Fauna of shola forests
Like
in the case of flora, shola forests and grasslands are rich in
fauna. The famous among them is the Nilgiri tahr, an endangered
species protected at the Eravikulam National Park. Other species
include Nilgiri langur, slender loris, giant squirrels, leopards,
bears, sambar deer, elephants and jungle fowls. Jungle fowls congregate
on the shola grasslands when kurinjis bloom.
Sholas harbour specialised animals such as tree frogs, burrowing snakes and
geccos. They have developed or have not faced extinction because sholas
are like islands cut off from the mainland. A variety of insects and
butterflies also occur on the sholas.
Besides, several species of bees, wasps
and ants are found in shola forests. Resident and migrant birds
and cold water fishes also add to the faunal diversity of the sholas. The avifauna
includes better known species such as black and orange flycatcher and
grey-breasted laughingthrush.