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 individual ...

in the

Nilgiri Mountains The Nilgiri Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in northwestern Tamil Nadu, Southern Karnataka, and eastern Kerala in India. They are located at the trijunction of three states and connect the Western Ghats with the Eastern Ghats. At le ...

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 language ...

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

. It covers at an elevation range of in the

Nilgiri District The Nilgiris district () is one of the 38 districts in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri ( en, Blue Mountains) is the name given to a range of mountains spread across the borders among the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Ker ...

and shares boundaries with the states of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

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 Ca ...

. A part of this area has been protected since 1940. The national park has been part of

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in the Nilgiri mountains of the Western Ghats in South India. It is the largest protected forest area in India, spreading across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It includes the protected ar ...

since 1986 and was declared a

tiger reserve 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, protecti ...

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, discon ...

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 s ...

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 mouthpar ...

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 animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

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 ...

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 Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

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 Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply cha ...

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 ...

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

in 1986. It was declared as a

Tiger Reserve 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, protecti ...

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, prote ...

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 The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established in December 2005, following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganised management of Project Tiger and the many Tiger Res ...

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 ...

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 Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala, India with an extent of and four hill ranges namely Sulthan Bathery, Muthanga, Kurichiat and Tholpetty. A variety of large wild animals such as gaur, Asian elephant, deer a ...

, in the north by

Bandipur National Park Bandipur National Park is a national park covering in Chamarajnagar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It was established as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986. Hist ...

and in the east by Sigur

Reserve Forest A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

. 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 demili ...

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 temperate zon ...

with dipterocarp species prevailing. Its undulating hills consist mostly of

hornblendite Hornblendite is a plutonic rock consisting mainly of the amphibole hornblende. Hornblende-rich ultramafic rocks are rare and when hornblende is the dominant mineral phase they are classified as hornblendites with qualifiers such as garnet hor ...

and biotite gneiss 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 of ...

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 T ...

. 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 connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities or structures (such as roads, development, or logging). This allows an exchange of individuals between ...

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 p ...

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 t ...

(''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 is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. ...

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 A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from tree ...

, 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 themsel ...

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 ( pan ...

''(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, ...

)'', Indian laurel ''(

Terminalia elliptica ''Terminalia elliptica'' is a species of '' Terminalia'' native to southern and southeast Asia in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.Sal and Saaj Deforestation in West Nepal"Terminalia Tomentosa"/ref> It is a ...

)'', kusum tree ''(

Schleichera ''Schleichera'' is a monotypic genus of plants in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. There is only one species, ''Schleichera oleosa'', a tree that occurs in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Species ''Schleichera oleosa'', kusum ...

oleosa)'', weaver's beam tree ''( Schrebera swietenioides)'', Malabar kino tree ''(

Pterocarpus marsupium ''Pterocarpus marsupium'', also known as Malabar kino, Indian kino, Vijayasar, or Venkai is a medium to large, deciduous tree that can grow up to tall. It is native to India (where it occurs in parts of the Western Ghats in the Karnataka- Ke ...

)'', Indian rosewood ''(

Dalbergia latifolia ''Dalbergia latifolia'' (synonym ''Dalbergia emarginata'') is a premier timber species, also known as the Indian rosewood ( Tamil / தமிழ்: Eetti / ஈட்டி). It is native to low-elevation tropical monsoon forests of south east ...

)'', 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 i ...

)'', 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 Pongam ...

)''; 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 ty ...

)'' 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 tim ...

)'' grow along river courses. Climbers include orange climber ''( Zanthoxylum asiaticum)'', '' Dregea volubilis'', frangipani vine ''( Chonemorpha fragrans)'', trellis-vine ''(

Pergularia daemia ''Pergularia daemia'', the trellis-vine, is a hispid, perennial vine in the family Asclepiadaceae, with an extensive range in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It has been used traditionally to treat a number of ailments. It is sometimes call ...

)'', purple morning glory ''( Argyreia cuneata)'', striped cucumber ''(

Diplocyclos palmatus ''Diplocyclos palmatus'' is a vine in the family Cucurbitaceae. It is commonly known as native bryony or striped cucumber. In Marathi, it is called due to its seed which resembles a lingam. Distribution The plant is a rich source of medicinal ...

)'' 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 culti ...

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 Lank ...

)'', 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 introdu ...

'' 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 a ...

)'' 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 The red-vented bulbul (''Pycnonotus cafer'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Bhutan and Nepal. It has been introduc ...

