Western Ghats

2022-04-26T06:16:00Z

118.185.155.90:

{{Short description|Mountain range along the western coast of India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Western Ghats
| other_name = Paschim Ghats
| photo = Anamudi peak, Munnar.jpg
| photo_caption = The peak of [[Anamudi]] in Kerala is the highest peak in the Western Ghats, as well as the highest peak in [[India]] outside the [[Himalayas]]
| country = [[India]]
| subdivision2_type = Region
| subdivision2 = [[Southern India|South]]-[[Western India]]
| subdivision1_type = States
| subdivision1 = {{enum|[[Gujarat]]|[[Karnataka]]|[[Goa]]|[[Maharashtra]]|[[Kerala]]|[[Tamil Nadu]]}}
| settlement_type = Settlements
| settlement = {{collapsible list|[[Surat]]|[[Mumbai]]|[[Pune]]|[[Belgaum]]|[[Sirsi, Karnataka|Sirsi]]|[[Shivamogga]]|[[Chikkamagalur]]|[[Sakleshpura]]|[[Mangalore]]|[[Madikeri]]|[[Kasaragod]]|[[Kannur]]|[[Thalassery]]|[[Wayanad]]|[[Vadakara]]|[[Kozhikode]]|[[Tirur]]|[[Ponnani]]|[[Malappuram]]|[[Erode]]|[[Ooty]]|[[Coimbatore]]|[[Palakkad]]|[[Pattambi]]|[[Thrissur]]|[[Pollachi]]|[[Idukki district|Idukki]]|[[Kochi]]|[[Kottayam]]|[[Pathanamthitta]]|[[Kollam]]|[[Tenkasi]]|[[Thirunelveli]]|[[Thiruvananthapuram]]|[[Kolhapur]]|[[Kanyakumari]]}}
| geology = {{enum|[[Basalt]]|[[Laterite]]|[[Limestone]]}}
| age = [[Cenozoic]]
| biome = [[Tropical rainforest]]s and [[Marsh]]es
| area_km2 = 160000
| length_km = 1600
| length_orientation = N–S
| width_km = 100
| width_orientation = E–W
| highest = Anamudi
| coordinates = {{coord|10|10|N|77|04|E|type:mountain|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| highest_location = [[Eravikulam National Park]]
| elevation_m = 2695
| map_image = Satellite Picture of the Western Ghats & Indian West Coast.png
| map_caption = The Western Ghats lie roughly parallel to the west coast of India.
| map_size = 200
| embedded = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| child = yes
| ID = 1342
| Year = 2012
| Criteria = Natural: ix, x
| Area = 795,315 ha
}}
}}

The '''Western Ghats''' or the '''Sahyadri Mountain range''' is a mountain range that covers an area of {{cvt|160,000|km2|mi2}} in a stretch of {{cvt|1,600|km|mi}} parallel to the western coast of the [[Indian peninsula]], traversing the [[states and union territories of India|states]] of [[Karnataka]], [[Goa]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Gujarat]], [[Kerala]], and [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=Western Ghats|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342}}</ref> It is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] and is one of the eight [[biodiversity hotspot]]s in the world.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities |journal=Nature|volume=403|issue=6772|pages=853–858 |doi=10.1038/35002501 |pmid=10706275 |year=2000 |last1=Myers|first1=N. |last2=Mittermeier|first2=R.A. |last3=Mittermeier|first3=C.G. |last4=Da Fonseca|first4=G.A.B. |last5=Kent|first5=J. |bibcode=2000Natur.403..853M|s2cid=4414279}}</ref> It is sometimes called the [[Great Escarpment of India]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Migon|first=P. |title=Geomorphological Landscapes of the World |date=2010 |publisher=Springer|isbn=978-90-481-3054-2|page=257}}</ref> It contains a very large proportion of the country's [[flora]] and [[fauna]], many of which are endemic to these region.<ref>{{cite web |title=A biodiversity hotspot|url=http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/western_ghats/}}</ref> According to [[UNESCO]], the Western Ghats are older than the [[Himalayas]]. They influence Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer.<ref name="auto"/> The range runs north to south along the western edge of the [[Deccan Plateau]] and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain called [[Konkan]] along the [[Arabian Sea]]. A total of 39 areas in the Western Ghats, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests, were designated as world heritage sites in 2012 – twenty in Kerala, ten in Karnataka, six in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342/multiple=1&unique_number=1921|title=Western Ghats|work=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=C.|last=Lewis|date=2012 |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-03/mumbai/32523277_1_radhanagari-wildlife-world-heritage-centre-western-ghats|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707023508/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-03/mumbai/western-ghats |archive-date=7 July 2012|newspaper=The Times of India |title=39 sites in Western Ghats get world heritage status |access-date=21 February 2013}}</ref>

The range starts near south of the [[Tapti river]] and runs approximately {{cvt|1600|km}} through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu ending at [[Marunthuvazh Malai]] near the southern tip of India. These hills cover {{cvt|160000|km2}} and form the catchment area for complex riverine [[Drainage system (geomorphology)|drainage systems]] that drain almost 40% of India. The Western Ghats block the [[southwest monsoon]] winds from reaching the Deccan Plateau.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} The average elevation is around {{cvt|1200|m}}.<ref name="APMN">{{cite web |url=http://apmn.icimod.org/mountains/ch2_peninsula.php |title= The Peninsula|access-date=19 March 2007 |work=Asia-Pacific Mountain Network |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070812064356/http://apmn.icimod.org/mountains/ch2_peninsula.php|archive-date=12 August 2007}}</ref>

The area is one of the world's ten "hottest [[biodiversity hotspot]]s." It has over 7,402 species of flowering plants, 1,814 species of non-flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 227 reptile species, 179 amphibian species, 290 freshwater fish species, and 6,000 insect species. It is likely that many undiscovered species live in the Western Ghats. At least 325 globally [[threatened species]] occur in the Western Ghats.<ref name="Flowering plants">{{cite book |last1=Nayar |first1=T.S. |last2=Rasiya Beegam |first2=A. |last3=Sibi |first3=M. |title=Flowering Plants of the Western Ghats, India (2 Volumes) |date=2014 |publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute |location=Thiruvananthapuram, India}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Myers |first1=N. |last2=Mittermeier |first2=R.A. |last3=Mittermeier |first3=C.G. |last4=Fonseca |first4=G.A.B.Da |last5=Kent |first5=J. |year=2000 |title=Biodiversity Hotspots for Conservation Priorities |journal=Nature |volume=403 |issue=6772 |pages=853–858 |doi=10.1038/35002501 |pmid=10706275|bibcode=2000Natur.403..853M |s2cid=4414279}}</ref><ref name="Neelesh Fish">{{cite journal |last1=Dahanukar |first1=N. |last2=Raut |first2=R. |last3=Bhat |first3=A. |year=2004 |title=Distribution, endemism and threat status of freshwater fishes in the Western Ghats of India |journal=Journal of Biogeography |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=123–136 |doi=10.1046/j.0305-0270.2003.01016.x |s2cid=83574801 |url=https://semanticscholar.org/paper/5c915245a382eabc0650d1e37492c57e6c59e70e}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word [[Ghat]] is explained by numerous [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]] etymons such as the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ''gattu'' (hill and hill forest), [[Kannada language|Kannada]] ''gaati'' and ''ghatta'' (mountain range), [[Tulu language|Tulu]] ''gatta'' (hill or hillside), and ''ghattam'' in [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] (mountainous way, riverside and hairpin bends).<ref>{{cite book|last=Jaini|first=Padmanabh S.|title=Jainism and Early Buddhism|year=2003|publisher=Jain Publishing Company|pages=523–538|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5_EdL2FtIqQC&q=etymology+dravidian|isbn=9780895819567}}</ref>

''Ghat'', a term used in the [[Indian subcontinent]], depending on the context could either refer to a [[Geography of India#Coastal plains and ghats|range of stepped-hill]] such as the [[Eastern Ghats]] and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of water or [[wharf]], such bathing or cremation place along the banks of a river or pond, [[Ghats in Varanasi]], [[Dhoby Ghaut]] or [[Aapravasi Ghat]].<ref name=dict1>Sunithi L. Narayan, Revathy Nagaswami, 1992, [https://books.google.com/books?id=miZuAAAAMAAJ&q=ghat+means&dq=ghat+means&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_nZnwjpPgAhUHWysKHQcdAjk4ChDoAQgpMAA Discover sublime India: handbook for tourists], Page 5.</ref><ref name=dict2>[https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ghat Ghat definition], Cambridge dictionary.</ref> Roads passing through ghats are called [[Ghat Roads]].

