MAMMALS OF WESTERN GHATS

Tufted Grey Langur

The mammals can be distinguished mainly by the presence of body hair and mammary glands. At least 137 species of mammals have been recorded from Western Ghats. Sixteen species, including the well known lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur, and Malabar civet brown palm civet, clawless otter, sloth bear, three striped palm squirrel, dusky striped squirrel, and grizzled giant squirrel are endemic to the Western Ghats. 

UPDATED LIST OF MAMMALS OF WESTERN GHATS

Order Primates

Family Loridae (Loris)

Slender Loris

Family Cercopithecidae (Monkeys)

Bonnet Macaque

Lion Tailed Macaque

Common (Hanurman) Langur

Tufted Grey langur

Nilgiri Langur, Hooded Leaf Monkey

Order Carnivora

Family Canidae (Dogs)

Golden Jackal

Wolf

Indian Wild Dog (Dhol)

Bengal (indian) Fox

Family Ursidae (Bears)

Sloth Bear

Family Mustelidae

Oriental Small-clawed (Clawtess) Otter

Common (Eurasian) Otter

Smooth, coated Otter

Nilgiri Marten

Ratel, Honey Badger

Brown (Jerdon's) Palm Civet, Coffee Civet

Malabar Civet

Small Indian Civet

Family Herpestidae (Mongoose)

Brown Mongoose

Grey (Common) Mongoose

Ruddy Mongoose

Stripe-necked Mongoose

Family Hyaenidae (Hyaena)

Striped Hyaena

Family Felidae (Cais)

Jungle Cat

Leopard

Tiger

Leopard Cat

Rusty-spotted Cat

Fishing Cat

Nilgiri Golden Cat (Only reports)

Order Proboscidea

Family Elephantidae (Elephants)

Asian Elephant

Order Artiodactyla

Family Suidae (Pigs)

Wild Boar

Family Tragulidae (Mouse Deer)

Indian Chevrotain, Mouse Deer

Family Cervidae (Deer)

Spotted Deer

Sambar

Indian Muntjac, Barking Deer

Family Bovidae (Wild Cattle)

Blackbuck, lndian Antelope

Gaur

Bluebuil

lndian Gazelle

Nilqiri Tahr

Four-horned Antelope

Order Pholidota

Family Manidae (Pangolins)

Indian Pangoln

Order Rodentia

Family Sciuridae (Squirrels)

Layard's Striped Squirrel

Three-striped Palm Squirrel

Frve-striped Palm Squirrel

Dusky Striped Squirrel

Jungle Striped Squirrel

Travancore FIying Squirrel

Elliot's Giant (Large) FIying Squirrel

Indian (Malabar) Giant Squirrel

Grizzled Giant Squirrel

Family Muridae (Mice and Rats)

lndian Mole-rat

Large (Greater) Bandicoot rat

White tailed Wood (Blanford's) Rat

Cutch Rat

Iindian Bush Rat

Kondana Rat

Soft-furrred Field Rat

Little Indian Field Mouse

Cook's Mouse

Bonhote's Mouse

House Mouse

Fawn-coloured Mouse

Spiny Field (lndian Brown Spiny) Mouse

Elliot's Brown Spiny Mouse

Pygmy (Earth-coloured) Field Mouse

Spiny Dormouse

Brown (Norway) Rat

Ranlini's Rat

House (Roof, Black) Rat

lndian Gerbile (Antelope Rat)

lndian long-tailed Tree Mouse

Family Hystricidae (Porcupines)

lndian (Crested) PorcuPine

Order Lagomorpha

Family Leporidae (Hares)

lndian Hare, Black-naped Hare

Order lnsectivora

Family Erinaceidae (Hedgehogs)

lndian (Pale) Hedgehog

Madras Hedgehog

Family Soricidae (Shrews)

Horsfield s Shrew

Kelaart s Long-clawed Shrew

Day's Shrew

Pygmy (White-toothed) Shrew

Hill (Mountain) Shrew

House (Grey Musk) Shrew, Musk Rat

Anderson's (Yellow-throated) Shrew       

Order Scandentia

Familv Tupaiidae (Tree Shrews)

South indian (Madras) Tree Shrew

Order Chiroptera

Family Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)

Lesser dog faced Fruit Bat

Short-nosed Fruit Bat

Dawn (Cave Fruit) Bat

Salim Ali's Fruit 6at

Indian Flying Fox

Fulvous (Rousette) Fruit Bat

Family Rhinopomatidae (Mouse Tailed Bats)

Lesser Mouse Tailed (Lesser rat tailed) Bat

Greater Mouse Tailed Bat

Small Mouse Tailed Bat

Family Emballonuridae (Sheath-tailed Bats)

Pouch-bearing Bat

Long'armed Sheath{ailed Bat

Bearded Sheath-tailed Bat

Naked-rumped Tomb Bat

Theobald's Tomb Bat

Family Megadermatidae (False-vampire Bats)

Greater False-vampire Bat

Lesser False-vampire Bat

Family Rhinolophidae (Horseshoe Bats)