''(Pycnonotus cafer)'' and

red-whiskered bulbul The red-whiskered bulbul (''Pycnonotus jocosus''), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical are ...

''(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 The brown fish owl (''Ketupa zeylonensis'') is a fish owl species in the family known as typical owls, Strigidae. It is native from Turkey to South and Southeast Asia. Due its wide distribution it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. ...

''(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 ranges ...

''(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.Ferguso ...

''(Nisaetus cirrhatus)'' and

shikra The shikra (''Accipiter badius'') is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the little banded goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usual ...

''(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 i ...

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, littoral ...

(''Felis chaus''),

rusty-spotted cat The rusty-spotted cat (''Prionailurus rubiginosus'') is one of the cat family's smallest members, of which historical records are known only from India and Sri Lanka. In 2012, it was also recorded in the western Terai of Nepal. Since 2016, the g ...

(''Prionailurus rubiginosus'') and

leopard cat The leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by hab ...

(''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. It ...

(''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. He ...

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 creamy ...

(''Canis aureus''), striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') and Nilgiri marten (''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 degradation ...

(''Melursus ursinus'') collected along forest roads and animal trails contained remains of 18 plant species with golden shower (''

Cassia fistula ''Cassia fistula'', commonly known as golden shower, purging cassia, Indian laburnum, or pudding-pipe tree,U. S. Department of Agriculture, William Saunders; Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture; ...

''), Indian plum (''

Zizyphus mauritiana ''Ziziphus mauritiana'', also known as Indian jujube, Indian plum, Chinese date, Chinese apple, ber, and dunks is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related Chinese jujube (' ...

'') and clammy cherry (''

Cordia obliqua ''Cordia obliqua'', the clammy cherry, is a flowering plant species in the genus ''Cordia''. The larvae of '' Brenthia coronigera'', a species of moth found in Bengal, India, feeds on ''Cordia obliqua''. Hesperetin 7-rhamnoside, a glycoside of ...

'') 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 cosm ...

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 agr ...

(''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 rang ...

(''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus'') and

brown palm civet The brown palm civet (''Paradoxurus jerdoni'') also called the Jerdon's palm civet is a palm civet endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Taxonomy The scientific name ''Paradoxurus jerdoni'' was introduced by William Thomas Blanford in ...

(''P. jerdoni'') live in both deciduous and semi-evergreen forest patches;

ruddy mongoose The ruddy mongoose (''Urva smithii'') is a mongoose species native to hill forests in India and Sri Lanka. Description The ruddy mongoose's fur is brownish and coarse, long in hindquarters, but short in other parts of the body. Its head to body ...

(''Urva smithii'') lives foremost in deciduous forest, whereas

stripe-necked mongoose The stripe-necked mongoose (''Urva vitticolla'') is a mongoose species native to forests and shrublands from southern India to Sri Lanka. Characteristics It is rusty brown to grizzled grey, has a stout body and short legs, a black stripe tha ...

(''U. vitticollis'') frequents riverine areas, and

Indian grey mongoose The Indian grey mongoose (''Urva edwardsii'') is a mongoose species native to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The grey mongoose inhabits open forests, scrublands and cultivated fie ...

''U. edwardsii'' open habitats. The mongooses forage foremost for

pill millipede Pill millipedes are any members of two living (and one extinct) orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha. The name Oniscomorpha refers to the millipedes' resemblance to certain woodlice (Oniscidea), also ...

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 Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur ...

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 m ...

(''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, giraffes, ...

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 The Indian spotted chevrotain (''Moschiola indica'') is a species of even-toed ungulate in the family Tragulidae. It is native to India and possibly Nepal. It lives in rainforests and is nocturnal. It has a body length of with a long tail lengt ...

(''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 sheep) ...

(''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. Ma ...

(''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 i ...

(''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 The Indian crested porcupine (''Hystrix indica'') is a hystricomorph rodent species native to southern Asia and the Middle East. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae. De ...

(''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 wit ...

(''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 Gray langurs, also called Hanuman langurs and Hanuman monkeys, are Old World monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent constituting the genus ''Semnopithecus''. Traditionally only one species ''Semnopithecus entellus'' was recognized, but since a ...

(''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 Fabacea ...

(''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 deciduou ...

''), 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 Af ...