==Geology==
The Western Ghats are the mountainous [[Fault (geology)|faulted]] and [[Erosion|eroded]] edge of the [[Deccan Plateau]]. Geologic evidence indicates that they were formed during the break-up of the supercontinent of [[Gondwana]] some 150 million years ago.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}[[geophysics|Geophysical]] evidence indicates that the west coast of India came into being somewhere around 100 to 80 [[mya (unit)|mya]] after it broke away from [[Madagascar]]. After the break-up, the western coast of India would have appeared as an abrupt cliff some {{convert|1000|m|abbr=on}} in [[elevation]].<ref name="Barron, E.J.">{{cite journal |last1=Barron |first1=E.J. |last2=Harrison |first2= C.G.A. |last3=Sloan |first3=J.L. II |last4=Hay |first4=W.W. |year=1981 |title= Paleogeography, 180 million years ago to the present |journal=Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae |volume=74 |issue=2 |pages=443–470}}</ref> [[Basalt]] is the predominant rock found in the hills reaching a thickness of {{convert|3|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}. Other rock types found are [[charnockite]]s, [[granite]] gneiss, [[khondalite]]s, [[leptynite]]s, metamorphic [[gneiss]]es with detached occurrences of crystalline [[limestone]], iron ore, [[dolerite]]s and [[anorthosite]]s. Residual [[laterite]] and [[bauxite]] ores are also found in the southern hills.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

==Geography==
[[File:Tamil Nadu topo deutsch mit Gebirgen.png|thumb|Topography: Western Ghats (southern part)]]
The Western Ghats extend from the [[Satpura Range]] in the north, stretching from [[Gujarat]] to [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342|title=Western Ghats – UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref> It traverses south through the states of [[Maharashtra]], [[Goa]], [[Karnataka]] and [[Kerala]]. Major gaps in the range are the [[Goa Gap]], between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections, and the [[Palghat Gap]] on the Tamil Nadu and Kerala border between the [[Nilgiri Mountains]] and the [[Anaimalai Hills]]. The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly [[monsoon]] winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, particularly on their western side. The dense forests also contribute to the precipitation of the area by acting as a substrate for condensation of moist rising [[orographic]] winds from the sea, and releasing much of the moisture back into the air via [[transpiration]], allowing it to later condense and fall again as rain.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The northern portion of the narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the [[Arabian Sea]] is known as the [[Konkan Coast|Konkan]], the central portion is called [[Kanara]] and the southern portion is called [[Malabar Coast|Malabar]]. The foothill region east of the Ghats in [[Maharashtra]] is known as [[Desh, Maharashtra|Desh]], while the eastern foothills of the central Karnataka state is known as [[Malenadu]].<ref name="all-about-india.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.all-about-india.com/Geography-of-India.html|title=The Geography of India|publisher=all-about-india.com|access-date=19 November 2010}}</ref> The range is known as ''Sahyadri'' in [[Maharashtra]] and [[Karnataka]]. The Western Ghats meet the [[Eastern Ghats]] at the [[Nilgiri mountains]] in northwestern [[Tamil Nadu]]. The Nilgiris connect the [[Biligiriranga Hills]] in southeastern Karnataka with the [[Shevaroys]] and [[Tirumala]] hills. South of the [[Palghat Gap]] are the [[Anamala Hills]], located in western Tamil Nadu and Kerala with smaller ranges further south, including the [[Cardamom Hills]], then [[Aryankavu]] pass, and [[Aralvaimozhi]] pass near Kanyakumari. The range is known as ''Sahyan'' or ''Sahian'' in [[Kerala]]. In the southern part of the range is [[Anamudi]] ({{convert|2695|m|ft|0}}), the highest peak in the Western Ghats. [[Ooty]] is called the Queen of the Western ghats.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

===Peaks===
{{Main|List of peaks in the Western Ghats}}

The Western Ghats have many peaks that rise above {{cvt|2,000|m}}, with [[Anamudi]] ({{convert|2695|m|ft|abbr=on}}) being the highest peak.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 3, 2017 |title=7 major mountain ranges in India: Some of the highest mountains in the world|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/seven-major-mountain-ranges-of-india-969214-2017-04-03|access-date=2020-09-05|newspaper=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

===Water bodies===

The Western Ghats form one of the four [[Drainage basin|watersheds]] of India, feeding the perennial rivers of India. The major river systems originating in the Western Ghats are the [[Godavari river|Godavari]], [[Kaveri river|Kaveri]], [[Krishna river|Krishna]], [[Thamiraparani]] and [[Tungabhadra]] rivers. The majority of streams draining the Western Ghats join these rivers, and carry a large volume of water during the monsoon months. These rivers flow to the east due to the gradient of the land and drain out into the [[Bay of Bengal]]. Major tributaries include the [[Bhadra river|Bhadra]], [[Bhavani river|Bhavani]], [[Bhima River|Bhima]], [[Malaprabha River|Malaprabha]], [[Ghataprabha River|Ghataprabha]], [[Hemavathi river|Hemavathi]] and [[Kabini River|Kabini]] rivers. The [[Periyar River|Periyar]], [[Bharathappuzha]], [[Pamba River|Pamba]], [[Netravati River|Netravati]], [[Sharavathi]], [[Kali River (Karnataka)|Kali]], [[Mandovi]] and [[Zuari River|Zuari]] rivers flow westwards towards the Western Ghats, draining into the [[Arabian Sea]], and are fast-moving, owing to the steeper gradient. The rivers have been dammed for [[hydroelectric]] and [[irrigation]] purposes with major reservoirs spread across the states. The Western Ghats account for 80% of India's hydropower generation. The reservoirs are important for their commercial and sport fisheries of [[rainbow trout]], [[mahseer]] and [[common carp]].<ref name=SehgalFish>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x2614e/x2614e06.htm|last=Sehgal|first=K. L.|title= Coldwater fish and fisheries in the Western Ghats, India|publisher=[[FAO]]|access-date=22 September 2008}}</ref> There are about 50 major dams along the length of the Western Ghats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/resources/statistics/stat233.htm|title=Indian Dams by River and State|publisher=Rain water harvesting|access-date=19 March 2007}}</ref> Most notable of these projects are the [[Koyna Hydroelectric Project|Koyna]] in Maharashtra, [[Linganmakki Dam|Linganmakki]] and [[krishna Raja Sagara]] in Karnataka, [[Mettur Dam|Mettur]] and [[Pykara]] in Tamil Nadu, [[Parambikulam Dam|Parambikulam]], [[Malampuzha Dam|Malampuzha]] and [[Idukki dam|Idukki]] in Kerala.<ref name="all-about-india.com"/><ref>{{cite news|first=Rajesh|last=Menon|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=151253|title=Tremors may rock Koyna for another two-decade|newspaper=[[Indian Express]]|date=3 October 2005|access-date=19 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117083928/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=151253|archive-date=17 November 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first1=R.L.|last1=Samani|first2=A.P.|last2=Ayhad|title=Silting Problems in Hydropower Plants|editor=S. P. Kaushish|editor2=B. S. K. Naidu|publisher=Central Board of Irrigation and Power|location=Bangkok|year=2002|chapter=Siltation of Reservoirs-Koyna Hydroelectric Project-A Case Study|isbn=978-90-5809-238-0}}</ref> During the monsoon season, numerous streams fed by incessant rain drain off the mountain sides leading to numerous waterfalls. Major waterfalls include [[Dudhsagar Falls|Dudhsagar]], [[Unchalli Falls|Unchalli]], [[Sathodi Falls|Sathodi]], [[Magod Falls|Magod]], [[Hogenakkal Falls|Hogenakkal]], [[Jog Falls|Jog]], [[Kunchikal Falls|Kunchikal]], [[Shivanasamudra Falls|Shivanasamudra]], [[Meenmutty Falls, Wayanad|Meenmutty]], [[Adyanpara Falls|Adyanpara]], [[Athirappilly Falls|Athirappilly]], and [[Coutrallam Falls|Coutrallam]]. [[Talakaveri]] is the source of the river Kaveri and the Kuduremukha range is the source of the Tungabhadra. The Western Ghats have several man-made lakes and reservoirs with major lakes at [[Ooty Lake|Ooty]] ({{convert|34|ha}}) in Nilgiris, [[Kodaikanal Lake|Kodaikanal]] ({{convert|26|ha}}) and [[Berijam Lake|Berijam]] in [[Palani Hills]], [[Pookode lake]], Karlad Lake in [[Wayanad]], [[Vagamon]] lake, [[Devikulam]] ({{convert|6|ha}}) and Letchmi ({{convert|2|ha}}) in [[Idukki]], Kerala.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

