also known as yellow-legged green pigeon, is a common species of green pigeon found in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia.It is the state bird of Maharashtra.

(''Treron phoenicoptera''), red spurfowl (''Galloperdix spadicea'') and

grey junglefowl The gray junglefowl (''Gallus sonneratii''), also known as Sonnerat's junglefowl, is one of the wild ancestors of the domestic chicken together with the red junglefowl and other junglefowls. The species epithet commemorates the French explore ...

(''Gallus sonneratii''), painted bush quail (''Perdicula erythrorhyncha''), crimson-backed sunbird (''Leptocoma minima''),

Loten's sunbird Loten's sunbird (''Cinnyris lotenius''), also known as the long-billed sunbird or maroon-breasted sunbird, is a sunbird endemic to peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Named after Joan Gideon Loten, who was the Dutch governor of colonial Ceylon, it is ...

(''Cinnyris lotenius''), forest wagtail (''Dendronanthus indicus''), white-browed wagtail (''Motacilla maderaspatensis'')

black-and-orange flycatcher The black-and-orange flycatcher (''Ficedula nigrorufa'') or black-and-rufous flycatcher is a species of flycatcher endemic to the central and southern Western Ghats, the Nilgiris and Palni hill ranges in southern India. It is unique among the ...

(''Ficedula nigrorufa''), Eurasian golden oriole (''Oriolus oriolus'') and black-hooded oriole (''O. xanthornus''). In 2004, pin-striped tit-babblers (''Mixornis gularis'') were observed in a dry stream bed outside the protected area. December to March is the breeding season of

yellow-crowned woodpecker The yellow-crowned woodpecker (''Leiopicus mahrattensis'') or Mahratta woodpecker is a species of small pied woodpecker found in the Indian subcontinent. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Leiopicus''. Taxonomy The yellow-crowned woo ...

(''Leiopicus mahrattensis''), streak-throated woodpecker (''Picus xanthopygaeus''), yellow-throated sparrow (''Gymnoris xanthocollis''), blue-bearded bee-eater (''Nyctyornis atherton''),

Indian robin The Indian robin (''Copsychus fulicatus'')Rasmussen & Anderton emend the species epithet from ''fulicata'' to ''fulicatus'' since ''Saxicola'' is masculine and the ''-oides'' ending is always masculine according to ICZN Code 30.1.4.4ICZN Code. See ...

(''Saxicoloides fulicatus''), scaly-breasted munia (''Lonchura punctulata'') and

white-rumped munia The white-rumped munia (''Lonchura striata'') or white-rumped mannikin, sometimes called striated finch in aviculture, is a small passerine bird from the family of waxbill " finches" ( Estrildidae). These are not close relatives of the true fi ...

(''L. striata''). Spot-bellied eagle-owl,

Oriental scops owl The oriental scops owl (''Otus sunia'') is a species of scops owl found in eastern and southern Asia. Description This is a small, variably plumaged, yellow-eyed owl with ear-tufts which are not always erect. It can be distinguished from the ...

(''Otus sunia''),

brown boobook The brown boobook (''Ninox scutulata''), also known as the brown hawk-owl, is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal east to western Indonesia and south China. This species is a part of t ...

(''Ninox scutulata'') and jungle owlet (''Glaucidium radiatum'') are known night birds in the region. A juvenile cinereous vulture ''(Aegypius monachus)'' was recorded in spring 2019. The vulture populations in Moyar River valley were surveyed in March 2019. About 200 white-rumped vultures and about 30 active

white-backed vulture The white-backed vulture (''Gyps africanus'') is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the most common vulture species in the continent of Africa. Description Preening a ...

''(Gyps africanus)'' nests were observed; Indian vultures ''(G. indicus)'' and

red-headed vulture The red-headed vulture (''Sarcogyps calvus''), also known as the Asian king vulture, Indian black vulture or Pondicherry vulture, is an Old World vulture mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, with small disjunct populations in some parts of So ...

s ''(Sarcogyps calvus)'' were sighted at several locations. Sightings of migrating birds include

booted eagle The booted eagle (''Hieraaetus pennatus'', also classified as ''Aquila pennata'') is a medium-sized mostly migratory bird of prey with a wide distribution in the Palearctic and southern Asia, wintering in the tropics of Africa and Asia, with a ...

''(Hieraaetus pennatus)'',

rufous-bellied eagle The rufous-bellied eagle or rufous-bellied hawk-eagle (''Lophotriorchis kienerii'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is found in the forested regions of tropical Asia. Relatively small for eagles and contrastingly patterned like ...

