The Amazing Wildlife and Animal Species in The Rainforests of Western Ghats of India
Western Ghats also known as the Great Escarpment of India is home to wide ranges of wild animal and bird species. The rainforest of India runs parallel to the Arabian Sea along with west coast of India and form one of the top ten hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world. It is a world heritage sites and has number of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests, which are home to thousands of animal species, major fauna of Western Ghats includes Tiger,Leopard,Dhole as predators and elephant, Indian bison and deer are prey.
Wildlife of Western Ghats Also Includes Endemic Animals of Nilgiri Hills
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal Tiger is the king of forest and the apex predator of Western Ghats, These hill ranges of Western Ghats are home to ten percent of India’s critically endangered tiger population live in the Tiger Reserve,Wildlife Sanctuary and National Parks.
Indian Leopard
The Indian Leopard one of the five big cats found in India, apart from Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard. Indian Leopards has status of near threatened due to habitat loss,heavy poaching for skins and human wildlife conflict.
Black Panther
The Black Panther or more commonly called as black leopard is color variant of leopard, one of the species of larger cats found in India. Western Ghats is the only place where Black Panther can be spotted in India. Photo Credit: Indianaturewatch
Indian Wild Dog
The Indian wild dog also called as Dhole is one of the most dangerous wild animal of Western Ghats region of India. Dhole are classed as endangered due to loss of habitat, depletion of prey and diseases from domestic dogs. The Nagarhole National Park is the best place to spot this one of the top India predators in the wild forest.
Indian Elephants
The Indian elephant are one of the wild animal of Western Ghats,who can be spotted easily, Elephant is worship by Indian people and play a major role in the life of Kerala culture. Indian elephants are also listed as endangered due to habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.
Indian Bison
The gaur or Indian bison is the largest bovine in India, unfortunately listed as vulnerable due to loss of habitat and deforestation. Indian Bison is also called gayal or mithun, is tallest species of wild cattle found in Western Ghats and outflanking hills forest.
Lion Tailed Macaque
The endangered Lion-tailed macaque is endemic to the Western Ghats and an Old World monkey. Lion-tailed macaque along with Nilgiri langur and Gray langur are the few species of monkeys found in the Indian Subcontinent.
Indian Giant Squirrel
The Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel is one of the giant animal native to India, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is best place to spot this tree squirrel in Maharashtra. Malabar Giant Squirrel is the largest squirrel in the world.
Great Indian Hornbill
The Great Indian Hornbill also known as great Pied Hornbill is one of the largest bird in India,found in the dense forests of Western Ghats and north-east states of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Malabar Grey Hornbill and Malabar Pied Hornbill are two more species of hornbill that is endemic to the Western Ghats.
Crested Hawk Eagle
The Changeable Hawk-Eagle or Crested Hawk-Eagle is one of the most beautiful species of bird of prey found in India. Changeable Hawk-Eagle is mamedium-large raptor breed in the Indian Subcontinent. Photo Credit: Dev Wijewardane
Big Barn Owl
The barn owl is one of the species of owl found in Western Ghats region, Brown Wood Owl, Collared Scops Owl and Mottled Wood Owl being the other. Oriental Bay Owl is another and most beautiful owl, has a heart-shaped face and has several subspecies.
King Cobra -Reptile
The giant king cobra is the most beautiful and the world’s longest venomous snake, lives in rainforests, scrub, and grasslands of the Western Ghats. King Cobra is a snake-eater,especially ratsnake but also feed on lizards, birds and rodents.
Purple Frog – Amphibians
Purple Frog is one of the most endangered species of Amphibia found in the Western Ghats in India, especially around the Palghat Gap. It is one of the recently found species and one of the bizarre animal of India. Photo Credit: Sandeshkadur
Southern Birdwing – Butterfly
The Southern Birdwing is one of the most common butterfly found in Western Ghats and parts of the Eastern Ghats. Troides minos is the the largest butterfly found in southern India, more common in the Western Ghats.
Wroughton’s Free Tailed Bat
The Wroughton’s free-tailed bat is one of the critically endangered species and only found in the Western Ghats area of India. This free-tailed bat is one of the most critically endangered species of bat in the world.
Land Snails – Mollusc
The rainforest of Western Ghats region is also home to a large number of land snails species, most of them are endemic of region. These Colourful snails are major attractions for the researcher and nature lover.
Millipede – Arthropod
The giant black millipede are beautiful, extremely docile, moisture-loving giants arthropod found throughout the region of western ghats and eastern ghats as well.