==Climate==
[[File:Munnar hillstation kerala.jpg|thumbnail|[[Munnar]] hillstation on Western Ghats is often called ''The [[Kashmir]] of [[South India]]'']]
[[File:Tea Monarch Aramby Ooty Nilgiris Mar21 A7C 00293.jpg|thumb|Spring blossom in [[Ooty]], the Queen of the Western ghats]]
The area including [[Agumbe]], [[Hulikal]] and [[Amagaon]] in [[Karnataka]], Mahabaleshwar and Tamhini in [[Maharashtra]] are often referred to as the "[[Cherrapunji]] of southwest India" or the "rain capital of southwest India". [[Kollur, Udupi district|Kollur in Udupi district]], Kokkali and [[Nilkund]] in [[Sirsi, Karnataka|Sirsi]], [[Samse]] in [[Mudigere]] of [[Karnataka]], and [[Neriamangalam]] in the [[Ernakulam district]] of [[Kerala]] are the wettest places in the Western Ghats. Heavy precipitation does occur in the surrounding regions due to the long continuity of the mountains without passes and gaps. Changes in the direction and pace of the wind do affect the average rainfall and the wettest places might vary. However, [[Maharashtra]] and the northern part of Western Ghats in [[Karnataka]] on average receive heavier rainfall than [[Kerala]] and the southern part of Western Ghats in Karnataka.

The climate in the Western Ghats varies with altitudinal gradation and distance from the equator. The climate is humid and tropical in the lower reaches tempered by the proximity to the sea. Elevations of {{convert|1500|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} and above in the north and {{convert|2000|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} and above in the south have a more temperate climate. The average annual temperature is around {{convert|15|°C}}. In some parts frost is common, and temperatures reach the freezing point during the winter months. Mean temperatures range from {{convert|20|°C}} in the south to {{convert|24|°C}} in the north. It has also been observed that the coldest periods in the South Western Ghats coincide with the wettest.<ref name="WII">{{cite web|url=http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter2.htm|first=R.J.|last=Ranjit Daniels|title=Biodiversity of the Western Ghats – An Overview|access-date=19 March 2007|work=Wildlife Institute of India|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070228195706/http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter2.htm|archive-date=28 February 2007}}</ref>

During the [[monsoon|monsoon season]] between June and September, the unbroken Western Ghats chain acts as a barrier to the moisture-laden clouds. The heavy, eastward-moving rain-bearing clouds are forced to rise and in the process deposit most of their rain on the windward side. Rainfall in this region averages {{convert|300|cm}} to {{convert|400|cm}} with localised extremes reaching {{convert|900|cm}}. The eastern regions of the Western Ghats, which lie in the [[rain shadow]], receive far less rainfall (about {{convert|100|cm}}), resulting in an average rainfall of {{convert|250|cm}} across all regions. The total amount of rain does not depend on the spread of the area; areas in northern Maharashtra receive heavy rainfall followed by long dry spells, while regions closer to the equator receive lower annual rainfall and have rain spells lasting several months in a year.<ref name="WII"/>

===Rainfall===
[[File:Chorla-Ghat-Sep-2020.jpg|thumb|[[Chorla Ghat]] on the Goa-Karnataka border, during late monsoon]]
The Karnataka region on average receives heavier rainfall than the Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa regions. Meanwhile, the Ghats in Karnataka have fewer passes and gaps and therefore the western slopes of Karnataka receive heavy rainfall, over 400 cm more than other regional parts of the Western Ghats.

