Breathtaking ‘Sky Islands’ Showcase Evolution in Action - 1
Publicado 9 mar 2022, 11:48 CET

These mountain tops peeking out of the clouds are known as "sky islands." Similar to oceanic islands, they are separated by air rather than water.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe Nilgiri tahr is a hoofed mammal endemic to the sky islands in the Western Ghats.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavNyctibatrachus minimus is one of the smallest known frogs of India. Found in the high elevation Shola forest, a full-grown adult is smaller than a thumbnail.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavRaorchestes manohari is a habitat specialist that prefers bamboo forests.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavRaorchestes signatus is another endemic frog of the Western Ghats. One of its peculiar characteristics is its brown eyes with radiating golden stripes. These starry eyes are present only in females.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavRhacophorus lateralis is a tree frog restricted to two small areas of the southern Western Ghats. It has been listed as an endangered species and is at risk of losing its habitat.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe Malabar torrent toad, Ghatophryne ornata, is seen around fast-flowing streams. It is also an endangered species in the region.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe blue-eyed frog, Raorchestes luteolus, is nocturnal. Male frogs can be heard calling at dusk.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe montane Shola environments have very high water-retention capabilities–all major rivers in south India originate in this landscape.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavDrosera burmannii is a small, compact species of carnivorous plant with a very wide distribution across the habitat. Here it has caught an ant using its sticky sundew tentacle.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavArisaema leschenaultii is an endemic plant of the high elevation sky islands. It is commonly called a Kerala cobra lily because of its resemblance to the animal.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe sky islands are home to a unique forest-grassland complex called the Shola.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe horseshoe pit viper, Trimeresurus strigatus, is a venomous snake restricted mainly to one hilly region in the Western Ghats. It feeds on small frogs and lizard species found in the Shola grasslands.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavBibron's coral snake, Calliophis bibroni, is one of the rarest snakes in the Western Ghats. This snake is a burrower and occasionally comes to the surface for mating and foraging. When disturbed, it flattens its whole body and coils up its tail in an aggressive display.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe lion-tailed macaque, Macaca silenus, ranks among the rarest and most threatened primates globally due to habitat loss.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe Western Ghats are one of the eight "hottest hot-spots" of biological diversity in the world.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavThe songbird Sholicola albiventris sings a unique song during the courtship ritual in a dark understory environment.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavMontecincla fairbanki is also known as the Kerala laughingthrush.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet YadavFireflies signal an oncoming monsoon in the Western Ghats.
Fotografía de Prasenjeet Yadav