Home›Birds›Ecosystem›Western GhatsEcosystemWestern GhatsAlso Known As SahyadriTropical RainforestReference and ClassificationThoroughly VerifiedThe Western Ghats, also called the Sahyadri, is a mountain range stretching 1,600 kilometers along India's west coast and covering roughly 160,000 square kilometers. It is not a single uniform rainforest but a mosaic of montane rain forest, moist and dry deciduous forest, scrub, peat bogs, swamps and montane grassland, which is why it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site rather than treated as one plain ecoregion.FactsWestern GhatsConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesTake a Related QuizComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsClassificationBiogeographic RealmWell-attestedIndomalayan 1Protected StatusWell-attestedManaged or Multiple-Use Protection 1Area (sq km)Well-attested160,000 1Water TypeWell-attestedTerrestrial 1Western GhatsFilter Results4 entriesCommon GroupAllBirds Of Prey (Raptors) (1)Kingfishers And Allies (2)Passerines (Songbirds) (1)Everyday GroupAllBirds Of Prey (Raptors) (1)Kingfishers And Allies (2)Passerines (Songbirds) (1)HabitatAllGrassland (2)Steppe (1)Tropical Rainforest (1)Where It LivesAllAfrica (2)Australasia (1)Australia (2)Belgium (2)Colombia (2)Denmark (2)Luxembourg (1)North America (1)Norway (3)Portugal (1)Russia (1)South Asia (3)Spain (2)Taiwan (1)Tibet (1)Ukraine (1)Conservation StatusAllLeast Concern (3)Vulnerable (1)DietAllCarnivore (1)Frugivore (1)Insectivore (1)System (Realm)AllTerrestrial (4)Living or ExtinctAllYes (4)Relationship to PeopleAllHunted or Fished (1)Used in Traditional Medicine (1)CITES AppendixAllAppendix I (1)Appendix II (1)Not Listed (2)TaxonomyAllAccipitridae (1)Aves (2)Muscicapidae (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 4Black-winged kiteWestern GhatsBlue-capped rock thrushWestern GhatsEurasian HoopoeWestern GhatsGreat HornbillWestern GhatsConnectionsDemonstratesMonsoon, Natural Phenomena Well-attested Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationtier 1HostsAsian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Species Well-attested Source Asian elephant (Wikipedia)Black-footed gray langur, Species Well-attested Source Black-footed gray langur (Wikipedia)Black-winged kite, Species Well-attested Source Black-winged kite (Wikipedia)Blue-capped rock thrush, Species Well-attested Source Blue-capped rock thrush (Wikipedia)Brown palm civet, Species Well-attested Source Brown palm civet (Wikipedia)Caecilian, Species Well-attested Source Caecilian (Wikipedia)Dhole, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: TigerAdditional Source Western Ghats (Wikipedia)Article texttier 2Eurasian Hoopoe, Species Well-attested Source Eurasian Hoopoe (Wikipedia)tier 2Eurasian Otter, Species Well-attested Source Eurasian Otter (Wikipedia)tier 2Gray slender loris, Species Well-attested Source Gray slender loris (Wikipedia)Great Hornbill, Species Well-attested Source Great hornbill, WikipediaIndian brown mongoose, Species Well-attested Source Indian brown mongoose (Wikipedia)Indian giant squirrel, Species Well-attested Source Indian giant squirrel (Wikipedia)Jungle Cat, Species Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Jungle catKing Cobra, Species Well-attested Source Wikipedia: King cobraLantana Camara, Species Well-attested Source Lantana camara (Wikipedia)tier 2Leopard Cat, Species Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Leopard Cattier 2Lion-tailed Macaque, Species Well-attested Source Lion-tailed Macaque (Wikipedia)tier 2Malabar large-spotted civet, Species Well-attested Source Malabar large-spotted civet (Wikipedia)Nilgiri marten, Species Well-attested Source Nilgiri marten (Wikipedia)Nilgiri Tahr, Species Well-attested Source Nilgiri tahr (Wikipedia)Purple Frog, Species Well-attested Source Purple frog, WikipediaRed Slate Ornamental Tarantula, Species Well-attested Source Poecilotheria rufilata (Wikipedia)Rust Fungus, Species Well-attested Source Rust (fungus), WikipediaRusty-spotted Cat, Species Well-attested Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Prionailurus rubiginosusStripe-necked mongoose, Species Well-attested Source Stripe-necked mongoose (Wikipedia)Tiger, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: TigerAdditional Source Western Ghats (Wikipedia)Article texttier 2In BiomeTropical Rainforest, Biomes Well-attested Source Western Ghats (Wikipedia)tier 2In the Other AtlasesFound InIndiaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Western Ghats (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikipedialead sectionThe Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri, is a mountain range that stretches 1,600 km (1,000 mi) along the west coast of India.Biogeographic realm: indomalayan (derived from location stated in entity description)Protected status (stated plainly in the entity own recorded description)It is not a single uniform rainforest but a mosaic of montane rain forest, moist and dry deciduous forest, scrub, peat bogs, swamps and montane grassland, which is why it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site rather than treated as one plain ecoregion.Lead paragraphis a mountain rangeHosts: Tiger, Article textThe Western Ghats region has one of the highest tiger populations, estimated at 985 in 2022.Hosts: Dhole, Article textOther mammals include endangered and vulnerable species such as the lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, leopard, Nilgiri langur, dhole, and gaur.View the SourceLion-tailed Macaque (Wikipedia)tier 2WikipediaHosts: Lion-tailed Macaque, Lead sectionQuote, Hosts: Lion-tailed Macaque, Lead sectionan Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South IndiaView the SourceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationtier 1National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationDemonstrates: MonsoonView the SourcePurple frog, WikipediaHosts: Purple Frog, Wikipedia intro: "the pignose frog, is a frog species in the family Nasikabatrachidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in India. Although the adult