Wildlife of Kerala

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kerala forest divisions
Cattle egret at the Chirakkal Chira, Chirakkal, Kannur
A migratory bird at Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary
Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary

Most of

highland deciduous and semi-evergreen forests in the east, has a humid tropical climate. However, significant variations in terrain and elevation lead to high biodiversity. But Alappuzha district has no forests.[1]

Evergreen forests

Most of Kerala's significantly biodiverse tracts of wilderness lie in the evergreen forests of its easternmost districts;

wetlands of international importance.[4] There are also numerous protected conservation areas, including 1455.4 km2 of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and 1828 km2 of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.[5]
Parambikulam forest in Palakkad district is one of the jungle regions in Kerala.

Figs (Ficus species) like this strangler fig are an important floral element and support many frugivores

Flora

Vegetation types

Eastern Kerala's

vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides).[3] The world's oldest teak plantation, Conolly's Plot, is in Nilambur.[6]

Fauna

In turn, the forests play host to such major

boar (Sus scrofa), a variety of catarrhine Old World monkey species, the dhole, and the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus).[7]

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)

Many reptiles, such as the

brackishwater species such as choottachi (orange chromideEtroplus maculatus; valued as an aquarium specimen) are native to Kerala's lakes and waterways.[9]

The Nilgiri tahr, spotted in the Eravikulam National Park in Idukki district
Lion-tailed macaque

Parks, reserves and sanctuaries

National park Area (km2) Year started
Eravikulam National Park 97 1978[5]
Silent Valley National Park 237. 52 1984[5]
Anamudi Shola National Park 7.5 2003[5]
Mathikettan Shola National Park 12.817 2003[5]
Pambadum Shola National Park
1.318 2003[5]
Biosphere reserve Area (km2) Year started
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve 1455.4 1986[5]
Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve 1828 2001[5]
Wildlife sanctuary Area (km2) Year started
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
925 1950[5]
Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary 128 1958[5]
Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary 125 1958[5]
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary 344.44 1973[5]
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary
286 1973[5]
Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary 70 1976[5]
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary 53 1983[5]
Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary 85 1984[5]
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary 90.44 1984[5]
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary 171 1984[5]
Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary 55 1984[5]
Kurinjimala Sanctuary 32 2006[5]
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary 74.21 2009[5]
Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary 30.38 2011[5]
Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary 227.97 2020[10]
Bird sanctuary Area (km2) Year started
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary 25 1983[5]
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary 0.0274 2004[5]
Chulanur Bird Sanctuary 3.42 2007[5]
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary 0.0566 [11]
Tiger reserve Area (km2) Year started
Periyar Tiger Reserve
925 1978
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve 648.50 1973
Community reserve Area (km2) Year started
Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary 1.5 2007[5][12]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Alappuzha | District Alappuzha, Government of Kerala | India". Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  2. ^ (Sreedharan 2004, p. 11).
  3. ^ a b c (Sreedharan 2004, p. 12).
  4. ^ Chandran 2018, p. 342.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Chandran 2018, p. 347.
  6. ^ "World's oldest teak trees dying in Kerala". DNA India. 13 May 2009.
  7. ^ (Sreedharan 2004, pp. 174–175).
  8. ^ (Sreedharan 2004, p. 163).
  9. ^ (Sreedharan 2004, pp. 164–165).
  10. ^ K R Rajeev (1 July 2020). "Karimpuzha to be Kerala's 18th wildlife sanctuary". Times of India.
  11. ^ "Kumarakom". Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  12. ^ "The Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary". keralatourism.org. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  • Chandran, VP (2018). Mathrubhumi Yearbook Plus - 2019 (Malayalam Edition). Kozhikode: P. V. Chandran, Managing Editor, Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Company Limited, Kozhikode.