western ghats
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Don't Keep Conservation for Later-ite! Warning from the Laterite Narrow-Mouthed Frog
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment and conservation
Green Humour
Zoo in a Stem: The Ant-Plant Exchange
While numerous invertebrates shelter in the hollow stem structures of Humboldtia brunonis (kaadu Ashoka) trees, ants have a special reciprocal relationship with them, bartering shelter and nectar for protection from caterpillars and other insects who eat the tree’s tender leaves and buds
Wild Vault
Lateritic Plateau Frogs Threatened by Farms
A new study examines how converting lateritic plateaus into paddy fields and orchards impact amphibians
Conservation
Kaas Plateau: Post-monsoon Fields of Dreams
The wildflower extravaganza displayed on the Kaas Plateau each year offers a mesmerising and breathtaking peek into the immense floral biodiversity of the Western Ghats
Habitat
Dang: Wild and Wonderful
Dang district in south-eastern Gujarat is green dreamland. Much of it is forested with teak and bamboo, amidst which live an astonishing variety of birds
Habitat
Day or Night, the Wilderness Areas of the Western Ghats Never Sleep
All the different wild habitats of Goa, whether deciduous forests, open laterite plateaus or swamps, are thriving havens of magical biodiversity
Habitat
Biodiversity Hotspot: Walking Through Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Though tigers roam Tamil Nadu’s river sanctuary and its many habitats, it’s the tiny buds and creepy crawlies that reign supreme when it comes to diversity and abundance
Wild Vault
Trinket Snakes and Their Treasured Personal Space
Though these nocturnal beauties are non-venomous, when threatened, they may rise menacingly and strike
Species
Malabar Pied Hornbill: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this forest farmer
Infographic
Anatomy of Rainforest: Life on the Floor
At first glance, the floor of the rainforest isn’t much to look at. But take a closer look — under the litter, in the swamps, along enormous buttresses, a busy world buzzes
Multimedia
Anatomy of a Rainforest: Life in the Middle
The middle of a rainforest is a secretive place. In healthy forests, a dense canopy blocks most light, providing shade and security for stealthy creatures
Multimedia
Sloth Bears: Ant Eaters of the Ursine World
Found in nearly every state in India, from the Western Ghats to the Himalayas, these solitary, silky-haired bears spend much of their time with their noses to the ground
Photo Story
Anatomy of a Rainforest: Life at the Top
In the 1970s, until researchers started using rock-climbing techniques to access the upper reaches of the rainforest, the top-most layer remained unexplored. What they saw astonished them
Multimedia
A Spotlight on the Scorpions of the Western Ghats
Discovery of seven new species from the region highlights the need for further studies to conserve these arachnids
News
Blue-necked Reedtail: The Mysterious Damselfly
In a forest in Kerala, a surprise encounter with a rare odonate that is an indicator of healthy, primary forests and guardian of freshwater
Species
Sindhudurg’s Cashew Nut Plantations Offer Refuge to Wild Mammals
Sambar, porcupine, boar, gaur, hare, mongoose, leopard, and civets among the animals recorded in a study
Conservation
Studying Snakes through Radio Telemetry
Emerging as an easier and more precise way to track and study snakes than traditional observation methods
Wild Vault
Sharavathi: Lament of a River
Tropical evergreen forests and Myristica swamps once cloaked this river’s landscape on its westward journey to the sea. The river’s rhythm, once decided by tides, is now interrupted by dams and a port built to serve people elsewhere
Photo Story
N Badusha: Crusader for Wayanad’s Wilds
For more than four decades, this committed environmental activist has forged a path to protect the fragile communities and ecosystems of Kerala
Hero
Finding a ‘Star’ Among Frogs
When a team of ecologists discovered a frog with constellation-like markings on its back, they knew just what to name it!
