The Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis).

Most of Kerala, whose native habitat consists of wet evergreen rainforests at lower elevations and highland deciduous and semi-evergreen forests in the east, is subject to a humid tropical climate. however, significant variations in terrain and elevation have resulted in a land whose biodiversity registers as among the world’s most significant. Most of Kerala's significantly biodiverse tracts of wilderness lie in the evergreen forests of its easternmost districts;^[1] coastal Kerala (along with portions of the east) mostly lies under cultivation and is home to comparatively little wildlife. Despite this, Kerala contains 9,400 km² of natural forests. Out of the approximately 7,500 km² of non-plantation forest cover, there are wild regions of tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations — 3,470 km²), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations — 4,100 km² and 100 km², respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations — 100 km²). Such forests together cover 24% of Kerala's landmass.^[2] Kerala also hosts two of the world’s Ramsar Convention-listed wetlands: Lake Sasthamkotta and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands are noted as being wetlands of international importance. There are also numerous protected conservation areas, including 1455.4 km² of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Kerala (IPA: ; Malayalam: കേരളം — Keralam)Known as Gods own country by its people and through out India, Kerela is a vibrant land rich in history and in life. ... The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... The term highland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... A Silver Fir shoot showing three successive years of retained leaves In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant which retains its leaves year-round, with each leaf persisting for more than 12 months. ... Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of and in living nature. ... A plantation is an intentional planting of a crop, on a larger scale, usually for uses other than cereal production or pasture. ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... Sasthamkotta Lake, is a large freshwater lake in Kerala state of southern India. ... Location of Vembanad lake, Kerala Vembanad Lake (Vembanad Kayal or Vembanad Kol) is the largest lake in Kerala, India. ... . ... The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve located in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of southern India. ...

Eastern Kerala’s windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests which are generally characteristic of the wider Western Ghats: crowns of giant sonokeling (binomial nomenclature: Dalbergia latifolia — Indian rosewood), anjili (Artocarpus hirsuta), mullumurikku (Erthrina), caussia, and other trees dominate the canopies of large tracts of virgin forest. Overall, Kerala's forests are home to more than 1,000 species or trees. Smaller flora include bamboo, wild black pepper (Piper nigrum), wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm (Calamus rotang — a type of giant grass), and aromatic Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides).^[2] Windward is the side of a boat into which the wind is blowing. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical rain forests, are a tropical and subtropical biome. ... The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Rosewood refers to a number of richly hued timbers, brownish with darker veining. ... Flora may refer to: Flora (goddess), a goddess in Roman mythology Flora (plants), a collective term for plant life; as distinct from fauna (animals) Flora (microbiology), the collective bacteria and other microorganisms in an animal host 8 Flora, an asteroid A brand of margarine made by Unilever. ... Diversity Around 91 genera and 1,000 species Subtribes Arthrostylidiinae Arundinariinae Bambusinae Chusqueinae Guaduinae Melocanninae Nastinae Racemobambodinae Shibataeinae See the full Taxonomy of the Bambuseae. ... Binomial name Piper nigrum L. Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. ... Genera Aframomum Amomum Elettaria The name cardamom is used for species within three genera of the Ginger family (Zingiberaceae), namely Elettaria, Amomum and Aframomum. ... Species many, see text Calamus is a genus of the palm family Arecaceae. ... Rattan (from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of the genera Calamus and Daemonorops used for furniture and baskets. ... A grassy swamp. ... Binomial name Vetiveria zizanoides (L.) Nash ex Small Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides) is a clump-forming grass up to 2 meters in height with roots that can penetrate to 3 meters deep. ...

