Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary - Fauna

Fauna

In addition to grizzled giant squirrels, other animals seen here are barking deer, bonnet macaque, common langur, elephants, flying squirrels, gaur, indian giant squirrel, leopard, lion-tailed macaques, mouse deer, nilgiri langur, nilgiri tahrs, palm civets, porcupine, sambar, slender lorris, sloth bear, spotted deer, tree shrews, wild boar and wild cats.

Resident and migrating elephants are common. The wildlife census in 2002 counted 156 elephants here. There were more Grizzled giant squirrels sighted in 2009 than in 2008. In 2008, a group of 30 lion-tailed macaques were sighted during the annual census, but in the 2009 census more than 45 lion-tailed macaques, including a sizeable number of young macaques, were sighted in a single group between Nagariyar and Periyakavu patch. Nilgiri Tahr have been sighted in the entire division starting from Kottamalai in Rajapalayam to Perumal Malai in Sathuragiri Hills near Sundara Mahalingam temple in Saptoor. A tiger was also seen in Sathuragiri during the 2009 census.

Recognised as an Important Bird Area, over 200 species of birds are seen in this sanctuary including 14 species of birds endemic to the Western Ghats, such as the critically endangered Oriental white-backed vulture and the Long-billed vulture, Vulnerable species Nilgiri Wood-pigeon, Broad-tailed Grass Warbler, Red-faced Malkoha and the White-bellied Shortwing (Brachypteryx major) and Near threatened species like the Great Pied Hornbill, Nilgiri Pipit, Black-and-orange Flycatcher and the Nilgiri flycatcher. The Malayan Night Heron is less concern. The primary raptors here are the Serpent Eagle, Hawks and Black Eagle.

The sanctuary has 18 species of reptiles including king cobras and three endemic species namely: Draco or gliding lizard, Large-scaled Calotes and Southern Green Calotes. There are over 10 species of amphibians and over 56 species of butterflies.