67 species of reptiles, 59 amphibians recorded in Wayanad forest survey

Subject :Environment

Section: Protected Area

Survey in Wayanad:

Survey conducted by: University of Calicut, Kerala Forest Research Institute, South Wayanad forest department and Aranyakam Nature Foundation.
67 species of reptiles and 59 species of amphibians were identified in the first herpetofaunal survey that concluded recently in the South Wayanad Forest Division.
Of these, four amphibians and three reptiles were spotted for the first time at the forest division.
Of the 126 species identified, 48 amphibians and 21 reptiles are endemic to the Western Ghats.

Species found:

Important amphibian species recorded are: Starry Night Frog, bearing a constellation of blue dots on its obsidian body; Miniature Night Frog, the tiniest frog in the country; Naked Dancing Frog; and endangered species such as Malabar Torrent Toad and Red Stream Toad.
Wayanad Dravidogecko, Nilgiri Spiny Lizard, and the Nilgiri Forest Lizard are also sighted.

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS):

WWS is a wildlife sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala, India with four hill ranges namely Sulthan Bathery, Muthanga, Kurichiat and Tholpetty.
Species: gaur, Asian elephant, deer and tiger are found there.
It is the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala.
Established in 1973, the sanctuary is now an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
It is bounded by the protected area network of Nagarhole National Park and Bandipur National Park in Karnataka in the northeast, and on the southeast by Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu.
It is part of the Deccan Plateau
Vegetation : Predominantly of the south Indian moist deciduous teak forests and west-coast semi-evergreen trees.
The wildlife sanctuary comes under Protect Elephant.
Scheduled tribes : Paniyas, Kurubas, Adiyans, Kurichiyas, Ooralis and Kattunaikkans.