Ecologists, wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists now have a freely accessible field guide pictorial book on snakes and lizards that are found along the southern Western ghat regions. Researchers associated with the Aranyakam Nature Foundation have recently compiled a list of 58 species of these reptiles commonly found in the Sky islands of southern Western ghats - a UNESCO recognised biodiversity hotspot. Sky islands are unique high-elevation forest grasslands and are often intertwined by different habitats. The e-book titled 'Snakes and Lizards of the Sky Islands of the Western Ghats' is an outcome of multiple field trips since early 2020 and previous works of researchers Deepak V, Sandeep Das, Surya Narayanan, Rajkumar KP, Saunak Pal, Jason Gerard and David Gower. This group mainly focused on snakes and lizards as these are the reptiles found at heights more than 1,500 metres above mean sea level in this region. "Animals between these grasslands cannot move to one another because of the presence of unique habitats at each of these grasslands. So, a unique evolution is taking place within these grasslands due to their restricted movements. Our aim was to understand the reptile behaviour and what relates these reptiles found in Sky islands to each other," explained Narayanan. As part of this National Geography Society-funded project, the ecologists went into these grasslands along the Nilgiris, Anamalai, Meghamalai and Agasthyamalai hill ranges. Some 20 to 25 independent group trips were needed to collate the list of 30 snake and 28 lizard species found mostly over 1,500 metres above mean sea level, except some over the Agasthyamalai (over 1,000 metres above mean sea level). The book contains photographs of confirmed sighted reptiles along with their brief descriptions while some species have been provided with images of both genders along with colour variations showcased by these reptiles. Newsletter | Click to get the day's best explainers in your inbox While the digital version is freely accessible for all, the researchers have made available printed copies to schools in the vicinity of Ooty, Kodaikanal and neighbouring areas. "We hope to inspire other research groups to take up similar documentation work and create guide books on other taxa," he said.