In turn, the forests play host to such major fauna as Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), Leopard (Panthera pardus), and Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), and Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Protoxerus stangeri).^[2] More remote preserves, including Silent Valley National Park in the Kundali Hills, harbor endangered species such as Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus), Indian Sloth Bear (Melursus (Ursus) ursinus ursinus), and Gaur (the so-called "Indian Bison" — Bos gaurus). More common species include Indian Porcupine (Hystrix indica), Chital (Axis axis), Sambar (Cervus unicolor), Gray Langur, Flying Squirrel, Swamp Lynx (Felis chaus kutas), Boar (Sus scrofa), a variety of catarrhine Old World monkey species, Gray Wolf (Canus lupus), Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus).^[3] Fauna is a collective term for animal life, as distinct from Flora (plant life) Fauna is an ancient Roman goddess. ... Binomial name Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 The Asian Elephant, sometimes known as the Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus) is one of the two or three living species of elephant. ... Trinomial name Panthera tigris tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Bengal Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a subspecies of tiger found through the rainforests and grasslands of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, India and Nepal. ... Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Leopards (Panthera pardus) are one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... Binomial name Hemitragus hylocrius (Ogilby, 1838) The Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) is an ungulate native to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats range in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southernmost India. ... Silent Valley National Park is a National Park in Palakkad district, Kerala, India. ... Binomial name Macaca silenus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus) is an Old World monkey that lives only in southwest India. ... Binomial name Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791) The Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) is a nocturnal bear with shaggy fur which inhabits the lowland forests of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. ... Binomial name Bos gaurus H. Smith, 1827 The Gaur (Bos gaurus, previously Bibos gauris) is a large, dark-coated ox of the hilly areas of India and Southeast Asia, which may be found wild or domesticated. ... Binomial name Hystrix indica , The Indian Porcupine (Hystrix indica) is a member of the Old World porcupines. ... Binomial name Axis axis (Erxleben, 1777) The chital (also spelled cheetal) is a large spotted deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka and most of India. ... Sambar may refer to: Sambar, a kind of deer Sambar, a lentil-based dish common in South India This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Species Semnopithecus schistaceus Semnopithecus ajax Semnopithecus hector Semnopithecus entellus Semnopithecus hypoleucos Semnopithecus dussumieri Semnopithecus priam The gray langurs are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus. ... Two groups of rodents are referred to as flying squirrels. ... Binomial name Felis chaus Schreber, 1777 The Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), also called Swamp Lynx (although not related to the lynxes), is a small cat with a rather short tail (length 70 cm, plus 30 cm tail). ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... Families Cercopithecidae Hylobatidae Hominidae Catarrhini is the unranked group of the Primates, one of the three major divisions of the suborder Haplorrhini. ... Subfamilies Cercopithecinae - 11 genera Colobinae - 9 genera The Old World monkeys or Cercopithecidae are a group of primates, falling in the superfamily Cercopithecoidea in the clade Catarrhini. ... [[{{{diversity_link}}}|Diversity]] {{{diversity}}} Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 Trinomial name {{{trinomial}}} Type Species {{{type_species}}} {{{subdivision_ranks}}} [[Image:{{{range_map}}}|{{{range_map_width}}}|]] Synonyms {{{synonyms}}} The Gray Wolf (Canis lupus; other forms: Timber Wolf, Wolf) is a mammal of the Canidae family. ... Binomial name Paradoxurus hermaphroditus The Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) is a small, cat-sized animal (family Viverridae) from South-east Asia and southern China. ...

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah).