Dusky Leaf-nosed Bat

Fulvus Leaf-nosed Bat

Cantols (Fawn) Lea[nosed Bat

Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat

Ke aart's Leal-nosed Bat

Andersen's Lea[nosed Bat

Bellary Leaf-nosed Bat

Schneidels Leaf-nosed Bat

L-esser Woolly Horseshoe Bat

Blyth's (Little lndian) Horseshoe Bat

Woolly (Great Eastern) Horseshoe Bat

Least Horseshoe Bat

RufousHorseshoeBat

Famiiy Vesperlilionidae (Evening Bats)

Hairy-winged Bat

Tickell's Ba1

Hardwicke’ s Forest Bat

Painted Bat

Nicobar Long-fingered Bat

Schreibers' Long fingered Bat

Round-eared Tube-nosed Bat

Burmese Whiskered Bat

Horsfierd's Mouse-eared Bat

Chocolate Bat

Kelaafi's Pipistrelle

lndian Pipistrelle

Dormer s Bat

Javan Pipistrelle

Least Pipistrelle

Common Yellow Bat

Asiatic Lesser Yellow House Bat

Bamboo Bat

Family Molossidae (Free-tailed Bats)

Wrinkle-lapped Freelailed Bat

Wroughton's Free-tailed Bat

Egyptian Free Tailed Bat

Selected References

Jerdon T.C – The Mammals of India, Animals known to inhabit continental India, 1874

Parther S.H- The book of Indian Mammals, 1998

Nameer P.Ommer – Check list of Indian Mammals, 1998

Vivek Menon- A field guide to Indian Mammals, 2003

PRIMATOLOGY TOURS TO WESTERN GHATS 

Shola forest of Western Ghats

‘Tropical Temperate Forest’ is a new term used in forest typology. It denotes a rare  type of forest found in high altitude ranges of South Western Ghats lying above 1500MSL. This forest is popularly known as ‘Sholas’ locally. The peculiarities of Shola are identified at least from ‘Sangam Age’ of South India (2200 BP). Technically this forest belongs to ‘Tropical Montane Forest’ represented to the continents of Asia, Africa & S. America. The Southern Wet Temperate forest or Shola is distributed in Nilgiris (north of Palakkad gap, between Mettupalayam and Wayanad plateau.), Anamalais (between Nelliyampathy Hills and Periyar delta), Palany Hills (Eastward offshoot of Ghats from Anamudi to Kodaikanal), and Agasthyar Hills.

           

Terminology

The name ‘Shola’ denoting southern wet temperate forest, is derived from ancient Tamil word ‘Cholai’ which is used both Malayalam and Tamil languages. ‘Chola’ means thickets of wooded area with a stream. This term is widely used in the high altitude areas of South Western Ghats. The ancient migration of people from eastward plateau of the Ghats in Anamalais and Palani is recoganised with prehistoric cave arts and megaliths. These relics found in sholas and adjourned areas, reveal the fact that ancient migration continues through ages from prehistoric period to historic period.

            The shola forest is of two types. One which denote Montane forests (southern hilltop tropical evergreen forests) exist between 1300-1800 m above MSL and the other denote montane wet temperate forests (southern montane wet temperate forests) exist 1800 m above MSL and are found in pockets' supporting stunted trees.

Southern Hill Top Tropical Evergreen forest-

Features: Close affinity with tropical evergreen forest. Due to its presents in mountains above 1300MSL in this forest, temperature seldom exceeds 20 dc. Rainfall is heavy; sometimes records more than 6000mm. Humidity is above 80%. Unlike tropical evergreen forest , the trees are not taller and seldom attain more than 25mtrs and the spread of crowns are bigger than evergreen trees. Animals of the tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forest are adapted to this forest and almost all of these animals are found in this forest. Like wise many species restricted to ‘tropical temperate’ forest are also found in this forest (Eg.Nilgiri Marten). It is same with bird diversity, that these forests hold both species from TTF and TEF.

            Ecological importance of this forest is its support to the water runoff to the rivers of Kerala. Though it is less than 1% of the total forest area of the ghats , it support to maintain the water level of rivers through out the year. This forests faced mass destruction from plantations and reduced to certain protected forest areas.

            Best seen at : Munnar (Pampadumchola, Mannavanchola, Idivaraichola, Pullaradichola,  Manthanshola, Chokkanad shola,), Anamalais (Attakatty shola, Kadanpara shola, Pampumalai shola, Attumalai shola etc.) Palani hills (Kukkal shola, Periyashola etcc), Nilgiris, Pathanamthitta ( Ranni forest and along Periyar South east), Agasthyar hills, Athirumalai, Wayanad (Garudapara, Bhramagir hills) etc.

Southern montane wet temperate forest: This type of vegetation occurred in mountain folding and cliffs in upper reaches of mountains. This type of forests is mostly found in Anamalais, Nilgiri and Palani hills. Temperature seldom exceeds 15dc, and rainfalls exceeds 4000 mm. Humidity is 80% to 100%.

            Peculiarity of this forest is its short and stunted trees and growth. This forest is interspersed with high grassland. The vegetation is controlled by wind and mist. The grassland is an integral part of this forest and formed a single biome- shola-grassland. Many species of animals, birds and plants are restricted to this forest. Eg. Nilgiri marten, Nilgir tahr, Clawless otter, Door mouse etc.

Best seen at : Eravikulam National Park, Grassland National Park, Sisapara and Niliri hills, Palani hills, Kundah hills etc.