Book
Going to the Dogs? Turning the Page for India’s Endangered Dhole
As efficient carnivores built to thrive at the top of the food chain, the Asiatic wild dog is a pack hunter that can bring down prey many times its size. Unfortunately, it also has a long history of targeted persecution in India
Species
Ruby-tailed Hawklet: Black Dragon in Red Shorts
Endemic to the marshes and pools of the Western Ghats, this pretty dragonfly is also a good indicator of ecosystem health
Species
When the King Doesn’t Strike
Capable of immense restraint, the world's longest venomous snake is way more intelligent than we think
Book
Finding Philautus: Bush Frogs in the Western Ghats
A researcher’s journey through the mosaic of sholas and grasslands in the Upper Nilgiris of the Western Ghats to study its herpetofauna
Column
Congratulations from the New Species of 2020
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
2020: Dark Clouds and Silver Linings
2020 has been like no other year. We are glad you stuck around and took this wild journey with us. Have a safe and hopeful new year
Multimedia
Living Waters: The Resistance and Resilience of the Cauvery
For a large part of its course, the Cauvery River is exploited and abused. However, a few pockets of wilderness, including a 110-km stretch that runs through the protected Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, provide a sliver of hope
Photo Story
Growing With the Flow: The River Pamba and I
How childhood swimming lessons in Thalavady’s Pamba river revealed secrets of Kerala’s backwaters, and introduced the writer to wonders of the wild
Wild Vault
From Treetops to Trash: The Lion-tailed Macaques’ Fight for Survival
Lion-tailed macaques live on treetops and need connected canopies to travel, but the destruction of forests is forcing them to descend to the floor and look for food in the trash
Video
The Guide: Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
Every summer, the river waters recede to reveal tiny islands that welcome the sanctuary’s biggest attraction — large congregations of graceful and gregarious river terns
Travel
Fish Discovered in Kerala may have Lived with the Last Dinosaurs
Genetically distinct from other snakehead fish worldwide, the Gollum snakehead is a living fossil, say scientists
Wild Vault
Magical Mollem: The Fight to Save Goa’s Largest Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary, the state’s largest protected area is under threat from three infrastructure projects. Luckily, there’s a youth-led citizen's movement taking up cudgels to save it
Conservation
A Hidden Life: The Mystery of the Eurasian Otter
This elusive otter managed to stay under the radar of naturalists and wildlife observers in peninsular India for at least seventy years
Species
Hump-nosed Pit Viper: Gem on the Forest Floor
Deep in the forests of the northern Western Ghats, Castle Rock is a hotspot for reptiles and amphibians, and the perfect location to find and study this elusive nocturnal pit viper
Species
Fringe Ford and the Scoop on Poop
Lessons in nature’s interconnectedness in Wayanad’s jungles, where poop is serious business. It can bear tidings of who’s in town, and support entire ecosystems
Travel
Hiss and Tell: The Dank, Slippery World of Water Snakes in India
Found in a variety of waterbodies, from streams and swamps to water-logged agricultural fields and the intertidal zone, aquatic snakes have a great affinity for water
Photo Story
The Malabar Gliding Frog Likes Big Girls
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Why Do These Starry-eyed Frogs Disappear into Bamboos?
A peculiar behaviour exhibited by white-spotted bush frogs prompted a researcher and his colleagues to unravel a mystery that’s stranger than fiction
Book
Malabar Pied Hornbill: In Tuxedos for the Fruit Party
Usually in groups of ten these hornbills are sometimes seen in flocks of 100 or more in slightly open forests with plenty of fruit trees
Species
Dark Waters: The Disappearing Myristica Swamps
Exploring these intriguing freshwater swamps reveals many reasons why we need to preserve them. They host not just a primitive family of plants, but also a fascinating array of creatures
Habitat
Fallen Flowers: Restoring Wild Orchids in the Western Ghats
Education, conservation and community go hand in hand in an educational experiment on restoring orchids in Vythiri, Kerala
Wild Vault
Trees and Toddy: In the Sacred Grove of Ajeevali
Saving a forest of gods in Maharashtra from the long arm of greed for natural resources
Habitat
The Blue Mountains: Love and Longing for the Shola Grasslands
The Nilgiris are known for their enchanting diversity, but hide a fascinating past — of colonial invasion, mindless reforestation and a raging debate on the origins of its montane ecosystem that lasted for over half a century
Column
No Laughing Matter: Nilgiri Laughingthrush and its Habitats at Risk
Named after the Nilgiri mountain range, the Nilgiri laughingthrush was once a common sight across the extensive shola forests of the Western Ghats. Today, perhaps, less than 2OOO individuals survive
Species
Hidden Kingdom: Fantastic Plants and Where to Find Them
The book Hidden Kingdom champions the mystical plants of Western Ghats through sensuous, powerful illustrations set to enchanting rhyme
Book
In the Laterite Plateaus of Maharashtra, Rock Bottom is a Wonderful Place
The rocky outcrops of the northern Western Ghats are often considered wastelands, when they are hotbeds of endemic diversity
Habitat
Sights and Sounds from the Tree Canopy
Exploring the last biological frontier, the treetops in Tamil Nadu’s Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Wild Vault
Anamalai Wood Snake: New Species Found in the Western Ghats
Scientists had previously noted slight differences in the Perroteti’s wood snake found in the northern and southern hill ranges of the Western Ghats, but further analyses reveal that specimens collected from the Anamalai hills, in the southern ranges, are a new species altogether
News
Nilgiri Tahr: The Little-known Mountain Monarch of the Anaimalai Hills
Conservation through monitoring population trends of the Nilgiri Tahr in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu
Species
Clouds, Hills, and Sightings of the Nilgiri Tahr
Found exclusively in South India, the Nilgiri tahr inhabits rocky hillsides and grasslands of the Western Ghats, but for how long?
