Amphibian and reptile survey in Munnar Wildlife Division from September 3 to 6
Survey will be conducted across the Eravikulam, Anamudi Shola, Pambadum Shola, and Mathikettan Shola National Parks as well as the Kurinjimala Sanctuary
A comprehensive survey of amphibians and reptiles will be conducted across the Munnar Wildlife Division from September 3 to 6. This four-day survey, involving around 60 experts, volunteers, and Forest department staff, will cover Eravikulam, Anamudi Shola, Pambadum Shola, Mathikettan Shola National Parks, and the Kurinjimala Sanctuary.
The initiative aims to gather more detailed ecological data compared to the 2022 survey, which identified 52 amphibian species and 47 reptile species in the region. Key objectives for this edition include estimating species abundance, mapping distribution ranges, assessing habitat changes, and discovering species not previously documented.
The survey will be led by the Munnar Wildlife Division in collaboration with the Aranyakam Nature Foundation, with support from herpetologist Sandeep Das and researchers Nithin Divakar and Dhruvaraj S. The protected area's ecologically significant 'sky islands' within shola-grassland ecosystems will also be included in the survey, divided into 16 base camps to ensure a thorough, scientific approach.
On Wednesday, Forest department personnel will attend a one-day workshop to learn survey methodologies and understand the herpetological diversity within the protected areas.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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