''), kaayam ('' Memecylon edule'') 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

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...

s. The range of the

Indian giant squirrel The Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel (''Ratufa indica'') is a large multi-coloured tree squirrel species endemic to forests and woodlands in India. It is a diurnal, arboreal, and mainly herbivorous squirrel. Distribution and ...

(''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''. 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 (''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 The Malabar gray hornbill (''Ocyceros griseus'') is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They have a large beak but lack the casque that is prominent in some other hornbill species. They are found main ...

(''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 hor ...

(''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 The crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considera ...

(''Spilornis cheela''), black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis''),

besra The besra (''Accipiter virgatus''), also called the besra sparrowhawk, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. The besra is a widespread resident breeder in dense forests throughout southern Asia, ranging from the Indian subcontinent ea ...

(''Accipiter virgatus'') and

crested goshawk The crested goshawk (''Accipiter trivirgatus'') is a bird of prey from tropical Asia. It is related to other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards (or buteos) and harriers, and thus placed in the family Accipitridae.Grimmett ''et al.'' (1999) ...

(''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 to it ...

(''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 The greater flameback (''Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus'') also known as greater goldenback, large golden-backed woodpecker is a woodpecker species. It occurs widely in the northern Indian subcontinent, eastwards to southern China, the Malay Pe ...

(''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 ...

(''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 The white-bellied woodpecker or great black woodpecker (''Dryocopus javensis'') is found in evergreen forests of tropical Asia, including the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has 14 subspecies, part of a complex including the Andaman w ...

(''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 fre ...

(''Hemicircus canente''),

rufous woodpecker The rufous woodpecker (''Micropternus brachyurus'') is a medium-sized brown woodpecker native to South and Southeast Asia. It is short-billed, foraging in pairs on small insects, particularly ants and termites, in scrub, evergreen, and deciduous ...

(''Micropternus brachyurus''), greater racket-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus paradiseus''),

grey-bellied cuckoo The grey-bellied cuckoo or the Indian plaintive cuckoo (''Cacomantis passerinus'') is a cuckoo with widespread occurrence throughout Asia. Description The grey-bellied cuckoo is one of the smaller cuckoos, at a total length of about 23 cm. ...

(''Cacomantis passerinus'') and

Indian cuckoo The Indian cuckoo (''Cuculus micropterus'') is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, that is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It ranges from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia ...

(''Cuculus micropterus''),

coppersmith barbet The coppersmith barbet (''Psilopogon haemacephalus''), also called crimson-breasted barbet and coppersmith, is an Asian barbet with crimson forehead and throat, known for its metronomic call that sounds similar to a coppersmith striking metal wit ...

(''Psilopogon haemacephalus''),

white-cheeked barbet The white-cheeked barbet or small green barbet (''Psilopogon viridis'') is a species of Asian barbet found in southern India. It is very similar to the more widespread brown-headed barbet (or large green barbet, ''Psilopogon zeylanicus''), but ...

(''P. viridis'') and

brown-headed barbet The Brown-headed barbet (''Psilopogon zeylanicus'') is an Asian barbet species native to the Indian subcontinent, where it inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. It is widespread, with its range stretching from the Terai in so ...

(''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 pa ...

(''Ortygornis pondicerianus''), speckled piculet (''Picumnus innominatus''), Indian pond heron (''Ardeola grayii''),

white-throated kingfisher The white-throated kingfisher (''Halcyon smyrnensis'') also known as the white-breasted kingfisher is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia from the Sinai east through the Indian subcontinent to China and Indonesia. This kingfisher is a ...

(''Halcyon smyrnensis''),

blue-winged parakeet The blue-winged parakeet, also known as the Malabar parakeet (''Psittacula columboides'') is a species of parakeet endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. Found in small flocks, they fly rapidly in forest clearings while making screech ...

(''Psittacula columboides''),

Nilgiri wood pigeon The Nilgiri wood pigeon (''Columba elphinstonii'') is large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern India. They are mainly frugivorous and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests. They ar ...

(''Columba elphinstonii''),

common emerald dove The common emerald dove (''Chalcophaps indica''), also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. ...

(''Chalcophaps indica''), yellow-footed pigeon (''Treron phoenicoptera''),

red spurfowl The red spurfowl (''Galloperdix spadicea'') is a member of the pheasant family and is endemic to India. It is a bird of forests, and is quite secretive despite its size. It has a distinctive call and is often hard to see except for a few seconds ...

