Reptiles, Namely Snakes, Lizards, Crocodiles and Live up to 100 Years, Some Individuals Have Been 5 4 SCINCIDAE Unique Flora, Fauna and Fungi
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The Western Ghats or 'Sahyadris' is home to some very Reptiles, namely snakes, lizards, crocodiles and live up to 100 years, some individuals have been 5 4 SCINCIDAE unique flora, fauna and fungi. The terrestrial ecosystem of AGAMIDAE Salea anamallayana Geckoella deccanensis Calotes ellioti 1 Eutropis allapallensis 4 turtles are cold-blooded animals and their skin is recorded to live up to 150 years. India has 28 the Sahyadri and peninsular India, and biodiversity are | | covered with hard, dry scales. They do not burn as species of freshwater turtles and tortoises. highly diverse supporting livelihoods, providing invaluable The Sahyãdri Research Education Conservation much energy keeping their body warm and as a Unregulated trade for food and medicinal use are the ecosystem services and sustaining more than 400 million result do not eat nearly as much food as a similar biggest threats to this group. people in the world's highest concentration of humans in a biodiversity hotspot. sized mammal or other warm-blooded animal. About 265 species of reptiles have now been The Western Ghats has a high proportion of endemic Snakes are legless, elongated, carnivorous reptiles. recorded from the Western Ghats of India with 66% faunal species. If an animal or plant species’ natural home They lack eyelids and external ears. Young snakes of these species being completely restricted to this (habitat) is restricted to one particular area or space on the Reptiles when they grow shed their skin. Snakes, if they eat distinct mountain range. In a recent assessment of Elliot's Forest Lizard Anaimalai Spiny Lizard Gunther's Indian Gecko Schmidt's Mabuya globe, it is known as an endemic species. For example, Endemic to Western Ghats Endemic to Southern Western Ghats Endemic to Northern Western Ghats Endemic to India large prey, can go weeks with out feeding. Some the reptiles of India, 28 species were found to be Calotes ellioti Elliot's Forest Lizard is endemic to the examples of snakes are cobra and viper. Snakes threatened. Western Ghats. The greatest number of endemics in the 2 2 5 are often hated and attacked by human though a Western Ghats is found among the amphibians (78%) Draco dussumieri GEKKONIDAE Hemidactylus maculatus Kaestlea bilineata The risk of extinction of a species is assessed Calodactylodes aureus 6 small percentage of them are poisonous. Snakes followed by reptiles (66%). The checklist given in this fold- are not dangerous unless disturbed or provoked. according to the IUCN Red List Categories and out is the list of endemic reptiles of peninsular India. The The Snakes do humans a great service by controlling Criteria. As such, the categories of threat reflect the Sahyadris is witnessing rapid developmental activities risk of extinction in a species. A species assessed leading to habitat disturbance and degradation, pollution crop pests like rats. as 'Critically Endangered’ is considered to be facing due to industrial and agro expansion, and tourism-related Sahyãdri development shrinking more and more pristine habitats Lizards are similar to snakes but with legs. They are an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. A throughout the range. It is time now to get aware of such most closely related to snakes, but unlike snakes, species assessed as 'Endangered' is considered to causes, find ways to reduce them to ensure continued lizards have movable eyelids. Lizards have a small be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. A survival of these unique living organisms found nowhere head, short neck, and long body and tail. Some species assessed as 'Vulnerable' is considered to be else other than the Sahyadris. Southern Flying Lizard Indian Golden Gecko Spotted Leaf-toed Gecko Two-lined Ground Skink examples of lizards are garden lizards, chameleons, facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. All taxa Endemic to Peninsular India Endemic to Peninsular India Endemic to Peninsular India Endemic to Southern Western Ghats Reptiles geckos, monitor lizards and skinks. Males change assessed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or This fold-out is a small section of reptiles of the Western colour during the breeding season, in order to be Vulnerable are described as 'threatened'. To Ghats that have been assessed for their IUCN Red List. 3 3 8 10 Otocryptis beddomii Cnemaspis ornata Hemiphyllodactylus aurantiacus Lygosoma guentheri more attractive to the female. Habitat destruction is distinguish between the three threatened categories, Colour code denotes species of the same family. the biggest threat to the lizards. there are five criteria with quantitative thresholds Series Editors reflecting biological indicators of populations Sanjay Molur and B.A. Daniel Crocodiles are semi-aquatic reptiles. Gharial is an threatened with extinction. example. These reptiles are carnivores. They are Reviewers very strong with bodies built for predation including Chelmala Srinivasulu and Bhargavi Srinivasulu powerful tapering jaws. They are good at hearing Photo Credits and they communicate with a wide range of Keerthi Krutha1 Sachin Rai2 Dhaval Momaya3 vocalizations such as grunts, coughs and barks. 