Silent Valley National Park

The climatic conditions vary widely according the changes in altitude. The undulating terrain of the park, ranging from plains to the hills records a wide range of temperature. April is the hottest month with summers as hot and humid. The average temperature revolves around 23?C-29?C. The winter months are cold and dry with January and February being the coldest and average temperature keeps around 4?C -18?C.

Valley receives high amounts of rainfall twice during the year. Thanks to the south-west and north-east monsoon which comes in June to September and during October and November respectively. June, July and August are the months which receive the most rainfall.

The ideal time of the year to visit the Silent Valley National Park is between the months of September to March when the temperature remain pleasant.

Harbouring about 292 species of birds, 34 species of mammals, 22 species of amphibians, 31 species of reptiles, 13 species of fishes and 500 species of butterflies and moths, this National Park is rich in faunal diversity.

Speaking of having a fair representation of all peninsular mammals, the major ones include Lion-tailed Macaque, Tiger, Leopard (Panther), Leopard Cat, Nilgiri Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Brown Palm Civet, Fishing Cat, Stripe necked Mongoose, Wild Dog, Common Palm Civet, Ruddy Mongoose, Sloth Bear, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Indian Pangolin (Scaly anteater), Otter, Flying Squirrel, Porcupine, Wild Boar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Gaur and Elephant.

Lion Tailed Macaque is the most famous animal spotted here and its almost synonymous with the name of the Valley.

Avian

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, White bellied tree Pie, Rufous Babbler, Broad tailed Grass Warbler, Black and Orange Flycatcher, Wayanad Laughing Thrush, Blue winged Parakeet, Greyheaded Bulbul, Nilgiri Laughing Thrush, White bellied Blue Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Nilgiri Pipit, Small Sunbird and Rufousbellied Shortwing are some of the birds sighted and identified in the Valley. There are almost 14 endemic avian species in the Western Ghat.

Vegetation

The Silent Valley is virtually a treasure-trove for botanist. The flora of the valley include approximately 1000 species of flowering plants, 100 ferns and fern allies, 107 species of orchids, 200 liverworts, about 200 algae and 75 lichens. Of these floral varieties, a good majority is endemic to the Western Ghat itself. Basically, Silent Valley Reserve Forest can be segmented into four forest types such as -

• West-coast tropical evergreen forest (600 to 1100 m)

• Southern subtropical broad leaved hill forest (1300 to 1800 m)

• Southern montane wet temperate forest (above 1900 m)

• Grassland

The following are some of the new species that has been recorded by the botanists recently :

• Hedyotis silentvalleyensis

• Kanjaram palghatensis

• Porpax chandrasekharanhii

• Silentvalleya nairii

• Nydnocarpus pendulus

For the orchid lovers, the majorly found species include but not limited to Oberonia bisaccata, Eriatiagii, and Liparis indiraii. Ipsea malabarica is a ground orchid which was rediscovered after a lapse of more than a century. Anodendron rhinos porum and Scutellaria oblonga are the two Sri Lankan plants which have also been recorded.

Mesua ferrea, Cullenia exarillata, Palaquim ellipticum are the major tree species seen here.