Munnar Wildlife Division to host four-day amphibian and reptile survey
A four-day herpetofauna survey begins September 3 across Munnar's national parks and sanctuaries, aiming to update species records and ecological data.
The Munnar Wildlife Division is set to conduct a comprehensive amphibian and reptile survey across its protected areas from Thursday, September 3, to Sunday, September 6. The exercise will cover the Eravikulam, Anamudi Shola, Pambadum Shola, and Mathikettan Shola National Parks, along with the Kurinjimala Sanctuary.
A team of around 60 experts and volunteers, supported by an equal number of Forest department personnel, will participate in the four-day exercise. The survey is being jointly organised by the Munnar Wildlife Division and the Aranyakam Nature Foundation.
Wildlife Warden K. V. Harikrishnan said the 2022 survey, which documented 52 amphibian species and 47 reptile species, focused primarily on species identification within each protected zone. This edition, he noted, aims to gather deeper ecological data, including estimates of species abundance, mapping of distribution ranges, assessment of habitat changes, and identification of species not previously recorded.
The survey will also cover the ecologically vital 'sky islands' of the shola-grassland ecosystems. The area has been divided into 16 base camps to ensure a rigorous and scientific approach.
Leading the survey are Mr. Harikrishnan, Assistant Wildlife Wardens Nizam A. and Anilkumar A., herpetologist Sandeep Das, and researchers Nithin Divakar and Dhruvaraj S. from the Aranyakam Nature Foundation.
A one-day workshop for department personnel is scheduled for Wednesday, covering survey methodologies and the herpetological diversity within the protected areas.