Species
Writing On the Wall: Heed the Message from this Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the close link between habitat and biodiversity loss and an increase in the eruption of zoonotic diseases. India needs to arrest this environmental downslide now
Conservation
When Danger Lurks: Toxic Beauties in Action
Butterflies have adopted numerous defence mechanisms to fool their predators, but how well do these tricks work?
Column
The Strategic Strangler of the Forest
How a fig tree goes about playing its unique role in a forest ecosystem is a natural history case study unlike any other
Book
Masters of Disguise: Blue Oakleaf Butterfly
A dried leaf fluttering on a tree trunk in the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats could well be the masquerade of a brilliant blue butterfly
Wild Vault
Airworthy Athletes: Here Fly Dragons
When a creature with cyptic colouring hurls itself off a branch — sailing through the forest, flying between trees
Column
The Great Hornbill Uploads a New Display Photo
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Pushed to The Edge: Lion-tailed Macaques and the Case of Disappearing Forests
Destruction of forests is pushing a growing population of the shy lion-tailed macaques to look for food in human settlements
Conservation
Life Under Monsoon Clouds
Witness how the rains transform the pristine forests of Agumbe, which are increasingly facing the pressures of human encroachment
Video
Grey Slender Loris: The Endearing Secret Creature of the Night Forest
As the sun sets, and the forest sleeps, a stealthy creature emerges from the shadows – meet the grey slender loris, the nocturnal primate of south India’s rainforests
Video
Gossamer Wings: Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Western Ghats
Odonates are older than the mountains, and among the first creatures on Earth to fly. Their presence indicates a healthy and harmonious ecosystem
Photo Story
Malabar Pit Viper: Facts, Venom, Size
All you need to know about this stealthy, silent predator of the night
Infographic
Silent Knight: How the Malabar Pit Viper Hunts in the Dark
The Malabar pit viper is a study in stillness. It remains motionless, waiting for its prey for hours, even days. But when the time is right, it strikes with lightning speed
Video
A Monsoon Romance: Malabar Gliding Frog Looks for a Mate
“Tuck-tuck-tuck”. The monsoon has arrived and fresh out of hibernation, the Malabar gliding frog is calling out for a mate. Will he find a suitor?
Video
Home Alone: Nesting Curiosities of the Great Hornbill
For three months every year, female great hornbills stay sealed in a hole, with only a crack to receive food from their mate
Photo Story
King Cobra: Facts, Venom, Habitat
All you need to know about the world's longest venomous snake
Infographic
The Spider’s Wharf: Tales of a Freshwater Fishing Enthusiast
From stealthily waiting by the water to prey on fish and tadpoles to females consuming males as a part of courtship ritual, the world of fishing spiders is full of intrigue
Species
The Guide: Agumbe, the Exalted Rainforest Paradise
Contiguous national parks and reserved forests in and around Agumbe make it one of richest and most biodiverse places in the Western Ghats
Travel
Small-clawed Otter: The Secret Surprise by the Stream
Our lives are implicitly intertwined with this shy, mostly nocturnal creature. The destruction of its riverine habitat could spell danger for an entire ecosystem
Conservation
The Guide: Amboli, an Evergreen Eden
On the wildlife travel map, Amboli is a favourite destination for nature lovers and adventurers, who want to experience its staggering biodiversity
Travel
Mapping Mysterious Reptiles in Misty Meghamalai
For four years, five researchers travelled through dense forests, waded through streams, risked attacks from leopards and enraged elephants to record the rich herpetofauna of Meghamalai, Tamil Nadu’s rain-soaked, misty mountain range
Wild Vault
On the Fly: An Afternoon with the Dragon Lizards of Agumbe
You can never tire of watching the smooth, precise gliding motion of draco lizards as they ‘fly’ from tree to tree
Species
A New Vine Snake Called Proahaetulla Slithers Into View
In the Agasthyamalai Hills in the southern Western Ghats scientists confirm the discovery of an ancient species of vine snake
News
Out of Place: Invasive Species in the Western Ghats
When plants and animals are relocated from their native habitat to new sites and environments they can cause havoc and be detrimental to local communities, habitats, and wildlife.