[[File:Western-Ghats-rainfall.svg|thumb|upright|Annual rainfall along the Western Ghat region]]
Some of the wettest places in the Western Ghats are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Location
!Region
!Mean annual rainfall<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.climate-data.org/|title=Climate data for cities worldwide - Climate-Data.org|website=en.climate-data.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[Agumbe]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Thirthahalli|[[Thirthahalli]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|7624|{{convert|7624|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Amboli, Sindhudurg|Amboli]]
|{{sort|Maharashtra, Sindhudurg|[[Sindhudurg district]], [[Maharashtra]]}}
|{{sort|7000|{{convert|7000|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Hulikal]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Hosanagara|[[Hosanagara]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|5316|{{convert|5316|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Amagaon]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Khanapur|[[Khanapur]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|4089|{{convert|4089|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Kakkali|Kakkalli]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Uttara Kannada, Sirsi|[[Sirsi, Karnataka|Sirsi]], [[Uttara Kannada|Uttara Kannada district]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|4921|{{convert|4921|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Nilkund]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Uttara Kannada, Sirsi|[[Sirsi, Karnataka|Sirsi]], [[Uttara Kannada|Uttara Kannada district]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|4369|{{convert|4369|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Mahabaleshwar]]
|{{sort|Maharashtra, Satara|[[Satara district]], [[Maharashtra]]}}
|{{sort|5761|{{convert|5761|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Devimane Ghat|Devimane]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Uttara Kannada, Sirsi|[[Sirsi, Karnataka|Sirsi]], [[Uttara Kannada|Uttara Kannada district]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|3981|{{convert|3981|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Surli]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Hosanagara|[[Hosanagara]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|4335|{{convert|4335|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Lonavla]]
|{{sort|Maharashtra, Pune|[[Pune district]], [[Maharashtra]]}}
|{{sort|4073|{{convert|4073|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Charmadi]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Mudigere|[[Mudigere]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|4131|{{convert|4131|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Samse]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Mudigere|[[Mudigere]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|3914|{{convert|3914|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Kollur, Udupi district|Kollur]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Udupi|[[Udupi district]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|4992|{{convert|4992|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Makkiyad]]
|{{sort|Kerala, Wayanad|[[Wayanad district]], [[Kerala]]}}
|{{sort|3714|{{convert|3714|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Kudremukh]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Chikmagalur|[[Chikmagalur district]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|4158|{{convert|4158|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Rajamala]]
|{{sort|Kerala, Idukki|[[Idukki]], [[Kerala]]}}
|{{sort|4785|{{convert|4785|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Nyamakad]]
|{{sort|Kerala, Idukki|[[Idukki]], [[Kerala]]}}
|{{sort|3007|{{convert|3007|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Sholayar]]
|{{sort|Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore|[[Coimbatore]], [[Tamil Nadu]]}}
|{{sort|4000|{{convert|4000|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Vythiri]]
|{{sort|Kerala, Wayanad|[[Wayanad district]], [[Kerala]]}}
|{{sort|4000|{{convert|4000|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Pookode]]
|{{sort|Kerala, Wayanad|[[Wayanad district]], [[Kerala]]}}
|{{sort|3957|{{convert|3957|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Dhamanohol]]
|{{sort|Maharashtra, Mulshi taluka|[[Mulshi taluka]], [[Maharashtra]]}}
|{{sort|6255|{{convert|6255|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Mulshi]]
|{{sort|Maharashtra, Pune|[[Pune district]], [[Maharashtra]]}}
|{{sort|5100|{{convert|5100|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Tamhini Ghat]]
|{{sort|Maharashtra, Mulshi taluka|[[Mulshi taluka]], [[Maharashtra]]}}
|{{sort|5255|{{convert|5255|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Chinnakallar Falls|Chinnakallar]]
|{{sort|Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore|[[Coimbatore]], [[Tamil Nadu]]}}
|{{sort|3947|{{convert|3947|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|-
|[[Castle Rock, Karnataka|Castle Rock]]
|{{sort|Karnataka, Uttara Kannada|[[Uttara Kannada|Uttara Kannada district]], [[Karnataka]]}}
|{{sort|5132|{{convert|5132|mm|in|abbr=on}}}}
|}

==Ecoregions==
[[File:Shola.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sholas]], part of the rainforests]]
The Western Ghats are home to four [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest]] [[ecoregions]] – the [[North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests]], [[North Western Ghats montane rain forests]], [[South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests]], and [[South Western Ghats montane rain forests]]. The northern portion of the range is generally drier than the southern portion, and at lower elevations makes up the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests ecoregion, with mostly deciduous forests made up predominantly of [[teak]]. Above 1,000 meters elevation are the cooler and wetter [[North Western Ghats montane rain forests]], whose evergreen forests are characterised by trees of the family ''[[Lauraceae]]''.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

The evergreen forests in [[Wayanad]] mark the transition zone between the northern and southern ecoregions of the Western Ghats. The southern ecoregions are generally wetter and more species-rich. At lower elevations are the [[South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests]], with ''[[Cullenia]]'' the characteristic tree genus, accompanied by teak, [[dipterocarp]]s, and other trees. The moist forests transition to the drier [[South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests]], which lie in its rain shadow to the east. Above 1,000 meters are the [[South Western Ghats montane rain forests]], also cooler and wetter than the surrounding lowland forests, and dominated by evergreen trees, although some [[montane grassland]]s and stunted forests can be found at the highest elevations. The South Western Ghats montane rain forests are the most species-rich ecoregion in peninsular [[India]]; eighty percent of the [[flowering plant]] species of the entire Western Ghats range are found in this ecoregion.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

==Biodiversity protection==
[[File:The Western Ghat from Kannavam Forest.jpg|thumb|Dense rainforests cover the Western Ghats.]]
Historically the Western Ghats were covered in dense forests that provided wild foods and natural habitats for native [[Indigenous peoples|tribal people]]. Its inaccessibility made it difficult for people from the [[Deccan Plateau|plains]] to cultivate the land and build settlements. After the establishment of [[British Empire|British colonial rule]] in the region, large swathes of territory were cleared for agricultural plantations and timber. The forest in the Western Ghats has been severely fragmented due to human activities, especially [[clear-felling]] for tea, coffee, and teak plantations<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://travel.manoramaonline.com/travel/beyond-kerala/2019/06/11/camp-worlds-highest-tea-estate-kolukkumalai-munnat-drive.html|title=Camp at world's highest tea estate Kolukkumalai|website=OnManorama|language=en|access-date=2019-06-12}}</ref> from 1860 to 1950. Species that are rare, [[Endemism|endemic]] and habitat specialists are more adversely affected and tend to be lost faster than other species. Complex and species rich habitats like the tropical rainforest are much more adversely affected than other habitats.<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.wii.gov.in/publications/researchreports/2002/frag.wii.report.pdf|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20081219184202/http://www.wii.gov.in/publications/researchreports/2002/frag.wii.report.pdf |archive-date=19 December 2008|title=Impact of rainforest fragmentation on small mammals and herpetofauna in the Western Ghats, South India|first=Ajith|last=Kumar|publisher=Salim Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore}}</ref>

The area is ecologically sensitive to development and was declared an ecological hotspot in 1988 through the efforts of ecologist [[Norman Myers]]. The area covers five percent of India's land; 27% of all species of higher plants in India (4,000 of 15,000 species) are found here and 1,800 of these are endemic to the region. The range is home to at least 84 amphibian species, 16 bird species, seven mammals, and 1,600 flowering plants which are not found elsewhere in the world. The [[Government of India]] has established many [[protected areas of India|protected areas]] including 2 [[Biosphere reserves of India|biosphere reserves]], 13 [[national parks of India|national parks]] to restrict human access, several [[Wildlife sanctuaries of India|wildlife sanctuaries]] to protect specific endangered species and many [[Reserved forests and protected forests of India|reserve forests]], which are all managed by the forest departments of their respective state to preserve some of the ecoregions still undeveloped. The [[Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve]], comprising {{convert|5500|km2}} of the evergreen forests of [[Nagarahole]] and deciduous forests of [[Bandipur National Park|Bandipur]] in Karnataka, adjoining regions of [[Wayanad]]-[[Mukurthi National Park|Mukurthi]] in Kerala and [[Mudumalai National Park]]-[[Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary|Sathyamangalam]] in Tamil Nadu, forms the largest contiguous protected area in the Western Ghats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cpreec.org/04_phamplets/08_nilgiri_bio_reser/nilgiri_bio_reser.html|title= The Nilgiri Bio-sphere Reserve|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928151229/http://www.cpreec.org/04_phamplets/08_nilgiri_bio_reser/nilgiri_bio_reser.html |archive-date=28 September 2006}}</ref> [[Silent Valley National Park|Silent Valley]] in Kerala is among the last tracts of virgin tropical evergreen forest in India.<ref name="wg">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/article52465.ece|title=No clearance for mining, hydel projects that destroy Western Ghat|last=Ramesh|date=21 November 2009|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|publisher=Kasturi & Sons Ltd.|access-date=29 December 2009|location=Palakkad}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/04/stories/2009080456210300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808123705/http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/04/stories/2009080456210300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 August 2009|title=Gundia project has not got Centre's nod|last=staff|access-date=29 December 2009|location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=4 August 2009}}</ref>