frog was formally..."View the SourceNilgiri marten (Wikipedia)Hosts: Nilgiri marten, LeadQuote, Hosts: Nilgiri marten, LeadIt lives in the hills of the Nilgiris and parts of the Western Ghats.View the SourceGray slender loris (Wikipedia)Hosts: Gray slender loris, DistributionQuote, Hosts: Gray slender loris, DistributionIn south-western India, the Malabar gray slender loris occurs in the wet forests of the Western Ghats in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu up to an altitude of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft).View the SourceBlack-footed gray langur (Wikipedia)Hosts: Black-footed gray langur, DistributionQuote, Hosts: Black-footed gray langur, Distributioncentred on the Western GhatsView the SourceIndian brown mongoose (Wikipedia)Hosts: Indian brown mongoose, LeadQuote, Hosts: Indian brown mongoose, Leadnative to the Western Ghats in IndiaView the SourceStripe-necked mongoose (Wikipedia)Hosts: Stripe-necked mongoose, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Stripe-necked mongoose, Distribution and habitatThe stripe-necked mongoose is distributed in the Western Ghats and in Sri Lanka.View the SourceBrown palm civet (Wikipedia)Hosts: Brown palm civet, LeadQuote, Hosts: Brown palm civet, Leadis a viverrid endemic to the Western Ghats of IndiaView the SourceMalabar large-spotted civet (Wikipedia)Hosts: Malabar large-spotted civet, LeadQuote, Hosts: Malabar large-spotted civet, Leadis a viverrid endemic to the Western Ghats of IndiaView the SourceNilgiri tahr (Wikipedia)Hosts: Nilgiri Tahr, LeadQuote, Hosts: Nilgiri Tahr, LeadHistorically widespread across the Western Ghats region, the population dropped sharply due to hunting and habitat loss, with only a few hundred left in the wild by the late 20th century.View the SourceIndian giant squirrel (Wikipedia)Hosts: Indian giant squirrel, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Indian giant squirrel, Distribution and habitatwith sections of its distribution in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Satpura RangeView the SourceEurasian Otter (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Eurasian Otter, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Eurasian Otter, Distribution and habitatIn India, it is distributed in the Himalayan foothills, southern Western Ghats and the central Indian landscape.View the SourceWikipedia: King cobraHosts: King Cobra, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: King Cobra, Distribution and habitatIn the Western Ghats, it was recorded in Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, and also in Gujarat.View the SourceEurasian Hoopoe (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Eurasian Hoopoe, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Eurasian Hoopoe, Distribution and habitatHoopoes make seasonal movements in response to rain in some regions such as in Ceylon and in the Western Ghats.View the SourceGreat hornbill, WikipediaHosts: Great Hornbill, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Great Hornbill, Distribution and habitatIts distribution is fragmented in the Western Ghats and in the foothills of the Himalayas.View the SourceLantana camara (Wikipedia)tier 2WikipediaHosts: Lantana Camara, As an invasive speciesQuote, Hosts: Lantana Camara, As an invasive speciesWhile a study in the Western Ghats, did not find significant impacts of L. camara invasion on a few native plant indicators, many other studies have found substantial impacts of its invasion on various biodiversity indicators.View the SourceCaecilian (Wikipedia)Hosts: Caecilian, Cultural significanceQuote, Hosts: Caecilian, Cultural significanceCaecilians in the Eastern Himalayas are colloquially known as "back ache snakes", while in the Western Ghats, Ichthyophis tricolor is considered to be more toxic than a king cobra.View the SourceRust (fungus), WikipediaHosts: Rust Fungus, Host plants affectedQuote, Hosts: Rust Fungus, Host plants affectedRecently, a total of 95 rust fungi belonging to 25 genera associated with 117 forest plant species belonging to 80 host genera under 43 host families were reported from the Western Ghats, Kerala, India.View the SourceWikipedia: Jungle catHosts: Jungle Cat, CharacteristicsQuote, Hosts: Jungle Cat, CharacteristicsWhite cats observed in the coastline tracts of the southern Western Ghats lacked the red eyes typical of true albinos.View the SourceWikipedia: Leopard Cattier 2WikipediaHosts: Leopard Cat, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Leopard Cat, Distribution and habitatIn India, the leopard cat has been recorded in protected areas of the Himalayas and their foothills, of the Terai and Dooars, the Brahmaputra Valley, Garo Hills and in the southern part of the Western Ghats.View the SourceBlack-winged kite (Wikipedia)Hosts: Black-winged kite, Behaviour and ecologyQuote, Hosts: Black-winged kite, Behaviour and ecologyThe black-winged kite breeds at different times of the year across its range.View the SourceBlue-capped rock thrush (Wikipedia)Hosts: Blue-capped rock thrush, HabitsQuote, Hosts: Blue-capped rock thrush, HabitsLike thrushes, they fly up into trees and sit motionless when they are disturbed.View the SourceAsian elephant (Wikipedia)Hosts: Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Distribution and habitatIn a 2013 study, an estimated 10,000 elephants inhabited the Western GhatsView the SourcePoecilotheria rufilata (Wikipedia)Hosts: Red Slate Ornamental Tarantula, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Red Slate Ornamental Tarantula, Distribution and habitatIt is endemic to South Western Ghats of India.View the SourceAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Prionailurus rubiginosusAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHosts: Rusty-spotted Cat, Geographic RangeQuote, Hosts: Rusty-spotted Cat, Geographic RangeThe species is also found in the Varushanad Valley, Western Ghats, part of a biodiversity hotspot.View the SourceTake a Related QuizWetlands, Reefs and Deltas: New EcosystemsCovers this 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