| Flora And Fauna Of Kerala |
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Most of and the Vembanad-Kol Wetlands are noted as being Wetlands Of International Importance . There are also numerous protected conservation areas, including 1455.4 km&2 of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve . '' species) like this Strangler Fig are an important floral element and support many frugivores.]] Eastern Kerala’s ), ''anjili'' (''Artocarpus hirsuta''), ''mullumurikku'' (''Erthrina''), ''caussia'', and other trees dominate the canopies of large tracts of virgin forest. Overall, Kerala's forests are home to more than 1,000 species or trees. Smaller Flora include Bamboo , wild Black Pepper (''Piper nigrum''), wild Cardamom , the Calamus Rattan palm (''Calamus rotang'' — a type of giant Grass ), and aromatic Vetiver grass (''Vetiveria zizanioides'').. In turn, the forests play host to such major Fauna as Asian Elephant (''Elephas maximus''), Bengal Tiger (''Panthera tigris tigris''), Leopard (''Panthera pardus''), and Nilgiri Tahr (''Nilgiritragus hylocrius''), and Grizzled Giant Squirrel (''Protoxerus stangeri'').. More remote preserves, including Silent Valley National Park in the Kundali Hills, harbor endangered species such as Lion-tailed Macaque (''Macaca silenus''), Indian Sloth Bear (''Melursus (Ursus) ursinus ursinus''), and Gaur (the so-called "Indian Bison" — ''Bos gaurus''). More common species include Indian Porcupine (''Hystrix indica''), Chital (''Axis axis''), Sambar (''Cervus unicolor''), Gray Langur , Flying Squirrel , Swamp Lynx (''Felis chaus kutas''), Boar (''Sus scrofa''), a variety of Catarrhine Old World Monkey species, Gray Wolf (''Canus lupus''), Common Palm Civet (''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus'').. (''Ophiophagus hannah'').]] Many reptiles, such as King Cobra , Viper , Python , various turtles and crocodiles are to be found in Kerala — again, disproportionately in the east. Kerala's Avifauna are legion — these including Peafowl , the Great Hornbill (''Buceros bicornis'') and Indian Grey Hornbill , Indian Cormorant , Jungle and Hill Myna , Oriental Darter , Black-hooded Oriole , Greater Racket-tailed and Black Drongo es, Bulbul (''Pycnonotidae''), species of Kingfisher and Woodpecker , Sri Lanka Frogmouth (''Batrachostomus moniliger''), Jungle Fowl , Alexandrine Parakeet , and assorted ducks and migratory birds. Additionally, freshwater fish such as ''kadu'' ( Stinging Catfish — ''Heteropneustes fossilis''). and brackishwater species such as ''Choottachi'' (orange chromide — ''Etroplus maculatus''; valued as an Aquarium specimen) also are native to Kerala's lakes and waterways.. SEE ALSO NOTES REFERENCES
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