In August 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) designated the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and assigned three levels of Ecological Sensitivity to its different regions.<ref name="WGEP">{{cite journal|url=http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/wg-23052012.pdf|title=Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel|author= Madhav Gadgil|publisher= Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India|date=2012-08-31|access-date=4 May 2012|website= Westernghatindia.org|volume=Part 1|pages= summary XIX}}</ref> The panel, headed by ecologist [[Madhav Gadgil]], was appointed by the Union [[Ministry of Environment and Forests]] to assess the biodiversity and environmental issues of the Western Ghats.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/395071/vested-interests-harm-western-ghats.html|title=Vested interests in Western Ghats|newspaper=[[Deccan Herald]]|access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref> The [[Gadgil Committee]] and its successor, the Kasturirangan Committee, recommended suggestions to protect the Western Ghats. The Gadgil report was criticised as being too environment-friendly and the Kasturirangan report was labelled as being anti-environmental.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kasturirangan-report-is-antienvironmental/article5533619.ece|title=Report is anti environmental|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=14 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/interview/the-kasturirangan-report-is-a-disaster-for-the-western-ghats/20131230.htm|title='The Kasturirangan Report is a disaster for the Western Ghats'|first=Shobha|last=Warrier|website=Rediff}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/paradise-lost/article1-1179300.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202023725/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/paradise-lost/article1-1179300.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 February 2014|title=Paradise lost|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=14 May 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Nilgiri hills view from Doddabetta Peak.jpg|thumb|The Western Ghats are a UNESCO heritage site.]]

In 2006, India applied to the [[UNESCO]] [[Man and the Biosphere Programme]] (MAB) for the Western Ghats to be listed as a protected [[List of World Heritage Sites in India|World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|year=2007|title=World Heritage sites, Tentative lists, Western Ghats sub cluster|access-date=30 March 2007|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2103/}}</ref> In 2012, the following places were declared as World Heritage Sites:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342/multiple=1&unique_number=1921|title=UNESCO heritage sites|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=30 March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/UN-designates-Western-Ghats-as-world-heritage-site/articleshow/14595602.cms |title=UN designates Western Ghats as world heritage site|newspaper=[[Times of India]]|date=2 July 2012|access-date=28 July 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Tiger Drinking Pond Mudumalai Mar21 DSC01310.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tiger]] in [[Mudumalai National Park]], [[Tamil Nadu]]]]
{{div col|colwidth=28em}}
* [[Kali Tiger Reserve]], [[Dandeli]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* Mundigekere Bird Sanctuary, [[Sirsi, Karnataka]]
* [[Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Thattekad Bird Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Periyar Tiger Reserve]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Srivilliputtur Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Eravikulam National Park]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Grass Hills National Park]], [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Kerala]]
* [[Karian Shola National Park]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Silent Valley National Park]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Mukurthi National Park]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary]], Karnataka
* [[Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Kudremukh National Park]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Kaas Plateau]], [[Maharashtra]]
* [[Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Maharashtra]]
* [[Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Maharashtra]]
* [[Chandoli National Park]], [[Maharashtra]]
* [[Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Maharashtra]]
* [[Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Pambadum Shola National Park]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Anamudi Shola National Park]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Mathikettan Shola National Park]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Kurinjimala Sanctuary]], [[Kerala]]
* [[Karimpuzha National Park]], [[Kerala]]
* Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary
* Ranipuram National Park
* [[Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Bandipur National Park]] , [[Karnataka]]
* [[Nagarhole National Park]], [[Karnataka]]
* [[Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Mudumalai National Park]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
{{div col end}}

==Fauna==
The Western Ghats are home to thousands of animal species including at least 325 globally [[threatened species]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Mammals of the Western Ghats: A Simplistic Overview|first1=P.O.|last1=Nameer|first2=Sanjay|last2=Molur|first3=Sally|last3=Walker|date=November 2001|journal=Zoos' Print Journal|volume=16|issue=11|pages=629–639|doi=10.11609/jott.zpj.16.11.629-39|s2cid=87414084|url=https://semanticscholar.org/paper/a782a69ce9472a58528e2cfbb98e13be3483f992}}</ref>

===Mammals===
[[File:Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) female head.jpg|thumb|right|Nilgiri tahr, female]]
There are at least 139 [[mammal]] species. Of the 16 endemic mammals, 13 are threatened. Among the 32 threatened species are the [[tiger]], [[leopard]], [[lion-tailed macaque]], [[Nilgiri tahr]], [[Asian elephant]], [[Nilgiri langur]] and [[gaur]].<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Singh, M. |author2=Kumar, A. |author3=Kumara, H.N. |date=2020 |title=''Macaca silenus'' |volume=2020 |page=e.T12559A17951402 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T12559A17951402.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Singh, M. |last2=Kaumanns, W. |year=2005|title=Behavioural studies: A necessity for wildlife management |url=http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/oct102005/1230.pdf|journal=Current Science|volume=89|issue=7|page=1233 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113063948/http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/oct102005/1230.pdf |archive-date=13 January 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Malviya|first1=M. |last2=Srivastav|first2=A. |last3=Nigam|first3=P.|last4=Tyagi|first4=P.C.|title=Indian National Studbook of Nilgiri Langur (''Trachypithecus johnii'') |url=http://www.cza.nic.in/Nilgiri%20Langur%20studbook.pdf|year=2011|publisher=[[Wildlife Institute of India]], Dehradun and [[Central Zoo Authority]], New Delhi}}</ref> The endemic [[Malabar large-spotted civet]] is estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals, with no sub-population greater than 50 individuals.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Mudappa, D. |author2=Helgen, K. |author3=Nandini, R. |date=2016 |title=''Viverra civettina'' |page=e.T23036A45202281 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T23036A45202281.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref>
The [[Nilgiri marten]], [[brown palm civet]], [[stripe-necked mongoose]], [[Indian brown mongoose]], [[small Indian civet]] and [[leopard cat]] are the small carnivores living in the forests of the Western Ghats.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Mudappa, D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Noon, B.R. |author3=Kumar, A. |author4=Chellam, R. |year=2007 |title=Responses of small carnivores to rainforest fragmentation in the southern Western Ghats, India |journal=Small Carnivore Conservation |volume=36 |pages=18–26 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258699798}}</ref>

The hill ranges constitute important [[wildlife corridor]]s and form an important part of [[Project Elephant]] and [[Project Tiger]] reserves. The largest tiger population lives in the Western Ghats, where there are seven populations with an estimated population size of 1200 individuals occupying {{convert|21435|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} of forest in three major landscape units spread across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.<ref>{{cite book |title=Status of the Tigers, co-predators, and Prey in India|last1=Jhala|first1=Y.V. |last2=Gopal |first2=R.|last3=Qureshi|first3=Q|publisher=National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India, New Delhi; Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun|year=2008 |series=TR 08/001 |url=http://projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/status_of_tigers_in_india_2008.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602124630/http://projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/status_of_tigers_in_india_2008.pdf|archive-date=2 June 2013|author1-link=Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala}}</ref> The Western Ghats ecoregion has the largest Indian elephant population in the wild with an estimated 11,000 individuals across eight distinct populations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiienvis.nic.in/Database/eri_8226.aspx|title= Elephant Reserves|publisher=ENVIS Centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas|access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://envfor.nic.in/pe/PE%20Note.pdf|title=Census population 2005|year=2007|work=Note on Project Elephant|publisher=Ministry of Environment and Forests|access-date=30 January 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312060920/http://envfor.nic.in/pe/PE%20Note.pdf|archive-date=12 March 2012}}</ref> The endemic Nilgiri tahr, which was on the brink of extinction, has recovered and has an estimated 3,122 individuals in the wild.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/nilgiri-tahr-population-over-3000-wwfindia/article7717561.ece|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|title=Nilgiri tahr population over 3,000: WWF-India|date=3 October 2015|access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref> About 3500 lion-tailed macaques live scattered over several areas in the Western Ghats.<ref>{{cite book |author=Molur, S. |author2=Brandon-Jones, D. |author3=Dittus, W. |author4=Eudey, A. |author5=Kumar, A. |author6=Singh, M. |author7=Feeroz, M.M. |author8=Chalise, M. |author9=Priya, P. |author10=Walker, S. |name-list-style=amp|year=2003|title=Status of South Asian Primates: Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (C.A.M.P.) Workshop Report, 2003|publisher=Zoo Outreach Organization/CBSG-South Asia |place=Coimbatore}}</ref>

