Wildlife of Tamil Nadu

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Tiger in Mudumalai National Park Mudumalai by N A Nazeer (cropped).jpg
Tiger in Mudumalai National Park
Endangered Nilgiri tahr, state animal of Tamil Nadu Niltahr.jpg
Endangered Nilgiri tahr, state animal of Tamil Nadu

There are more than 2000 species of fauna that can be found in Tamil Nadu. [1] This rich wildlife is attributed to the diverse relief features as well as favorable climate and vegetation in the Indian state. [2] Recognizing the state's role in preserving the current environment, the state government has established several wildlife and bird sanctuaries as well as national parks, which entail stringent protective measures. Tamil Nadu is also included in the International Network of Biosphere Reserves, which facilitates international recognition and additional funding. [3] There are five national parks and 17 sanctuaries that serve as homes to the wildlife.

Contents

Mammals

Indian elephant in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu Elephants,masanagudi,tamilnadu - panoramio.jpg
Indian elephant in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is known for the diversity of its mammals due to the varying environments that sustain both dry and moist deciduous forests. [4] Notable species include Arboreal animals distributed in its hills, grasslands, mangroves, scrubs and forests. These also include vulnerable species like the Bengal tiger, Nilgiri Tahr, and the lion-tailed macaque.

Other mammals found in Tamil Nadu include: [5]

Birds

Endangered Nilgiri laughing thrush Garrulax cachinnans.svg
Endangered Nilgiri laughing thrush

Birds found in Tamil Nadu include:

There are also a few migratory ducks and occasionally a grey pelican.

Marine species

Southern birdwing
the largest butterfly in South India Southern Birdwing - Sohini Vanjari.jpg
Southern birdwing
the largest butterfly in South India

Marine species include the dugong, turtle, dolphin and Balanoglossus .

Insects

Butterfly species found in Tamil Nadu include:

Reptiles

King cobra KINGCOBRA.jpg
King cobra

Reptilian species found in Tamil Nadu include:

There are also various species of skinks and geckos.

Amphibians

Amphibian species include: [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Ghats</span> Mountain range along the eastern coast of India

The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu by, passing parts of Karnataka and Telangana on the way. They are eroded and cut through by four major rivers of peninsular India, the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. Zindagad Konda is the highest point in both Andhra Pradesh and the Eastern Ghats at 1,690 metres (5,540 ft). The Biligiriranga Hills in Karnataka are the tallest hill range in the Eastern Ghats, with many peaks above 1500 m in height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in India

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 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve</span> International biosphere reserve of India

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 areas Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu; Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park, both in Karnataka; Silent Valley National Park, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anamalai Tiger Reserve</span> Wildlife sanctuary and national park in Tamil Nadu, India

Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park and as Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected area in the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District and Udumalaipettai taluk in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, India. The Tamil Nadu Environment and Forests Department by a notification dated 27 June 2007, declared an extent of 958.59 km2 that encompassed the erstwhile IGWLS&NP or Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, as Anaimalai Tiger Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Reserve presently includes a core area of 958.59 km2 and buffer/peripheral area of 521.28 km2 forming a total area of 1479.87 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of India</span> Native animals of India

India is the world's 8th most biodiverse region with a 0.46 BioD score on diversity index, 102,718 species of fauna and 23.39% of the nation's geographical area under forest and tree cover in 2020. India encompasses a wide range of biomes: desert, high mountains, highlands, tropical and temperate forests, swamplands, plains, grasslands, areas surrounding rivers, as well as island archipelago. Officially, three out of the 36 Biodiversity Hotspots in the world are present in India: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and the Indo-Burma region. To these may be added the Sundarbans and the Terrai-Duar Savannah grasslands for their unique foliage and animal species. These hotspots have numerous endemic species. Nearly 5% of India's total area is formally classified under protected areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mudumalai National Park</span> National park in Tamil Nadu, India

Mudumalai National Park is a national park in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu in southern India. It covers 321 km2 (124 sq mi) at an elevation range of 850–1,250 m (2,790–4,100 ft) in the Nilgiri District and shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala. 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 367.59 km2 (141.93 sq mi) in 2007. It receives an annual rainfall of about 1,420 mm (56 in) and harbours tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests with 498 plant species, at least 266 bird species, 18 carnivore and 10 herbivore species. It is drained by the Moyar River and several tributaries, which harbour 38 fish species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Periyar National Park</span> Protected area in Kerala

Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Pathanamthitta and Idukki in Kerala, India. It is a renowned Elephant and Tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses 925 km2 (357 sq mi), of which 305 km2 (118 sq mi) of the main 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgiri Mountains</span> Mountain range in Tamil Nadu, India

The Nilgiri Mountains form a part of the Western Ghats in northwestern Tamil Nadu, southern Karnataka and eastern Kerala in South India. They are located at the trijunction of the three states and connect the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats. At least 24 of the Nilgiri Mountains' peaks are above 2,000 m (6,600 ft), with the highest peak being Doddabetta at 2,637 m (8,652 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parambikulam Tiger Reserve</span> Protected area lying in Palakkad district of Kerala state

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, which also includes the erstwhile Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 643.66 square kilometres (248.5 sq mi) protected area lying in Palakkad district and Thrissur district of Kerala state, South India. The Wildlife Sanctuary, which had an area of 285 square kilometres (110 sq mi) was established in part in 1973 and 1984. It is in the Sungam range of hills between the Anaimalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills. Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as part of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve on 19 February 2010. Including the buffer zone, the tiger reserve has a span of 643.66 km2. The Western Ghats, Anamalai Sub-Cluster, including all of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, has been declared by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a World Heritage Site. The Tiger Reserve is the home of four different tribes of indigenous peoples including the Kadar, Malasar tribe, Muduvar and Mala Malasar settled in six colonies. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve implements the Project Tiger scheme along with various other programs of the Government of India and the Government of Kerala. The operational aspects of administering a tiger reserve is as per the scheme laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. People from tribal colonies inside the reserve are engaged as guides for treks and safaris, and are provided employment through various eco-tourism initiatives. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is among the top-ten best managed Tiger Reserve in India. The tiger reserve hosts many capacity building training programmes conducted by Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation in association with various organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Karnataka</span>

The state of Karnataka in South India has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 which constitutes 55 of the geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant population and 20% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are still unexplored and new species of flora and fauna are still found. The mountains of the Western Ghats in the western region of Karnataka are a biodiversity hotspot. Two sub-clusters of the Western Ghats, Talacauvery and Kudremukh, are on a tentative list of sites that could be designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks which fall outside these subclusters were included in the Nilgiri biosphere reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. In the Biligiriranga Hills the Eastern Ghats meet the Western Ghats. The state bird and state animal of Karnataka are Indian roller and the Indian elephant. The state tree and state flower are sandalwood and lotus. Karnataka is home to 524 tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, India

The Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS), also known as Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary, was established in 1988 to protect the Near threatened grizzled giant squirrel. Occupying an area of 485.2 km2, it is bordered on the southwest by the Periyar Tiger Reserve and is one of the best preserved forests south of the Palghat Gap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in India

The Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kodagu District, Karnataka State, India, within the Western Ghats and about 250 km from Bangalore. The sanctuary derives its name from the highest peak of the mountain range, Brahmagiri Peak. It was declared a sanctuary on June 5, 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Amarambalam Reserved Forest</span>

New Amarambalam reserved forest is a reserved forest in the Western Ghats, situated in the Malappuram District of Kerala state of India. It extends till Silent Valley National Park of the Palakkad District to the south and to Nadugani in the Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu to the North. It is under the Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Kannur district

Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary is Wildlife Sanctuary located in Kannur district of Kerala, India. Situated near to other sanctuaries in Kerala and Karnataka, the Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary is rich in biodiversity and rich flora and fauna.

References

  1. Tamil ests.tn.nic.in/WLTourism.htm Tamil Nadu Wildlife Tourism
  2. Meenakshi, S. (2007). Geography Course, Book 9. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. p. 52. ISBN   9788131703540.
  3. Bebarta, Kailash (2011). Dictionary of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. p. 46. ISBN   9788180697197.
  4. "Tamil Nadu -Wildlife". ashextourism.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  5. Tamil Nadu Forest Department, retrieved 7/30/2007 Wild Life Sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu
  6. Sajeev T.K. et al., Management of Forests in India for Biological Diversity and Forest Productivity- A New Perspective WII-USDA Forest Service Collaborative Project Grant No. FG-In-780 (In-FS-120), Volume III (ACA) pp 41-168.Anaimalai Conservation Area