10 Most Dangerous Animals of The Western Ghats
The Western Ghats of India is home to thousands of rare, unique, endangered and endemic animal species such as Nilgiri tahr, Malabar civet, Lion tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur and Nilgiri marten. Here is the list of diverse, unique and dangerous Amphibians, snake, lizards and other reptiles found in the Western Ghats of South India.
Bengal Tiger
Bengal tiger is the apex predator of South India forest and Western Ghats is home to largest population of tigers outside the Sundarbans, spread across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
King Cobra
King Cobra is really the king of Western Ghats mountains and also is the world’s longest venomous snake found in India. The king cobra lives in dense highland forest of Western Ghats of Karnataka and Kerala but also distributed across the Indian subcontinent.
Malabar Pit Viper
Malabar Pit Viper is one of the venomous pit viper species of snake, endemic to the Western Ghats and more commonly encountered during the monsoon months with different colour patterns like brown, green.
Hump Nosed Viper, Horseshoe Pitviper, large scaled pitviper and Indian green pit viper are few more highly Venomous species of snakes found in the Western Ghats of India.
Giant Forest Scorpion
Heterometrus swammerdami is the largest scorpion species found in India, Its sting can causes local pain, swelling and fever. The giant forest scorpions are mostly found in the rainforests of the southern Western Ghats.
Indian Leopard
Indian leopard is widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent and lives with Asiatic lion and Bengal tiger. There are 12,000-14,000 individuals leopards found around the wild habitats of India, Human leopard conflict in India have been increased in recent years.
Black Panther is a color variant of Indian leopard, mostly found in the dense forest of Western Ghats of Karnataka. The Kabini reservoir is the best place to spot melanistic Indian leopard in South India.
Indian Elephant
Indian elephants are today listed as endangered animal and wild population has declined in India because of habitat loss and degradation. In the South of India, Indian elephants are found across the Western Ghats, Nilgiris, Eastern Ghats and around the Anamudi mountains of Kerala.
Indian Ornamental Spider
Indian ornamental tree spider is a arboreal tarantula species, mostly found in the natural habitats of Southeastern India. Although the tarantula is harmless to human so far but its painful bite, with venom may cause intense pain and allergic reaction.
Honey Badger
Honey Badger is also called as the ratel and lives in variety of habitats across Africa and in the Indian subcontinent. The ratel is widely distributed across South India, mostly from the forest of Cauvery Wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka.
Mugger Crocodile
Mugger Crocodile are native to freshwater habitats and one of three crocodilians found in India. They occurs in several national parks of South India such as along the Kaveri and Kabini river bed and Neyyar river sanctuary of Kerala.
Sloth Bear
Sloth bear or labiated bear is native to the Indian subcontinent and one of the 4 known species of bear found in India. Sloth bears are mostly feeds on fruits, ants and termites but they are also one of the most aggressive wild animals of India and most regularly attacks humans.
Must see and photograph wild animals of the Western Ghats also includes large scaled pitviper, Indian green pit viper, Purple frog, Nilgiri tahr,Nilgiri langur,Lion tailed macaque,Southern flying lizard,Malabar giant squirrel and Agamid Lizards.