===Reptiles===
At least 227 species of reptiles are found in the Western Ghats.<ref>[[species:Chelmala Srinivasulu|Srinivasulu C]], [[species:Bhargavi Srinivasulu|Srinivasulu B]], [[species:Sanjay Molur|Molur S]] (compilers) (2014). ''The Status and Distribution of Reptiles in the Western Ghats, India''. Conservation and Management Plan (CAMP). Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India: Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society. 160 pp. {{ISBN|978-81-88722-40-2}}.</ref> The major population of the snake family [[Uropeltidae]] is restricted to the region.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Greene, H. W. |author2=R. W. Mcdiarmid |name-list-style=amp |year=2005|title=Wallace and Savage: heroes, theories and venomous snake mimicry, Ecology and Evolution in the Tropics, a Herpetological Perspective|pages=190–208|publisher=Chicago University of Chicago Press}}</ref> Several endemic reptile genera and species occur here, including the cane turtle ''[[Vijayachelys silvatica]]'', lizards like ''[[Salea]], [[Ristella]], [[Kaestlea]]'', and snakes such as ''[[Melanophidium]], [[Plectrurus]], [[Teretrurus]], [[Platyplectrurus]], [[Xylophis]]'', and ''[[Rhabdops]]''. Species-level [[endemism]] is much higher and is common to almost all genera present here. Some enigmatic endemic reptiles include venomous snakes such as the [[Calliophis nigrescens|striped coral snake]], the [[Malabar pit viper]], the [[large-scaled pitviper]] and the [[horseshoe pitviper]]. The region has a significant population of the [[mugger crocodile]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Andrews|last=Harry V.|title=Status and Distribution of the Mugger Crocodile in Tamil Nadu|url=http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/crocodile/tnadu.htm|publisher=WII|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20041220055759/http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/crocodile/tnadu.htm|archive-date=20 December 2004}}</ref>

===Amphibians===
The [[amphibian]]s of the Western Ghats are diverse and unique, with more than 80% of the 179 amphibian species being endemic to the [[Tropical rainforests of India|rainforests]] of the mountains.<ref>{{cite web |author=Karthikeyan, V. |title=A Report on the Survey of Rainforest Fragments in the Western Ghats for Amphibian Diversity|url=http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter19.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20051215224533/http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter19.htm|archive-date=15 December 2005}}</ref> The [[purple frog]] was discovered in 2003.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Radhakrishnan, C. |author2=Gopi, K.C. |author3=Dinesh, K.P. |name-list-style=amp |year=2007| title=Zoogeography of ''Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis'' Biju and Bossuyt (Amphibia: Anura; Nasikabatrachidae) in the Western Ghats, India|journal=Records of the Zoological Survey of India|volume=107|pages= 115–121}}</ref> Several species of frogs, namely of the genera ''[[Micrixalus]], [[Indirana]]'', and ''[[Nyctibatrachus]]'', are endemic to this region. Endemic genera include the toads ''[[Pedostibes]], [[Ghatophryne]]'', and ''[[Xanthophryne]]''; arboreal frogs such as ''[[Ghatixalus]], [[Mercurana]]'', and ''[[Beddomixalus]]''; and microhylids like ''[[Melanobatrachus]]''. New frog species were described from the Western Ghats in 2005, and more recently a new species, [[Monotypic taxon|monotypic]] in its genus ''[[Mysticellus]]'', was discovered.<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.wii.gov.in/publications/researchreports/2005/endemism_amphibian_summary_content.pdf|title=An evaluation of the endemism of the amphibian assemblages from the Western Ghats using molecular techniques|publisher=WII|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219184326/http://www.wii.gov.in/publications/researchreports/2005/endemism_amphibian_summary_content.pdf|archive-date=19 December 2008}}</ref><ref name="BBCmonotypic">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47208169|title=New 'mysterious' frog species discovered in India's Western Ghats|date=13 February 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref>
The region is also home to many [[Caecilians of the Western Ghats|caecilian species]]. There are many [[species]] of amphibians which are yet to be discovered at every elevation of the Western Ghats.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Environment |first1=The Hindu |title=Into the secret world of frogs and snakes |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/herping-enthusiasts-on-the-fascinating-world-of-reptiles-and-ambhibians-and-the-growing-interest-in-herping/article33232444.ece |access-date=1 March 2021 |issue=December 2020 |publisher=THG Publishing PVT LTD |date=2 Dec 2020}}</ref>

===Fish===
[[File:Akwa18 puntius2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Denison barb]] is endemic to only three rivers in the Western Ghats]]
{{as of|2004}}, 288 freshwater fish species were listed for the Western Ghats, including 35 also known from [[brackish]] or marine water.<ref name="Neelesh Fish"/> Several new species have been described from the region since then (e.g., ''[[Dario (fish)|Dario urops]]'' and ''[[Schistura sharavathiensis|S. sharavathiensis]]'').<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Britz, A. |last2=Philip|year=2012|title=Dariourops, a new species of badid fish from the Western Ghats, southern India|journal=Zootaxa|volume=3348|pages=63–68 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3348.1.5 |s2cid=87261596|url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1c3b/1c9303d8f968f2541b7e2f30b0d13643f34b.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208110138/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1c3b/1c9303d8f968f2541b7e2f30b0d13643f34b.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sreekantha |last2=Gururaja, K.V. |last3=Remadevi, K. |last4=Indra, T.J. |last5=Ramachandra, T.V. |year=2006|title=Two new species of the genus ''Schistura'' McClell and (Cypriniformes: Balitoridae) from Western Ghats, India|journal=Zoos' Print Journal |volume=21|issue=4|pages=2211–2216|doi=10.11609/jott.zpj.1386.2211-6|doi-access=free}}</ref> There are 118 endemic species, including 13 genera entirely restricted to the Western Ghats (''[[Betadevario]]'', ''[[Day's round herring|Dayella]]'', ''[[Haludaria]]'', ''[[Horabagrus]]'', ''[[Horalabiosa]]'', ''[[Hypselobarbus]]'', ''[[Indoreonectes]]'', ''[[Lepidopygopsis]]'', ''[[Longischistura]]'', ''[[Mesonoemacheilus]]'', ''[[Parapsilorhynchus]]'', ''[[Rohtee]]'' and ''[[Travancoria]]'').<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal>{{cite book|author1=Molur, M. |author2=Smith, K.G. |author3=Daniel, B.A. |author4=Darwall, W.R.T. |name-list-style=amp |year=2011 |url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/RL-540-001.pdf |title=The status and distribution of freshwater biodiversity in the Western Ghats, India |publisher=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – Regional Assessment |isbn=978-2-8317-1381-6}}</ref>

