NOTES ON SMALL WILDCAT STATUS AND THREATS TO THEIR CONSERVATION - A SURVEY IN THE EASTERN GHATS OF INDIA

摘要

The Eastern Ghats are located between 11°30' and 22° N latitude and 76° 50' and 86° 30'E longitude extending north-east to south-west. The Ghats (meaning "pass" - not mountains) spread over three states of India, namely Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. They cover an area of about 75,000 km~2, with an average width of 200 km in the north and 100 km in the south. They extend over 1,750 km between the rivers Mahanadi and Vaigainal along the east coast. (Pullaiah and Rao, 2002). The elevation in the study area varies between 20 m and 1,100 m above mean sea level. The Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats converge in the state of Tamilnadu, forming the Nilgiri Hills. Six species of wildcats are reported to inhabit the Eastern Ghats (Prater, 1988).