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Unveiling the Secret Beauty of India’s Forests: The Nilgiri Marten.

Freda Savahl
4 min readFeb 17, 2024

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Discover the Rare and Enigmatic Mammal of India.

Nilgiri Marten — Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

The Nilgiri Marten

There is an elusive and rare mammal native to southern India that belongs to the same family as badgers and weasels. This carnivorous creature, an Indian mustelid, can only be found in the Western Ghats and is the only species in India that lives in evergreen forests and montane grasslands in the hills of the Nilgiris and some parts of the Western Ghats.

Tea, acacia, coffee, cardamom, and wattle plantations also host Nilgiris. These beauties are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to threats to their habitat from the eco-tourism project and the black wattle plant.

A Map of their Distribution:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western _Ghats

Characteristic features:

Scientific studies estimate that there are only 1000 individuals in their population.

Size & coloration:

The Nilgiri is a visually striking mammal species that boasts a sleek, dark brown fur covering its…

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Freda Savahl
Freda Savahl

Written by Freda Savahl

Retired Nurse Practitioner WHC /Contract Provider Deployment Military Services. US Citizen. Immigrant from South Africa 1978.

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