There is a higher fish [[Species richness|richness]] in the southern part of the Western Ghats than in the northern,<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/> and the highest is in the [[Chalakudy River]], which alone holds 98 species.<ref name=RaghavanFish>{{cite journal | last1 = Raghavan | last2 = Prasad | last3 = Ali | last4 = Pereira | year = 2008 | title = Fish fauna of Chalakudy River, part of Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, Kerala, India: patterns of distribution, threats and conservation needs | journal = Biodiversity and Conservation | volume = 17 | issue = 13| pages = 3119–3131 | doi=10.1007/s10531-007-9293-0| s2cid = 7563806}}</ref> Other rivers with high species numbers include the [[Periyar (river)|Periyar]], [[Bharatapuzha]], [[Pamba River|Pamba]] and [[Chaliyar]], as well as upstream tributaries of the [[Kaveri]], [[Pambar River (Kerala)|Pambar]], [[Bhavani River|Bhavani]] and [[Krishna River|Krishna]] rivers.<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/> The most species rich families are the [[Cyprinidae|Cyprinids]] (72 species), [[hillstream loach]]es (34 species; including [[Nemacheilidae|stone loaches]], now regarded a separate family), [[Bagridae|Bagrid catfishes]] (19 species) and [[Sisoridae|Sisorid catfishes]] (12 species).<ref name="Neelesh Fish"/><ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/><ref name=RaghavanFish/> The region is home to several brilliantly coloured ornamental fishes like the [[Denison barb|Denison (or red line torpedo) barb]],<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Raghavan, R. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Philip, S. |author3=Ali, A. |author4=Dahanukar, N. |year=2013 |title=''Sahyadria'', a new genus of barbs (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Western Ghats of India |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=5 |issue=15 |pages=4932–4938 |doi=10.11609/JoTT.o3673.4932-8 |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[melon barb]], several species of ''[[Dawkinsia]]'' barbs, [[zebra loach]], ''Horabagrus'' catfish, [[dwarf pufferfish]] and [[Carinotetraodon imitator|dwarf Malabar pufferfish]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://zoologica.lifescience.ntu.edu.tw/Z-10-1/Z-10-1-2.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040716010207/http://zoologica.lifescience.ntu.edu.tw/Z-10-1/Z-10-1-2.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 July 2004 |title=Zoologica |access-date=18 December 2006 }}</ref> The rivers are also home to ''[[Osteobrama bakeri]]'', and larger species such as the [[Malabar snakehead]] and [[Tor malabaricus|Malabar mahseer]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Benziger | last2 = Philip | last3 = Raghavan | last4=Ali |last5=Sukumaran |last6=Tharian | last7 = Dahanukar | last8 = Baby | last9 = Peter | last10 = Devi | last11 = Radhakrishnan | last12 = Haniffa | last13 = Britz | last14 = Antunes | year = 2011 | title = Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=6 |issue=6 |page=e21272 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0021272 |pmid=21731689 |pmc=3123301 |bibcode=2011PLoSO...621272B |doi-access=free}}</ref> A few are adapted to an [[Cavefish|underground life]], including some ''[[Rakthamichthys]]'' swampeels,<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Gobi | first1 = K.C. | year = 2002 | title = A new synbranchid fish, ''Monopterus digressus'' from Kersla, Peninsular India | journal = Rec. Zool. Surv. India | volume = 100 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 137–143}}</ref> and the catfish ''[[Horaglanis]]'' and ''[[Kryptoglanis]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Vincent | first1 = M. | last2 = Thomas | first2 = J. |date =2011 |title=Kryptoglanis shajii, an enigmatic subterranean-spring catfish (Siluriformes, Incertae sedis) from Kerala, India |journal=Ichthyological Research |volume=58 |issue=2 |pages=161–165 |doi=10.1007/s10228-011-0206-6 |s2cid=39313203}}</ref>

According to the [[IUCN]], 97 freshwater fish species from the Western Ghats were considered [[Threatened species|threatened]] in 2011, including 12 critically endangered, 54 endangered and 31 vulnerable.<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/> All but one (''[[Tor khudree]]'') of these are endemic to the Western Ghats. An additional 26 species from the region are considered [[data deficient]] (their status is unclear at present). The primary threats are from [[habitat loss]], but also from [[overexploitation]] and [[introduced species]].<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/>

===Birds===
[[File:Columba elphinstonii.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Nilgiri wood-pigeon]]]]
There are at least 508 bird species. Most of Karnataka's five hundred species of birds are from the Western Ghats region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://karnatakabirds.net |title=Karnataka birds |publisher=karnatakabirds.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060429032225/http://www.karnatakabirds.net/ |archive-date=29 April 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.karnatakaforest.gov.in/English/forest_glance/biodiversity.htm |title=Karnataka forest department (forests at a glance – Bio-diversity|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927093422/http://www.karnatakaforest.gov.in/English/forest_glance/biodiversity.htm|archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> There are at least 16 species of birds endemic to the Western Ghats including the endangered [[rufous-breasted laughingthrush]], the vulnerable [[Nilgiri wood-pigeon]], [[white-bellied shortwing]] and [[broad-tailed grassbird]], the [[near threatened]] [[grey-breasted laughingthrush]], [[black-and-rufous flycatcher]], [[Nilgiri flycatcher]], and [[Nilgiri pipit]], and the [[least concern]] [[Blue-winged parakeet|Malabar (blue-winged) parakeet]], [[Malabar grey hornbill]], [[white-bellied treepie]], [[grey-headed bulbul]], [[rufous babbler]], [[Wayanad laughingthrush]], [[white-bellied blue-flycatcher]] and the [[crimson-backed sunbird]].<ref name="bli">{{cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/ebas/index.html?action=EbaHTMDetails.asp&sid=125&m=0|title=Restricted-range species|year=1998|work=BirdLife EBA Factsheet 12 : Western Ghats|publisher=[[BirdLife International]]|access-date=3 December 2009}}</ref>

===Insects===
There are roughly 6,000 insect species.<ref>{{Citation|author1=Mathew George|author2=Binoy C.F.|name-list-style=amp|title=An Overview of Insect Diversity of Western Ghats with Special Reference to Kerala State|access-date=24 July 2007|url=http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter3.htm|publisher=WII|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090316112850/http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter3.htm|archive-date=16 March 2009}}</ref> Of 334 [[List of Western Ghats butterflies|Western Ghats butterfly]] species, 316 species have been reported from the [[Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve]].<ref>{{Citation|author1=George Mathew|author2=M. Mahesh Kumar|name-list-style=amp|title=State of the Art Knowledge on the Butterflies of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve|url=http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter6.htm|publisher=WII|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090108105816/http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter6.htm|archive-date=8 January 2009}}</ref> The Western Ghats are home to 174 species of [[odonates]] (107 [[dragonflies]] and 67 [[damselflies]]), including 69 endemics.<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/> Most of the endemic odonate are closely associated with rivers and streams, while the non-endemics typically are [[Generalist and specialist species|generalists]].<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/>
There are several species of [[leech]]es found all along the Western Ghats.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://faunaofindia.nic.in/PDFVolumes/records/069/01-04/0325-0328.pdf|title=On a Small Collection of leeches from Maharashtra State, India |last=Chandra|first=M. |year=1976 |volume=69 |pages=325–328 |journal=Records of the Zoological Survey of India}}</ref>