Conservation
Baby of the Forest: In Search of the Malabar Grey Slender Loris
In the densest parts of Agumbe’s forests, this wide-eyed primate feeds on insects in the quiet of the night
Species
Not Wastelands: Non-forest Habitats of the Western Ghats
Climate change and habitat mismanagement threaten the unique and ecologically distinct montane grasslands, high-elevation swamps and rocky outcrops of the Western Ghats
Conservation
Malabar Pit Viper: Ambush in the Well of Life and Death
Occurring in an array of different colours, the nocturnal Malabar pit viper is a keen hunter that is endemic to the rainforests of the Western Ghats
Species
A New Species of Frog has a Trick for Your Eyes
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Putting your Best Foot Backward
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
With its Habitat in Danger, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Struggles to Survive
A survey in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary reveals that the population of grizzled giant squirrel, a species endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka, has fallen by 78-85 per cent
Conservation
Chronicles of the Forest Calotes
This quick little lizard lives in forest trees of the Western Ghats. The male turns into a blushing red groom when it’s time to attract the ladies
Species
Secret Serpent: The Life and Times of the Malabar Pit Viper
Though it is the most common and widespread of pit vipers in south India, the Malabar pit viper is only seen in the wet season, disappearing mysteriously in dry weather
Conservation
The Lion-Tailed Macaque Laments Taxonomy
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Bridging the Canopy Gap
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Jungle Theatrics: Along the Sitanadi at Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary
Off the beaten path, this little-known wilderness in Karnataka’s Western Ghats, offers raw nature at its best
Habitat
When the Monsoon Awakens Agumbe
As the southwest monsoon makes landfall over Karnataka’s Malnad region in the Western Ghats, this rainforest, known for its immense biodiversity, comes alive
Habitat
Gowri Shankar: Snake Man Under the Spell of the King Cobra
In the heart of the rainforests of Agumbe there’s a man on a mission — to share his knowledge of the wild with students, and contribute to the preservation of reptiles
Hero
Monkey Spa: How Grooming Wins Lion-tailed Macaques Favours and Food
Females spend hours grooming themselves and each other. It's an excellent way to make friends, stay clean and win favours from elders
Video
Cornered but not Defeated
Sustained conservation efforts and community engagement is critical to save the lion-tailed macaque and its disappearing habitat
Conservation
Splendid Sojourns in Silent Valley National Park
Nifty monkeys and playful tiger cubs, iridescent butterflies and magnificent trees — a conservation ecologist finds herself in rapt fascination in the rainforests of this UNESCO World Heritage site
Habitat
Revenge of the Frogs
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Goodbye Toughie, the Tree Frog
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
What’s in a Name?
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
Microhabitats and Other Secrets of Life Under a Rock
The ground beneath an everyday rock can shelter a whole community of insects, reptiles, and amphibians in a microhabitat
Wild Vault
Birding Star: The Great Indian Hornbill
Sighting these majestic birds in the wild is a rare joy
Species
Victims of a Vile Trade, Pangolins are Almost Extinct
Illogical and unscientific beliefs make this shy mammal’s scales highly prized by poachers. It’s time to stop the massacre
Species
Depth and Detail in the Artwork of Nirupa Rao
Botanical illustrator Nirupa Rao’s paintings highlight the minutiae of plant life in all its intricate beauty
Hero
All That is Green with Siddarth Machado
Here’s a botanist who believes that research and conservation go hand in hand
Hero