PERIYAR TIGER RESERVE
- Location – It falls in the district of Idukki in Kerala (saddled in the southern region of Western Ghats).
- Formation- Declared a Sanctuary during 1950 and declared as Tiger Reserve during 1978. It gets its name from the River Periyar which has its origin deep inside the reserve.
- Drainage – The major rivers through the reserve are Mullayar and Periyar.
- Flora – The sanctuary comprises tropical evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous forests and grasslands.
- The sanctuary is a repository of medicinal plants numbering to about 300.
- Some are endemic to the region like Syzygium periyarensis (a tree), Habenaria periyarensis (an orchid) and Mucuna pruriense thekkadiensis (a climber) etc.
- Fauna
- Mammals: Tiger, Elephant, Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Tahr etc.
- Birds: Darters, Cormorants, Kingfishers, the great Malabar Hornbill and racket-tailed Drongos.
- Reptiles: Monitor Lizards, Python, King Cobra etc.