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Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Meghamalai (Tamil: மேகமலை), commonly known as the High Wavy Mountains, is a mountain range located in the Western Ghats in the Theni district near Kumily, Tamil Nadu. It is dotted with cardamom plantations and tea plantations. The mountain range is 1,500 metres above sea level, and it is rich in flora and fauna. The area, now mostly planted with tea plants, includes cloudlands, high wavys, venniar, and the manalar estates belonging to the Woodbriar Group. Access is largely restricted and includes largely untouched remnants of evergreen forest. Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary For a long time, there has been a pending proposal with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to establish the Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary on 600 km2 of forest in the division. The suggested priority tasks in the sanctuary include: the control of poaching, the use of pesticides for the elimination of ganja (''Cannabis sativa'') and the cultivation as well as scientific management of watershe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, India. It is notable as an elephant reserve and a tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses , of which of the core zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982. The park is a repository of rare, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala: the Periyar and the Pamba. The park is located high in the Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the south Western Ghats along the border with Tamil Nadu. It is from Kumily, approximately east of Kottayam, west of Madurai and southeast of Kochi. History The first official action towards the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in Kerala was taken in 1934 by the Maharaja of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, by declaring the forests around Periyar lake as a private reserve to stop the encroachment of tea plantat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 habitat This species is endemic to India, with main sections of its distribution in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Satpura Range as far north as Madhya Pradesh (approximately 22° N). It is found at altitudes of in tropical deciduous, semi-deciduous (where often utilizing denser riparian growth), and moist evergreen forests and woodlands. In general, its distribution is fragmented because it is intolerant of habitat degradation. The Indian giant squirrel generally nests in taller trees with a mean height of (± SD) in order to avoid predators. Description The Indian giant squirrel is one of the largest squirrels, with a head–and–body length of , a tail that is about the same or somewhat longer, and a weight of , alt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Flying Fox
The Indian flying fox (''Pteropus medius'', formerly ''Pteropus giganteus''), also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, as it is capable of transmitting several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar. This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption. Taxonomy and phylogeny The Indian flying fox was described as a new species by Dutch zoologist and museum curator Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1825 who gave it the scientific name ''Pteropus medius''. Confusion over the name has prevailed in the literature as in 1782 Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich, gave the scientific name ''Vespertilio gigantea'' as a replac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grizzled Giant Squirrel
The grizzled giant squirrel (''Ratufa macroura'') is a large tree squirrel in the genus '' Ratufa'' found in the highlands of the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka, and in patches of riparian forest along the Kaveri River and in the hill forests of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southern India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened due to habitat loss and hunting. Etymology and common names Grizzled giant squirrels are named for the white flecks of hair that cover their greyish-brown bodies, giving them a grizzled look. Description ''R. macroura'' is the smallest of the giant squirrels found in the Indian subcontinent, with a head and body length of , and tail measuring roughly the same or more, for a total length of . It has small rounded ears with pointed tufts. The home range of an individual is between . Subspecies ''dandolena'' is dorsally brown grizzled with white. Ventrally light brownish cream ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
