Eyeing you
<p>The Western Ghats is home to thousands of animals, including at least 325 globally threatened species. Many are endemic, particularly amphibians and reptilians. The snake family Uropeltidae is almost entirely confined to this region. The amphibian diversity here is even more remarkable; over 90 per cent of the known 250 amphibian species of the Western Ghats are endemic, with most found in the rainforests of this vast mountain range. The endangered purple frog, discovered here in 2003, is considered a living fossil, and is more closely related to species found in the Seychelles! Showcased across these pages are a stunning selection of Western Ghats’ reptiles and amphibians through the lens of herpetologist and nature photographer Sandeep Das.</p>
<p>The bronze-headed vine snake <em>A. perroteti</em> is endemic to the Western Ghats in South India. Named after French botanist George Samuel Perrottet (1790–1870), who also worked on the natural history of Indian biota, <em>A. perroteti</em> is predominantly terrestrial to semi-arboreal. It has been recorded in the montane grasslands and the shola forest mosaic of the Upper Nilgiris.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Photo: Sandeep Das.</span></strong></p>