===Mollusks===
Seasonal rainfall patterns of the Western Ghats necessitate a period of [[diapause|dormancy]] for its [[land snail]]s, resulting in their high abundance and diversity including at least 258 species of [[gastropods]] from 57 genera and 24 families.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Madhyastha N. A.|author2=Rajendra|author3=Mavinkurve G.|author4=Shanbhag Sandhya P.|name-list-style=amp|title=Land Snails of Western Ghats|url=http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter9.htm|publisher=WII |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090717093156/http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter9.htm|archive-date=17 July 2009}}</ref> A total of 77 species of [[freshwater mollusc]]s (52 gastropods and 25 [[bivalves]]) have been recorded from the Western Ghats, but the actual number is likely higher.<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/> This include 28 endemics. Among the threatened freshwater molluscs are the mussels ''[[Pseudomulleria dalyi]]'', which is a [[Gondwana]]n relict, and the snail ''[[Cremnoconchus]]'', which is restricted to the spray zone of waterfalls.<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/> According to the IUCN, 4 species of freshwater molluscs are considered endangered and 3 are vulnerable. An additional 19 species are considered data deficient.<ref name=IUCNAquaticAnimal/>

==Flora==
[[File:Tropical rainforest Agumbe.jpg|thumb|Tropical rainforest, [[Agumbe]]]]
The dominant forest type here is [[tropical rainforest]]. [[Montane forests]], [[tropical dry forests]] and [[tropical moist forests]] are also found here. Of the 7,402 species of flowering plants occurring in the Western Ghats, 5,588 species are native or indigenous and 376 are exotics naturalised; 1,438 species are cultivated or planted as ornamentals. Among the indigenous species, 2,253 species are endemic to India and of them, 1,273 species are exclusively confined to the Western Ghats. Apart from 593 confirmed subspecies and varieties; 66 species, 5 subspecies and 14 varieties of doubtful occurrence are also reported, amounting to 8,080 taxa of flowering plants.<ref>Nayar, T.S., Rasiya Beegam A., and M. Sibi. (2014). Flowering Plants of the Western Ghats, India (2 Volumes), Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. p.1700</ref>
Various plant species are endemic to the Western Ghats, including the palm tree ''[[Bentinckia condapanna]]'' and the flower ''[[Strobilanthes kunthiana]]''.<ref name="GP2008">{{cite book|title=Genera Palmarum: The Evolution and Classification of Palms|first1=J. |last1=Dransfield|first2=N.W. |last2=Uhl|first3=C.B. |last3=Asmussen |first4=W.J.|last4=Baker|first5=M.M.|last5=Harley|first6=C.E.|last6=Lewis|year=2008|publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|isbn=978-1-84246-182-2}}</ref> A number of plant species are also [[Critically Endangered]], such as ''[[Dipterocarpus bourdillonii]]'' and ''[[Phyllanthus anamalayanus]]''.

''[[Echinops sahyadricus]]'' is endemic to the mountains, and the [[specific epithet]] ''sahyadricus'' is refers to them.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=More |first1=Sushant |last2=Conti |first2=Fabio |last3=Bhosale |first3=Harshal S. |title=Echinops sahyadricus sp. nov. (Asteraceae: Cardueae), from the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India |journal=Nordic Journal of Botany |date=October 2020 |volume=38 |issue=10 |doi=10.1111/njb.02860 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344848901_Echinops_sahyadricus_sp_nov_Asteraceae_Cardueae_from_the_northern_Western_Ghats_Maharashtra_India |access-date=18 April 2022}}</ref>

==Threats==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2022}}
[[File:Bandipur fires 2019.jpg|thumb|Forest fires 2019]]
The Western Ghats face a lot of issues. Poaching, Deforestation, Forest fires, Invasion of alien species and Dangers to native tribes are the main threats. Despite the 1972 Indian law of that banned poaching, people still tend to illegally hunt down animals such as tigers, elephants and chital for skin, fur or tusks. Forests here are being destroyed for farming or livestock. Animals that eat livestock are also being killed by farmers. Forest fires take place annually during the dry summer season, especially in the Nagarhole-Bandipur-Wayanad-Mudumalai-Satyamangalam-BRT block which has the most biodiverse locations in the Western Ghats with the largest populations of tigers and elephants residing there.

Native tribes of the Western Ghats are being evicted from their homelands. This results in degradation of the tribal culture. The rich biodiversity in both flora and fauna have made the Western Ghats a target for many corporate companies to gain resources. This however is checked by the Government of India and the State Governments to protect the Western Ghats.

==See also==
* [[Ghat Roads]]
* [[Eastern Ghats]]

==Notes==
{{clear right}}
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* Mahajan, Harshal. ''A rendezvous with Sahyadri''
* Ingalhalikar, Shrikant. ''Flowers of Sahyadri''. Corolla Publication; Pune
* Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment.'' Island Press; Washington, DC.
* Kapadia, Harish. ''Trek the Sahyadris''
* [https://archive.today/20070228195706/http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter2.htm Daniels, R.J. Ranjit, Wildlife institute of India, "Biodiversity in the Western Ghats"]
* Ajith Kumar, [[Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History]], Coimbatore, India, Ravi Chellam, B.C.Choudhury, Divya Mudappa, Karthikeyan Vasudevan, N.M.Ishwar, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, India, Barry Noon, Department of Fish and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, U.S. (2002) "''Impact of Rainforest Fragmentation on Small Mammals and Herpetofauna in the Western Ghats, South India''", [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20070701040125/http://www.wii.gov.in/faculty/publication/frag.wii.report.pdf Final Report, pp. 146, illus. Full text] retrieved 14 March 2007
* Verma Desh Deepak (2002) "''Thematic Report on Mountain Ecosystems''", Ministry of Environment and Forests,13pp, retrieved 27 March 2007 [https://web.archive.org/web/20060618233452/http://biodiv.org/doc/world/in/in-nr-me-en.doc Thematic Report on Mountain Ecosystems] Full text, detailed data, not cited.
* Abstracts, Edited by Lalitha Vijayan, Saconr. Vasudeva, University of Dharwad, Priyadarsanan, ATREE, Renee Borges, CES, ISSC, Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Atree & WCSP. Pramod, Sacon, Jagannatha Rao, R., FRLHTR. J. Ranjit Daniels, Care Earth, Compiled by S. Somasundaram, Sacon (1–2 December 2005) [https://web.archive.org/web/20130511231752/http://www.westernghatsforum.org/abstract_12_05.pdf ''Integrating Science and Management of Biodiversity in the Western Ghats''], 2nd National Conference of the Western Ghats Forum, Venue: State Forest Service College Coimbatore, Organized by [[Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History]], Anaikatty, Coimbatore – 641108, India. Sponsored by Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Supported by The Arghyam Foundation, The Ford Foundation & Sir Dorabiji Trust Through Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)
* [http://www.ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/sahyadri_enews/newsletter/issue30/M%20D%20S%20Chandran.pdf Shifting Cultivation, Sacred Groves and Conflicts in Colonial Forest Policy in the Western Ghats.] M.D. Subash Chandran; Chapter 22
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|auto=1|voy=Southern India}}
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342 Western Ghats], UNESCO World Heritage site
* [http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/western_ghats/ Western Ghats], WWF

{{GeoSouthAsia}}
{{Western Ghats}}
{{World Heritage Sites in India}}
{{Mountain passes of India}}
{{Karnataka topics}}
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[[Category:Western Ghats| ]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of India]]
[[Category:Physiographic provinces]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in India]]
[[Category:Geography of Coimbatore]]
[[Category:Landforms of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Landforms of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Landforms of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Landforms of Kerala]]
[[Category:Landforms of Goa]]
[[Category:Landforms of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Mountains in Buddhism]]
[[Category:Freshwater ecoregions]]

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Western Ghats