Many reptiles, such as king cobra, viper, python, various turtles and crocodiles are to be found in Kerala — again, disproportionately in the east. Kerala's avifauna are legion — these including Peafowl, the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) and Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Cormorant, Jungle and Hill Myna, Oriental Darter, Black-hooded Oriole, Greater Racket-tailed and Black Drongoes, Bulbul (Pycnonotidae), species of Kingfisher and Woodpecker, Sri Lanka Frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger), Jungle Fowl, Alexandrine Parakeet, and assorted ducks and migratory birds. Additionally, freshwater fish such as kadu (stinging catfish — Heteropneustes fossilis)^[4] and brackishwater species such as Choottachi (orange chromide — Etroplus maculatus; valued as an aquarium specimen) also are native to Kerala's lakes and waterways.^[5] File links The following pages link to this file: King Cobra Categories: GFDL images ... File links The following pages link to this file: King Cobra Categories: GFDL images ... Binomial name Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836) The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the longest of the venomous land snakes, growing up to 18 feet (5. ... Binomial name Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836) The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the longest of the venomous land snakes, growing up to 18 feet (5. ... Genera Adenorhinos Atheris Azemiops Bitis Cerastes Daboia Echis Eristicophis Macrovipera Montatheris Proatheris Pseudocerastes Vipera This page is about Viper snakes. ... Species Aspidites melanocephalus Aspidites ramsayi Python anchietae Python breitensteini Python brongersmai Python molurus Python regius Python reticulatus Python sebae Python timoriensis Python is the common name for the Boidae Family of nonvenomous constricting snakes—specifically the subfamily Pythonidae. ... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Species Pavo cristatus Pavo muticus Afropavo congolensis The peafowl consist of three species of bird in the genera Pavo and Afropavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. ... Binomial name Ocyceros birostris (Scopoli, 1786) The Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) is a common hornbills on the Indian subcontinent. ... Binomial name Phalacrocorax fuscicollis Stephens, 1826 The Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. ... Binomial name Acridotheres fuscus (Wagler, 1827) The Jungle Myna, Acridotheres fuscus, is a myna, a member of the starling family. ... Binomial name Gracula religiosa Linnaeus, 1758 The Hill Myna, Gracula religiosa, is a myna, a member of the starling family. ... Binomial name Anhinga melanogaster (Pennant,, 1769) The Oriental Darter or Indian Darter (Anhinga melanogaster ), sometimes called Snakebird, is a water bird of tropical southern Asia and Indonesia. ... Binomial name Oriolus xanthornus Linnaeus, 1758 The Black-hooded Oriole, Oriolus xanthornus, is a member of the oriole family of passerine birds and is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia. ... Binomial name Dicrurus paradiseus Linnaeus, 1766 The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus paradiseus, is a medium-sized Asian bird. ... Binomial name Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot, 1817 The Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus, is a small Asian bird. ... Genera Chaetorhynchus Dicrurus The drongos are a subfamily of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics. ... Genera Many, see text. ... Families Alcedinidae Halcyonidae Cerylidae Kingfishers are birds of the three families Alcedinidae (river kingfishers), Halcyonidae (tree kingfishers), and Cerylidae (water or belted kingfishers). ... Genera Jynx Picumnus Sasia Nesoctites Melanerpes Sphyrapicus Xiphidiopicus Campethera Geocolaptes Dendropicos Dendrocopos Picoides Veniliornis Piculus Colaptes Celeus Dryocopus Campephilus Picus Dinopium Chrysocolaptes Gecinulus Sapheopipo Blythipicus Reinwardtipicus Meiglyptes Hemicircus Mulleripicus Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. ... Binomial name Batrachostomus moniliger Blyth, 1849 The Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Batrachostomus moniliger, is a relatively small frogmouth. ... Binomial name Psittacula eupatria (Linnaeus, 1766) The Alexandrine Parakeet, Psittacula eupatria, is a parrot which is a resident breeder from India and Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia. ... Families Akysidae Amblycipitidae Amphiliidae Ariidae Aspredinidae Astroblepidae Auchenipteridae Bagridae Callichthyidae Cetopsidae Chacidae Clariidae Claroteidae Cranoglanididae Diplomystidae Doradidae Hypophthalmidae Ictaluridae Lacantuniidae Loricariidae Malapteruridae Mochokidae Nematogenyidae Pangasiidae Parakysidae Pimelodidae Plotosidae Schilbeidae Scoloplacidae Siluridae Sisoridae Trichomycteridae Catfish (order Siluriformes) are a diverse group of fish. ... A 335,000 U.S. gallon (1. ...