(''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 The painted bush quail (''Perdicula erythrorhyncha'') is a species of quail found in the hill forests of India. They move in small coveys on hillsides and are distinguished by their red bills and legs. They have a liquid alarm call and small grou ...

(''Perdicula erythrorhyncha''),

crimson-backed sunbird The crimson-backed sunbird or small sunbird (''Leptocoma minima'') is a sunbird endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Like other sunbirds, they feed mainly on nectar although they take insects, especially to feed their young. They are tiny bird ...

(''Leptocoma minima''), Loten's sunbird (''Cinnyris lotenius''), forest wagtail (''Dendronanthus indicus''),

white-browed wagtail The white-browed wagtail or large pied wagtail (''Motacilla maderaspatensis'') is a medium-sized bird and is the largest member of the wagtail family. They are conspicuously patterned with black above and white below, a prominent white brow, sh ...

(''Motacilla maderaspatensis'') black-and-orange flycatcher (''Ficedula nigrorufa''),

Eurasian golden oriole The Eurasian golden oriole (''Oriolus oriolus'') also called the common golden oriole, is the only member of the Old World oriole family of passerine birds breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and ...

(''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 w ...

(''Leiopicus mahrattensis''), streak-throated woodpecker (''Picus xanthopygaeus''),

yellow-throated sparrow The yellow-throated sparrow or chestnut-shouldered petronia (''Gymnoris xanthocollis'') is a species of sparrow found in southern Asia. Description It has a finer bill than typical sparrows of the genus ''Passer'' and unlike them has no str ...

(''Gymnoris xanthocollis''),

blue-bearded bee-eater The blue-bearded bee-eater (''Nyctyornis athertoni'') is a species of bee-eater found in much of the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. This bee-eater is found in forest clearings. It is found mainly in the Malayan region but exten ...

(''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 The scaly-breasted munia or spotted munia (''Lonchura punctulata''), known in the pet trade as nutmeg mannikin or spice finch, is a sparrow-sized estrildid finch native to tropical Asia. A species of the genus ''Lonchura'', it was formally descr ...

(''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 finch ...

(''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 c ...

(''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 ...

(''Ninox scutulata'') and

jungle owlet The jungle owlet (''Glaucidium radiatum'') or barred jungle owlet is native to the Indian Subcontinent. The species is often found singly, in pairs or small groups and they are usually detected by their calls at dawn and dusk. There are two subsp ...

(''Glaucidium radiatum'') are known night birds in the region. A juvenile

cinereous vulture The cinereous vulture (''Aegypius monachus'') is a large raptor in the family Accipitridae and distributed through much of temperate Eurasia. It is also known as the black vulture, monk vulture and Eurasian black vulture. With a body length of , ...

''(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 at ...

''(Gyps africanus)'' nests were observed;

Indian vulture The Indian vulture (''Gyps indicus'') is an Old World vulture native to India, Pakistan and Nepal. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002, as the population severely declined. Indian vultures died of kidney fa ...

s ''(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 Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting b ...

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 which has a large range. A member of the genus '' Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range acr ...

''(Buteo buteo)'',

western marsh harrier The western marsh harrier (''Circus aeruginosus'') is a large harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier. Formerly, a number of relatives were includ ...

''(Circus aeruginosus)'' and

pallid harrier The pale or pallid harrier (''Circus macrourus'') is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier subfamily. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek. ''Circus'' is from ''kirkos'', referring to a bird of prey named for its circling fli ...

''(C. macrourus)'',

cotton pygmy goose The cotton pygmy goose or cotton teal (''Nettapus coromandelianus'') is a small perching duck which breeds in Asia, Southeast Asia extending south and east to Queensland where they are sometimes called white-quilled pygmy goose. They are among ...

''(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 au ...

''(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 ...

''(Anas acuta)'' and

rosy starling The rosy starling (''Pastor roseus'') is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, also known as the rose-coloured starling or rose-coloured pastor. The species was recently placed in its own monotypic genus, ''Pastor'', and split fro ...

''(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 e ...

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

Reptiles

In 1992, six

Indian star tortoise The Indian star tortoise (''Geochelone elegans'') is a threatened tortoise species native to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where it inhabits dry areas and scrub forest. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2016, as the pop ...

s ''(Geochelone elegans)'' were sighted in scrubland at elevations of . An ornate flying snake (''

Chrysopelea ornata :''Common names: golden tree snake,Daniels,J. C. (2002) The Book of Indian Reptiles and Amphibians, BNHS & Oxford University Press, Mumbai, pp 106–107.Ecology Asia - Snakes of Southeast Asia: page on Golden Tree Snake'Encyclopædia Britannica o ...

