| Eastern Ghats | |
| Country: | India |
| Subdivision1 Type: | States |
| Subdivision2 Type: | Regions |
| Length Orientation: | N–S |
| Width Orientation: | E–W |
| Elevation M: | 1680 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence M: | 1680 |
| Highest: | Sitamma Konda |
The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats pass through the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu by, passing parts of Karnataka and Telangana on the way. They are eroded and cut through by four major rivers of peninsular India, the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. Zindagad Konda is the highest point in both Andhra Pradesh and the Eastern Ghats at 1690m (5,550feet). The Biligiriranga Hills in Karnataka are the tallest hill range in the Eastern Ghats, with many peaks above 1500 m in height.
The Eastern Ghats are made up of charnockite, granite gneiss, khondalite, granite and quartzite rock formations. The structure of the Eastern Ghats includes thrusts and strike-slip faults along its range.[2] Limestone, bauxite and iron ore are found in Eastern Ghats hill ranges.
The Eastern Ghats are an ancient orogenic belt which formed from the collision of crustal rocks during the Archean Eon. The belt became part of the Indian subcontinent during the Gondwana period because of continental drift, making the mountains significantly older than the Western Ghats.[3]
The Eparchaean Unconformity of the Tirumala Hills is a major discontinuity of stratigraphic significance that represents an extensive period of erosion and non-deposition. It can be seen at the steep natural slopes, road scars and ravines in the Tirumala ghat roads in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh.[4] [5]
As with the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats have local names along the discontinuous hill ranges. Both ranges (Eastern & Western) considered to be converging at The Nilgris range in Tamil Nadu. There is also a massive crater impact happened which created an impact in between Nilgiri and Palani Hills which is named as Kavery Crater which is considered to be the third largest crater impact on earth.
The Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers flow from headwaters on the Kolar Plateau eastward through gaps in the Ghats to empty into the Bay of Bengal. The Javadhu Hills lie between the two rivers. There are waterfalls along remote stretches of the rivers, such as Kiliyur Falls.[6]
Madhurawada Dome in the Eastern Ghats mobile belt was formed by a tectonic arrangement with the khondalite suite and quartzite Archean rocks north of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.[7]
The Maliya Range is located in the northern portion of the Eastern Ghats, generally ranging between elevations of 900–1,200 m. The tallest peak in this range is Mahendragiri (1,501 m).[8]
The Madugula Konda Range is also located in the northern portion of the Eastern Ghats. It is higher than the Maliyas and generally ranges between elevations of 1,100–1,400 m. Prominent summits include the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats, Arma Konda (1,690 m), along with Gali Konda (1,643 m) and Sinkram Gutta (1,620 m).[8]
The Similipal massif is considered the furthest northeast extension of the Eastern Ghats[9] and similarly Sirumalai massif is considered to be the southernmost extension of the Eastern Ghats.
The Eastern Ghats are the source area for many small and medium rivers of the east coastal plains of South India.[10]
Rivers flowing through the Eastern Ghats include:
Rivers originating on the Eastern Ghats include:
The endemic fauna of the Eastern Ghats include Jerdon's courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus) and the grey slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus). Rare geckos live here as well, including the Indian golden gecko (Calodactylodes aureus), granite rock gecko (Hemidactylus graniticolus) and Yercaud slender gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus aurantiacus). Other endemic reptiles include Sharma's skink (Eutropis nagarjuni) and snakes such as Gower's shieldtail snake (Rhinophis goweri), Shortt's shieldtail snake (Uropeltis shorttii) and the Nagarjun Sagar racer (Platyceps bholanathi).
Mammals found in the Easter Ghats include the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), Madras treeshrew (Anathana ellioti), common grey mongoose (Urva edwardsii), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica), Indian bison (Bos gaurus), Indian boar (Sus scrofa cristatus), common muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus), golden jackal (Canis aureus), Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis), Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus), tufted grey langur (Semnopithecus priam), Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus), bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata), rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis), smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata), jungle cat (Felis chaus), cheetal (Axis axis), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) and Indian mole-rat (Bandicota bengalensis).[11] There are about 400 tigers living in the Eastern Ghats.
