Ghats cherished with wide variety of species ,[discovered are less]

 These ranges are known for their rich bio-diveristy and natural heritage. The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, hence known also as monsoon mountains. 

A large number of herbivores also make the ghats their home due to this abundant vegetation. And the Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is one of them. It is a high altitude dweller and is found mostly in grasslands above 1,200 meters
Though their main diet is fruits, they are omnivorous and forage for seeds, fresh leaves, flowers and insects. They are mostly arboreal, and seldom get down from the trees. And are often mistook for the more commom Nilgiri langur as that too is dark in color.
While some species are gray in color like the tahr and others dark like the macaques. There are other species which are bright in color and the Rufous colored Malabar Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) is among them. They too are arboreal and their huge bushy tail which can grow upto 2ft helps them balance on the precarious tree tops.
Though the thick forests of western ghats is well suited for canopy dwellers, there are some predators who have used this to their advantage. And one such predator, a master of stealth is the Leopard.

While most animals are shy and are hidden in the thick forests, the Malabar whistling thrush (Myophonus horsfieldii) is probably the most elusive. Most often one can only hear their calls in the morning, click to hear the morning raga of the whistling trush.

While the thrushes are found mostly on the ground and much below the canopy, some birds are found mostly on the canopy over looking the evergreen forests.
One flagship bird of the western-ghats, the Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) is found motly on treetops of fruiting trees. Though figs form a major part of their diet, they do sometimes feed on fish and small mammals.
Some birds are also found in the coffee plantations. One such bird, the Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus) feeds on the small insects that come to feed on the coffee fruit.
Birds are not the only habitants of plants and bushes in the rainforest. A group of frogs known as bush frogs are mostly found on sitting on leaves and calling for their mates. 9 bush frogs have been discovered in the year 2011 alone.

The Blue-eyed bush frog (Philautus leutolus) is one of the prettiest bush frogs which has been recently discovered in the western ghats. Click to hear the call of the Blue-eyed bushfrog (Frog call source : Dr. Gururaja K.V.)

Another bush frog, the Ponmudi bush frog (Philautus ponmudi) gets its name from a small hill station in Kerala were it was first recorded
There are frogs found higher up in the tree too. These tree frogs are slightly bigger in size and have webbed feet that allow them to leap from branch to branch. One such tree frog is the Malabar Gliding frog (Racophorous Malabaricus).
Most frogs though are found on the ground close to water bodies. The Bronzed frog (Hylarana temporalis) is mostly found on edges of rocky streams. They sit exposed on flat rocks and stones and can leap, often to a considerable distance.
Frogs fall under the classification of amphibians, having the ability to live in and out of water. While the tree frogs and bush frogs live close to water, there are some frogs which live in water! One such species is the Alice's wrinkled frog (Nictibatrachus aliciae). Like most frogs they are nocturnal and hence their name Nictibatrachus meaning "Night frog".
Where there are frogs, there are bound to be snakes. And one common yet beautiful non-venomous snake of the western ghats is the Green Vine Snake (Ahaetulla nasuta)
The venomous Malabar pit viper (Trimeresurus malabaricus) is another beautiful snake from the western ghats which uses its heat sensing pits to track and hunt prey.
But the flagship species of the western ghats is the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Growing upto 15ft and weighing upto 10kgs. It's the world's largest venomous snake. The snake derives its scientific name from the fact that it feeds only on snakes. They've recently be documented to be cannibalistic.
The western ghats are also home to a wide range fauna. Caterpillars, Butterflies, Lizards and Spiders are just some of them. The Forest Calotes is another lovely lizard from this area.
The ghats have also been home to several indigenous tribes for centuries. Venkatappa is a Goudlu tribal. The Goudlu tribe is one of the last traces of pure Malnad culture in the Indian western ghats, farming is their primary occupation. The tribe is no longer protected from urbanization, the plastic sheet he wears has replaced the traditional rain blanket "KAMBLI". All is not lost, "MUTTALE" - the Arecanut leaf headgear still remains.
As urbanization creeps into these beautiful habitats, the forest suffers. As forests make way to towns and tea plantations, the western ghats face a bleak future
As more roads cut across the forests, the animals have to make way for the traffic at the cost of their lives
These ghats that are home to several species of animals are also life giving. They refresh the atmosphere with the oxygen they produce. The ghats also account for most rivers that feed our towns and cities. The loss of these forests have far reaching consequences than we can comprehend now.