'') 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 marshe ...

''(Crocodylus palustris)'' population in Moyar River was thought to encompass about 100 individuals as of 2009. Small

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates ( lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalia ...

s recorded in Mudumalai National Park comprise striped coral snake (''

Calliophis nigrescens ''Calliophis nigriscens'', commonly known as the black coral snake or striped coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake endemic to the Western Ghats, India. Geographic range It is found in India in the Western Ghats, Karwar, Wayanad, ...

)'', Elliot's forest lizard ('' Monilesaurus ellioti)'', Jerdon's day gecko ''(Cnemaspis jerdonii)'', Goan day gecko ''(C. indraneildasii)'' and Beddome's ground skink ''( Kaestlea beddomii)''. A dead Bibron's coral snake ''(

Calliophis bibroni ''Calliophis bibroni'', commonly known as Bibron's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to India. Etymology The specific name, ''bibroni'', is in honor of Gabriel Bibron (1806–1848), Fren ...

)'' was discovered on the road in the Theppakadu 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 The Indian python (''Python molurus'') is a large python species native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is also known by the common names black-tailed python, Indian rock python, and Asian ...

'') 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", an ...

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 reprod ...

with two smaller males measuring .

Fish

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

Hemibagrus punctatus ''Hemibagrus punctatus'', or Nilgiri mystus, is a species of fish in the family Bagridae. It was first described by Jerdon in 1849. It is endemic to east-flowing rivers in the Western Ghats of India. Of these, the species is likely only found ...

)'', '' Puntius mudumalaiensis'', '' Puntius melanostigma'', reba carp ''(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 artif ...

)'', Malabar baril ''( Barilius gatensis)'', mullya garra ''( Garra mullya)'', zig-zag eel ''(Mastacembelus armatus)'' and bullseye snakehead ''(

Channa marulius ''Channa marulius'' (bullseye snakehead or great snakehead) is a large species of snakehead native to South Asia. Populations in Southeast Asia are now regarded as separate species.Adamson, E. A. S. and R. Britz (2018). The snakehead fish Chann ...

)''.

Threats

From 1979 to 2011, remains of 148 dead Asian elephants were found in the park; 50 individuals were killed by poachers. 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 ''Indirana'' is a genus of frogs in the family Ranixalidae. These frogs are endemic to the Western Ghats of India. They are sometimes known under the common name Indian frogs, whereas members of their parent family are named "leaping frogs" ...

'' frogs, Indian skipper frog ''( Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis)'', bronzed frog ''( Indosylvirana temporalis)'', pigmy wrinkled frog ''(

Nyctibatrachus beddomii ''Nyctibatrachus beddomii'' (common names: Beddome's night frog, pigmy wrinkled frog, Beddome's dwarf wrinkled frog, and Tirunelveli's hill frog) is a species of frog in the family Nyctibatrachidae. The epithet or specific name, ''beddomii'', h ...

)'', 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 d ...

)'', common green forest lizard ''( Calotes calotes)'', Blanford's rock agama ''(Psammophilus blanfordanus)'', Mysore day gecko ''(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 T ...

)'', 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. ...

)'',

trinket snake The common trinket snake (''Coelognathus helena'') is a nonvenomous constrictor species of colubrid snake native to south Central Asia. Etymology The specific name of this snake, ''helena'', is thought to be a reference to Helen of Troy, con ...

''(Coelognathus helena)'',

Russell's viper Russell's viper (''Daboia russelii''), is a venomous snake in the family Viperidae native to the Indian subcontinent and one of the big four snakes in India. It was described in 1797 by George Shaw and Frederick Polydore Nodder, and named af ...

''(Daboia russelii)'',

common krait The common krait (''Bungarus caeruleus''), also known as Bengal krait, is a species of highly venomous elapid snake of the genus ''Bungarus'' native to the Indian subcontinent. It is a member of the "Big Four" species that inflict the most snake ...

''(Bungarus caeruleus)'' and hump-nosed viper ''(

Hypnale hypnale ''Hypnale hypnale'' is a venomous pit viper species endemic to India and Sri Lanka. Common names include the hump-nosed viper,United States Navy (1991). ''Poisonous Snakes of the World''. New York: United States Government/Dover Publications In ...

)''. 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 ca ...

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