A survey conducted by ATREE in the northern Eastern Ghats hill region identified more than 205 species of birds, including relatively rare ones like Brook's flycatcher (Cyornis poliogenys) and Jerdon's baza (Aviceda jerdoni). Threatened bird species like the Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) were also spotted in a couple of habitats.[12] Other bird species found in the Eastern Ghats include the Great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus), spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Indian pond heron (Ardeola grayii), hoopoe (Upupa epops), spotted owlet (Athene brama), greater coucal (Centropus sinensis), pied crested cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus), Oriental white ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Indian pitta (Pitta brachyura), Indian paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi), red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), jungle babbler (Turdoides striata), painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala), black-rumped flameback (Dinopium benghalense), brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), jungle myna (Acridotheres fuscus), Indian spotted eagle (Aquila hastata), Indian vulture (Gyps indicus)[13] [14] and Malabar whistling thrush (Myophonus horsfieldii).
Up to 30 species of amphibians live in the Eastern Ghats, including Gunther's toad (Bufo hololius), pond frogs (Euphlyctis spp.), cricket frogs (Fejervarya spp.), bull frogs (Hoplobatrachus spp.), burrowing frogs (Sphaerotheca spp.), balloon frogs (Uperodon spp.), small-mouthed frogs (Microhyla spp.) and tree frogs (Polypedates spp.). Endemic species include the golden-backed frogs (Hylarana spp.), the bush frog (Raorchestes terebrans), the recently described caecilian Gegeneophis orientalis, and an Ichthyophis species that is known only from old records.[15] [16]
Nearly 100 species of reptiles occur in the Eastern Ghats. Many endangered species are also present, including the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Indian black turtle (Melanochelys trijuga), Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata), Indian tent turtle (Pangshura tentoria), Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) and Leith's softshell turtle (Nilssonia leithii), many of which are found in the northern rivers and riverine valley tracts.
Among the lizards present are Roux's forest calotes (Monilesaurus rouxii), Psammophilus and Sitana species, Indian chameleon (Chamaeleo zeylanicus), reticulated gecko (Hemidactylus reticulatus), rock geckoes Hemidactylus giganteus and Hemidactylus graniticolus, golden gecko (Calodactylodes aureus), slender gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus aurantiacus), rare ground geckoes Cyrtodactylus nebulosus and Cyrtodactylus collegalensis, the recently rediscovered Geckoella jeyporensis, Leschenault's snake-eye (Ophisops leschenaultii), blinking snake-eye (Ophisops minor), Ashwamedh's skink (Eutropis ashwamedhii), Beddome's skink (Eutropis beddomei), Nagarjun's skink (Eutropis nagarjuni) and Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis). Noteworthy lizards include endemic, fossorial species of leg-less skinks such as Sepsophis punctatus, Barkudia melanosticta and Barkudia insularis that are known only from the northern ranges and along the adjoining Eastern coastal plains in northern Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Among snakes present are the beaked worm snake (Grypotyphlops acutus), endemic shield-tailed snakes like Uropeltis ellioti and Uropeltis shorttii, the recently described Rhinophis goweri, the endangered Indian rock python (Python molurus), Forsten's cat snake (Boiga forsteni), yellow-green cat snake (Boiga flaviviridis), Srilankan flying snake (Chrysopelea taprobanica), Nagarjun Sagar racer (Coluber bholanathi), green keelback (Rhabdophis plumbicolor), Duméril's black-headed snake (Sibynophis subpunctatus) and Indian reed snake (Liopeltis calamaria). Apart from the Big Four Indian venomous snakes, endemic ones like Beddome's coral snake (Calliophis beddomei), Indian green Bamboo pit viper (Trimeresurus gramineus), the rare King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) and Banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) are also known from parts of this region.[15] [16]
Sanctuaries and national parks of the Eastern Ghats:
According to a study published in 2018, the forest cover of the Eastern Ghats has shrunk drastically since 1920, and several plant species endemic to this region face the threat of extinction.[17]