An Update on the Mammals of Western Ghats

Abstract

Western Ghats (WG) is one of the 35 hotspots of the world and home to several endemic and endangered vertebrate fauna. The mammalian fauna of Western Ghats includes 133 species representing 10 orders and 31 families of class Mammalia, which is about 31% of the total Indian mammalian fauna. Twenty-six species of endemic mammals were reported from the Western Ghats, out of 44 species of endemic mammals known from the different regions of India. The habitat loss and degradation due to industrial activities, human encroachment, poaching, livestock grazing, man-wildlife conflict, plantations and logging are considered as major threats.