BY S.R.GANESH & S.R.CHANDRAMOULI. 2008

ANBANANDAPURAM VAHAIRA CHARITY (A.V.C) COLLEGE, MAYILADUTHURAI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA.

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ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
This is a mere 'attempt' to create an integrated database / website for the herpetofauna (i.e., amphibians & reptiles) of southern India. This database is a photographic e-guide. This page covers amphibian and reptilian taxa present in southern India roughly corresponding to the four major south Indian states viz. - Tamill Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (8'N to 14'N lat. & 80'E to 74'E long.) . We, the research students of Wildlife biology, from A.V.C College, Tamil Nadu, hereby present our 'little collection' of an endless list, with the hope that this database will be useful for students, faculties and herpetologists. To know more about each family, click the links arranged to the left. Each page will take you to informative contents and stunning photographs of the subject.

MAP OF PENINSULAR INDIA SHOWING MAJOR RELIEF FEATURES

PALEOPOSITION AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY
India was a landmass wedged between the present day Madagascar and Australia, then part of the Gondwanan supercontinent. Over millenia, it drifted and accreded on to the mainland Asian plate, a part of the then Laurasia, due to plate tectonics and continental drift. This gave rise to a towering mountain range - the Himalayas, which more or less mark the southern boundary of Palearctic, protecting the Indian peninsula from the cold and icy winds blowing from the temperate north. Since then, the Indian peninsula has enjoyed (and is still enjoying) the much wanted 'tropical climate' and thus, is blessed with tremendous species richness.


CONTEMPORANEOUS LANDSCAPE AND ITS HERPETOFAUNA
Today, there are a myriad habitat types in southern India; ranging from coastal plains, to arid savannahs, dry xerophytic scrub lands to dry and wet tropical forests and montane grasslands of the high hills reaching over 2600 m; giving its denizens, a vast arena to occupy. Herpetofauna is no exception. With over 100 species of amphibians and 200 species of reptiles (as a rough figure!), southern India is a great place for herpetological diversity. Due to the presence of tropical wet evergreen forests (the most bio-diverse ecosystem on earth) the Western Ghats, a series of hill range situated along the Western coast is considered to be one of the ten greatest global bio-diversity hotspots. There are several peculiar forms of animals and plants which occur nowhere else in the world. Such species are called 'endemic species'. Several genera of herpetofauna are endemic to this ecoregion. Uropeltids / shieldtail snakes (Uropeltidae) and wrinkled / night frogs (Nyctibatrachidae) are found only in south India & Sri Lanka. Numerous families like torrent frog (Micrixalidae) and genera like wrinkled frog (Nyctibatrachus), black microhylid (Melanobatrachus), cane turtle (Vijayachelys), spiny lizards (Salea), cat skinks (Ristella), ground skinks (Kestlea), wood snakes (Xylophis) are endemic to the Western Ghats. Species level endemism is much higher. Apart from the Western Ghats, many other physiographic regions like Eastern Ghats, Deccan plateau, and coastal plains also harbour numerous species.


THREATS & CONSERVATION
Anthropogenic pressure is a great source of threat to the highly unique herpetofauna. Habitat destruction, particularly, in the evergreen rain forests are destroying the homes of thousands of species, many of which still remain undiscovered. Wanton killing for various reasons is the second major cause. Virtually no statistics is available on the number of snakes getting killed out of fear! If worked out, no doubt, the figure will sore upto sevral thousands. To safeguard these animals, legal protection of these craetures and their habitat is being strictly enforced. It is upto us to safely conserve these biological treasures and keep them alive for the posterity to cherish.