''(Lophotriorchis kienerii)'',

Eurasian sparrowhawk The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barr ...

''(Accipiter nisus)'',

common buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles ...

''(Buteo buteo)'', western marsh harrier ''(Circus aeruginosus)'' and pallid harrier ''(C. macrourus)'', cotton pygmy goose ''(Nettapus coromandelianus)'',

knob-billed duck The knob-billed duck (''Sarkidiornis melanotos''), or African comb duck, is a duck found in tropical wetlands in Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and the Indian Subcontinent from northern India to Laos and extreme southern China. Most taxonomic ...

''(Sarkidiornis melanotos)'',

northern pintail The pintail or northern pintail (''Anas acuta'') is a duck species with wide geographic distribution that breeds in the northern areas of Europe and across the Palearctic and North America. It is migratory and winters south of its breeding ran ...

''(Anas acuta)'' and rosy starling ''(Pastor roseus)''.

White stork The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...

s (''Ciconia ciconia'') were observed in December 2013 and February 2014.

Reptiles

In 1992, six Indian star tortoises ''(Geochelone elegans)'' were sighted in scrubland at elevations of . An ornate flying snake ('' Chrysopelea ornata'') was observed in 2006. The

mugger crocodile The mugger crocodile (''Crocodylus palustris'') is a medium-sized broad-snouted crocodile, also known as mugger and marsh crocodile. It is native to freshwater habitats from southern Iran to the Indian subcontinent, where it inhabits marshes, l ...

''(Crocodylus palustris)'' population in Moyar River was thought to encompass about 100 individuals as of 2009. Small reptiles recorded in Mudumalai National Park comprise striped coral snake ('' Calliophis nigrescens)'', Elliot's forest lizard (''

Monilesaurus ellioti ''Monilesaurus ellioti'', also known commonly as Elliot's forest lizard, is a species of arboreal, diurnal, lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats, India. Etymology The specific name, ''ellioti'', is in h ...

)'',

Jerdon's day gecko Jerdon's day gecko (''Cnemaspis jerdonii'') is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to India and Sri Lanka. Etymology The specific name, ''jerdonii'', is in honor of British biologist Thomas C. Jerdon. ...

''(Cnemaspis jerdonii)'',

Goan day gecko The Goan day gecko (''Cnemaspis goaensis'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southwestern India. Geographic range ''C. goaensis'' is found in the Indian states of Goa and Karnatka. Reproduction ''C. go ...

''(C. indraneildasii)'' and Beddome's ground skink ''( Kaestlea beddomii)''. A dead Bibron's coral snake ''( Calliophis bibroni)'' was discovered on the road in the

Theppakadu Theppakadu is a village in the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As per Census 2011, it is part of the Mudumalai village which covers and had a population of 1,694 persons in 2011. It has a reserve forest which is part of ...

area at an elevation of in August 2013, the first record since 1874. A

Bengal monitor The Bengal monitor (''Varanus bengalensis''), also called the common Indian monitor, is a monitor lizard distributed widely in the Indian Subcontinent, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and West Asia. This large lizard is mainly a terrestrial a ...

''(Varanus bengalensis)'' was recorded in 2018. The Indian rock python ('' Python molurus'') was studied in the frame of a

telemetry Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', "remote", and ' ...

project in the Moyar River valley from 2017 to 2020. In February 2019, a long female Indian rock python was observed

mating In biology, mating is the pairing of either opposite- sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purposes of sexual reproduction. ''Fertilization'' is the fusion of two gametes. '' Copulation'' is the union of the sex organs of two sexually rep ...

with two smaller males measuring .

Fish

The Moyar River and tributaries harbour 38 fish species, including Nilgiri mystus ''( Hemibagrus punctatus)'', ''

Puntius mudumalaiensis ''Puntius mudumalaiensis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Puntius. It is found in Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territori ...

'', '' Puntius melanostigma'',

reba carp The Reba carp ( ml, കാവേരിക്കണ്ണി) (''Cirrhinus reba'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus ''Cirrhinus ''Cirrhinus'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. Members of this genus ...

''(Cirrhinus reba)'',

common carp The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...

''(Cyprinus carpio)'', Deccan mahseer ''(

Tor khudree ''Tor khudree'', the Deccan mahseer, Khudree mahseer, or black mahseer, is a freshwater fish of the carp family found in major rivers and reservoirs of India and Sri Lanka. Found throughout India, following large-scale introductions of artificia ...

