[5] According to UNESCO, the Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas. In some parts frost is common, and temperatures reach the freezing point during the winter months.

As of 2004[update], 288 freshwater fish species were listed for the Western Ghats, including 35 also known from brackish or marine water. [1] It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight hot-spots of biological diversity in the world.

The biodiversity found here even rival that of the Amazon .

[2][3] It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. In the southern part of the range is Anamudi (2,695 metres (8,842 ft)), the highest peak in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats lie roughly parallel to the west coast of India.

Residual laterite and bauxite ores are also found in the southern hills. [56] Most of the endemic odonate are closely associated with rivers and streams, while the non-endemics typically are generalists.

The total amount of rain does not depend on the spread of the area; areas in northern Maharashtra receive heavy rainfall followed by long dry spells, while regions closer to the equator receive less annual rainfall and have rain spells lasting several months in a year.[23]. [39][40][41], These hill ranges serve as important wildlife corridors and form an important part of Project Elephant and Project Tiger reserves. [56] According to the IUCN, 4 species of freshwater molluscs are considered endangered and 3 are vulnerable. km. Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, depending on the context could either refer to a range of stepped-hill such as the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of water or wharf, such bathing or cremation place along the banks of a river or pond, Ghats in Varanasi, Dhoby Ghaut or Aapravasi Ghat.

A total of thirty-nine areas in the Western Ghats, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests, were designated as world heritage sites in 2012 – twenty in Kerala, ten in Karnataka, six in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra.

Some rivers among the Western Ghats have been dammed to produce electric power.

[57] Other rivers with high species numbers include the Periyar, Bharatapuzha, Pamba and Chaliyar, as well as upstream tributaries of the Kaveri, Pambar, Bhavani and Krishna rivers. [46] About 3500 lion-tailed macaques live scattered over several areas in the Western Ghats.[47]. About 50 miles (80 km) wide and 20 miles (32 km) long, they are bisected into eastern and western sections by the Cheyyar and Agaram rivers, tributaries of the Palar River. [citation needed]. The rivers have been dammed for hydroelectric and irrigation purposes with major reservoirs spread across the states. Montane forests and moist deciduous forests are also found here. Due to the technology and improvement in thecanals, barrages and dams, the river is under control. This article was most recently revised and updated by. The mountains reach elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 feet (900 to 1,500 metres) in the north, rise less than 3,000 feet in the area south of Goa, and are higher again in the far south, reaching 8,652 feet (2,637 metres) at Doda Betta mountain. [27] Silent Valley in Kerala is among the last tracts of virgin tropical evergreen forest in India. sharavathiensis). The dense forests also contribute to the precipitation of the area by acting as a substrate for condensation of moist rising orographic winds from the sea, and releasing much of the moisture back into the air via transpiration, allowing it to later condense and fall again as rain. Above 1,000 meters are the South Western Ghats montane rain forests, also cooler and wetter than the surrounding lowland forests, and dominated by evergreen trees, although some montane grasslands and stunted forests can be found at the highest elevations.