4 5 6 Sanjay Sondhi Saunak Pal Ashok Captain Indian Kangaroo Lizard Ornate Day Gecko Southern Ghats Slender Gecko Günther’s Writhing Snake They bask to regulate their internal temperatures. 7 8 9 Endemic to Western Ghats Endemic to Southern Western Ghats Endemic to Peninsular India Endemic to Peninsular India Anne Devan-song Sushil Chikane Nirmal Solanki These are active during night. They look slow but Rahul Kamble10 Hari Menon11 Pratik Pradhan12 13 14 15 can move very quickly when attacking their prey. V. Deepak M.U. Mallikarachchi S. Deshmukh 4 7 LACERTIDAE 5 16 17 18 Psammophilus blanfordanus Cyrtodactylus nebulosus Ristella beddomii Habitat loss is the biggest threat to Crocodiles. R. Nande Vipul Ramanuj Vivek Philip Cyriac Ophisops microlepis 9 Raju Vyas19 Chirag Roy20 Vishal Prasad21 Arun Kanagavel22 Turtles and tortoises are another group of reptiles. Turtle lives in the water and a tortoise lives on land Layout but both lay eggs on the ground. A tortoise has a R. Pravin Kumar and Latha Ravikumar dome shaped shell with short and sturdy feet. Its legs are bent, instead of being straight and directly Produced by WILD in collaboration with ZOO under the body. A turtle has a flat streamlined shell through a grant from Friends of Blanford's Rock Agama with webbed feet and long claws. The lifespan of a Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) TARGET Endemic to Peninsular India Email: [email protected] Clouded Indian Gecko Beddome's Cat Skink turtle is between 20-30 years while the tortoise can Endemic to India Endemic to India Endemic to Western Ghats IUCN Red List Categories at a global level ZOO/WILD Fold-out #5 - Sep2013 COLUBRIDAE Dryocalamus gracilis 14 Rhabdops olivaceus 17 PSAMMOPHIIDAE Platyplectrurus madurensis 20 Uropeltis rubromaculatus 5 Endemic Reptiles of the Peninsular India Ahaetulla perroteti 11 Psammophis longifrons 12 AGAMIDAE SCINCIDAE PSAMMOPHIIDAE Calotes aurantolabium DD Barkudia insularis DD Psammophis longifrons LC Calotes ellioti LC Barkudia melanosticta DD TYPHLOPIDAE Calotes grandisquamis LC Chalcides pentadactylus DD Grypotyphlops acutus LC Calotes nemoricola LC Eurylepis poonaensis EN Typhlops exiguus DD Calotes rouxii LC Eutropis allapallensis LC Typhlops pammeces LC Draco dussumieri LC Eutropis gansi DD Typhlops thurstonii DD Otocryptis beddomii EN Eutropis innotata DD Psammophilus blanfordianus LC Eutropis nagarjuni NT UROPELTIDAE Psammophilus dorsalis LC Eutropis trivittata LC Brachyophidium rhodogaster LC Salea anamallayana LC Kaestlea beddomei LC Melanophidium bilineatum VU Western Ghats Bronzeback Scarce Bridal Snake Olive Forest Snake Stout Sand Snake Madurai Shieldtail Red-spotted Earth Snake Melanophidium punctatum LC Found in India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka Salea horsfeldi LC Kaestlea bilineata LC Endemic to Southern Western Ghats Endemic to Western Ghats Endemic to India Endemic to Western Ghats Endemic to Western Ghats Melanophidium wynaudense LC GEKKONIDAE Kaestlea laterimaculata VU Kaestlea palnica DD Platyplectrurus madurensis EN Calodactylodes aureus LC 12 6, 15, 16 1 Lygosoma ashwamedhi VU Platyplectrurus trilineatus DD Coluber gracilis Elachistodon westermanni ELAPIDAE TYPHLOPIDAE Plectrurus perroteti VIPERIDAE Cnemaspis australis DD 6 19 18 Lygosoma goaensis DD Plectrurus aureus DD Calliophis nigrescens Grypotyphlops acutus Peltopelor macrolepis Cnemaspis beddomei DD Plectrurus canaricus DD Cnemaspis goaensis EN Lygosoma guentheri LC Lygosoma lineata LC Plectrurus guentheri DD Cnemaspis gracilis LC Plectrurus perroteti LC Cnemaspis heteropholis NT Lygosoma pruthi DD Lygosoma vosmaeri DD Rhinophis fergusonianus DD Cnemaspis indica VU Rhinophis sanguineus LC Cnemaspis indraneildasi VU Ristella beddomii LC Ristella guentheri DD Rhinophis travancoricus EN Cnemaspis jerdonii VU Teretrurus sanguineus LC Cnemaspis kolhapurensis DD Ristella rurkii DD Ristella travancorica DD Uropeltis arcticeps LC Cnemaspis littoralis DD Uropeltis beddomii DD Cnemaspis monticola DD COLUBRIDAE Uropeltis bicatenata NT Cnemaspis mysoriensis LC Ahaetulla dispar NT Graceful Racer Indian Egg-eater Striped Coral Snake Beaked Worm Snake Nilgiri Burrowing Snake Large-scaled Pit Viper Uropeltis broughami DD Cnemaspis nairi NT Ahaetulla perroteti Endemic to India Endemic to India, Nepal Endemic to India Endemic to India Endemic to Western Ghats Endemic to Western Ghats EN Uropeltis ceylanicus LC Cnemaspis nilagrica DD Boiga