Abstract

The status of larger mammals in Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, was studied during the years 1992 to 1995, mainly based on observational methods. Vegetation of the sanctuary is composed of tropical wet evergreen forests, tropical semi-evergreenforests, and South Indian moist deciduous forests. Twenty-two species of larger mammals were recorded from the sanctuary. Rare and endangered species such as the lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), tiger (Panthera tigris) and Kerala forest terrapin (Heosemys silvatica) are reported for the first time from this area. As the density of herbivores was very low, it supported only a small carnivore community