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KERALA WILDLIFE AND
JUNGLES
Nestled in the verdant forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala are 12 Wildlife sanctuaries and two National Parks.
The Wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks in Kerala are as under:
Peppara wildlife sanctuary
A 53 Sq km wildlife sanctuary. It has mammals like Lion Tailed Macaque, Elephant, Shola birds. This forest is a tropical evergreen moist deciduous forest with cultivated lands and plantations. This sanctuary lies in Trivandrum district.
Neyyar wildlife sanctuary
It is a 128 sq km tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forest including plantations and cultivated land. It has mammals like Ibex, Lion Tailed Macaque, Elephant, Nilgiri Langur, and Crocodile, Shola birds. More than 150 endemics
Chenduruni wildlife sanctuary
This is spread over 100 sq.km and mammals like Tiger, Lion Tailed Macaque, Shola birds & lesser predators inhabit this sanctuary. This is a moist deciduous and tropical evergreen forest and myristica swamps along with plantation land. This falls under Kollam district
Periyar wildlife sanctuary
This sanctuary is a 777 sq km tropical evergreen moist deciduous forest. It has mammals like lion tailed macaque elephants tigers, black panther and small mammals. Some stretch of plantation also intrudes this forest
Chinnar wildlife sanctuary
This wildlife sanctuary is spread across a 90 square km area and is located near the Kerala Tamil Nadu border. A deciduous forest, it has animals and birds like elephants, porcupine, lion tailed monkeys, jungle fowl, spotted dove and the Nilgiri Tahr.
Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary
A 274 Sq.km wildlife sanctuary, this sanctuary is a tropical evergreen dry deciduous forest and has mammals like Nilgiri Tahr, Lion Tailed Macaque, Gaur & Elephants. It also has some stretch of plantations
Aralam wildlife sanctuary
The Aralam Wildlife sanctuary is a 55 Sq km tropical semi evergreen and Montane forest. This is in Kannur district. The mammals found here are Nilgiri langur Sambar and Gaur.
Thatekkad bird sanctuary
This bird sanctuary is spread over 25 sq. km and it is a tropical semi evergreen ,moist deciduous forest. This sanctuary also has cultivated land and plantation. The birds commonly seen here are
Other bird sanctuary include the Kumarakom bird sanctuary and Kadalundi bird sanctuary which falls in the Kottayam and Mallapuram district respectively
Chimmony wildlife sanctuary
Spread over 90 sq km this tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forest has mammals like tiger and elephants
Wayanad wildlife sanctuary
It is a 344 Sq km tropical semi evergreen and moist deciduous forest in North Kerala. Some of the mammals seen here are tigers and elephant. This spread of the sanctuary also has plantation and cultivated lands.
The other 2 sanctuaries are the Idukki and Peechi -Vazhani wildlife sanctuary situated in Idukki and Trichur district of Kerala.
Silent Valley National Park
A topical semi evergreen forest spread across 89 sq.km.It has animals like lion tailed macque tigers and lesser carnivores. This forest lies in Palghat district
Eravikulam National Park
It is a 97 sq km park. A montane forest and grassland, it has animals like Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Pine, High elevation Shola birds. This park is situated in Idukki district
Main animals in the sanctuaries of Kerala are Elephants, gaur, sambar, deer, wild dogs, jungle cats, tigers, wild boars, sloth bears, leopards, lion tailed macaques, Nilgiri Tahrs, langur, malabar giant squirrel, flying squirrel, tiger, panthers, spotted deer, grizzled giant squirrels, peacocks, star tortoises, wild dogs, civets, The Atlas moth, bonnet, macaques, Loris, mongoose, foxes, bears, barking deer, pangolins, bison, bears etc..
Main reptiles in sanctuaries of Kerala are Cobra, Viper, krait, a number of non poisonous snakes, bi-colored frogs, crocodiles, varanur pond terrapins, cane turtles, star tortoises, geckoes, skunks, chameleons, spectacled cobras, pythons, green keel backs, rat snakes, vine snakes, monitor lizards etc.
Main birds in the sanctuaries of Kerala are water fowl, cuckoo, owl, egret, heron, water duck, migratory siberian duck, jungle fowls, mynas, laughing thrushes, black bulbuls, peafowls, woodpeckers, kingfishers, the hornbill, stork, raptor, darter, cormorant, grackle, cluster, indian rollers, common snipes, crow pheasants, jungle nightjars, kites, grey drongos, malabar trogons, large pied wagtails, baya sparrows, grey jungle fowls, indian hill mynas, robins, jungle babblers, sunbirds, peacocks, crimson-throated barbets, bee-eaters, shrikes, fairy bluebirds, grey-headed fishing eagles, black winged kites, night herons, grey hornbills, malabar hornbills and more than 253 additional species including migrant birds..
Main flora in the sanctuaries of Kerala are Teak, maruthu, karimaruthi, rosewood, venteak, vengal, chadachi, mazhukanjiram, bamboo, neem, nanjanathi, sandal, dendrocalamus, marythu, vaka, , mulluvenka. elavu, manjakadambu pala, vembu, aval etc. with over 1800 flowering plants including 171 grass species, 143 species of orchids .
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