The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India. The Nilgiri Sub-Cluster is a part of the Western Ghats, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India. The Nilgiri Sub-Cluster is a part of the Western Ghats, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is very rich in plant diversity. Tropical rainforest habitat is dominant but Montane forest and Tropical moist forest habitats are also found. About 3,300 species of flowering plants can be seen here. Of the 3,300 species, 133 are endemic to the reserve. The genus Poeciloneuron is exclusively endemic to the Nilgiris. Some of the plants entirely restricted to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve include species of Adenoon, Calycanthus, Baeolepis, Frerea, Jarodina, Wagatea, Poeciloneuron, etc. Fauna includes over 100 species of mammals, 370 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles, about 39 species of fish, 31 amphibians and 316 species of butterflies. It is home to Mammals like Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, black panther, gaur, Indian elephant, chital deer, sambar deer, blackbuck, Indian brown mongoose, honey badger, Malabar giant squirrel, Nilgiri marten, and Nilgiri tahr. The Primates here are lion-tailed macaque, Bonnet macaque, Nilgiri langur, and Gray langur. Reptiles found here are Indian python, king cobra, Indian cobra, and mugger crocodile. The birds here are Indian peacock, Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri laughing thrush, Nilgiri flycatcher, great Hornbill, and Malabar grey hornbill.