)'', Malabar baril ''(

Barilius gatensis ''Barilius gatensis'' is a fish in genus ''Barilius'' of the family Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barb ...

)'', mullya garra ''(

Garra mullya The mullya garra (''Garra mullya'') or sucker fish is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus '' Garra''. It is found in streams and rivers throughout India except for Assam and the Himalayas. Reports of the species from Nepal have not been ve ...

)'',

zig-zag eel The zig-zag eel (''Mastacembelus armatus''), also known as the tire-track eel, tire-track spiny eel or marbled spiny eel, is a species of Fish anatomy#Spines and rays, ray-finned, Mastacembelidae, spiny eels belonging to the genus ''Mastacembelu ...

''(Mastacembelus armatus)'' and bullseye snakehead ''( Channa marulius)''.

Threats

From 1979 to 2011, remains of 148 dead Asian elephants were found in the park; 50 individuals were killed by

poacher Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...

s. Traffic on three public roads cutting through Mudumalai National Park pose a significant threat to the park's wildlife; between December 1998 and March 1999 alone, 180 animals belonging to 40 species were killed by drivers. Between December 2006 and November 2007, 101 amphibians and 78 reptiles became

s on a stretch of the national highway passing through the park including '' Indirana'' frogs, Indian skipper frog ''( Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis)'', bronzed frog ''(

Indosylvirana temporalis ''Indosylvirana temporalis'', commonly known as the bronzed frog or Günther's golden-backed frog, is a species of true frog found in the riparian evergreen forests of the highlands of southwestern Sri Lanka. They are found abundantly on or cl ...

)'', pigmy wrinkled frog ''( Nyctibatrachus beddomii)'', Asian common toad ''(

Duttaphrynus melanostictus ''Duttaphrynus melanostictus'' is commonly called Asian common toad, Asian black-spined toad, Asian toad, black-spectacled toad, common Sunda toad, and Javanese toad. It is probably a complex of more than one true toad species that is widely ...

)'', common green forest lizard ''(

Calotes calotes ''Calotes calotes'', the common green forest lizard, is an agamid lizard found in the forests of the Western Ghats and the Shevaroy Hills in India, and Sri Lanka. Description ''Calotes calotes'' is a considerably large species of agamid, meas ...

)'',

Blanford's rock agama Blanford's rock agama (''Psammophilus blanfordanus'') is species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Peninsular India. One of two species in the genus, ''P. blanfordanus'' is found mainly to the east of the distribution of ...

''(Psammophilus blanfordanus)'',

Mysore day gecko The Mysore day gecko (''Cnemaspis mysoriensis'') is a species of Diurnality, diurnal gecko endemic to the Bangalore uplands in Karnataka state, South India. It is rock-dwelling and is found in deciduous forest tracts in mid-hills. This species oc ...

''(Cnemaspis mysoriensis)'', bronze grass skink ''(

Eutropis macularia The bronze grass skink, bronze mabuya or speckled forest skink (''Eutropis macularia''), is a species of skink found in South and Southeast Asia. It is a common, but shy, ground-dwelling species that is active both day and night. Description ...

)'', green keelback ''(

Rhabdophis plumbicolor ''Rhabdophis plumbicolor'', known as the green keelback or lead keelback, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae native to parts of the Indian subcontinent. Description :''See snake scales for terminology used'' ''R. plu ...

)'', trinket snake ''(Coelognathus helena)'', Russell's viper ''(Daboia russelii)'', common krait ''(Bungarus caeruleus)'' and hump-nosed viper ''( Hypnale hypnale)''. Between January 2014 and December 2016, 497 Indian palm squirrels ''(Funambulus palmarum)'' were found killed in traffic collisions on a long stretch of a state highway passing through the park. A long roadkilled Bibron's coral snake was found in September 2016. Proliferating tourism resorts and increasing demand for

firewood Firewood is any wooden material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form, compared to other forms of wood fuel like pellets or chips. Firewood c ...

at the national park's periphery are also considered threats to its ecosystem. In 1995, the annual firewood need was estimated at per person living in the periphery of the national park. Between 1999 and 2013, six forest fires affected dry deciduous forest patches ranging in size from to in the northern part of the national park; the plant diversity in burned patches needs more than 15 years to recover.

References

External links

* * * * * * {{Tiger Reserves of India Tiger reserves of India National parks in Tamil Nadu Protected areas established in 1940 1940 establishments in India Nilgiris district South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Wildlife sanctuaries of the Western Ghats

History

Geography

Climate

Flora

Fauna

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Fish

Threats

See also

References

External links