Notes for Nature Watchers

Butterflies
India is a land awash with colour, and you can see it everywhere. Observe the vivid colours that are reflected in the Orange-Red of the Gul Mohar, the pristine white of the Jasmine, the striking blue of the Indian Roller.

Witness an explosion of colour in the butterflies of the Western Ghats. India is home to 1,500 species of butterflies, of which peninsular India hosts 350, while the Western Ghats can boast of more than 330 species.

Daft about Bats
Bats make up about 25% of the mammalian diversity of India, they may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if they are one of your favourite mammals, The Hermitage is where you ought to be.

Flora and Fauna
The Hermitage is located within the northern section of the Western Ghats. This ecoregion comprises of Montane Rain Forests, and is an area remarkable for its biological diversity. Common indigenous tree species include The Indian Rosewood tree [Dalbergia latifolia], The Indian Beech, [Pongamia pinnata], Nana [Lagerstroemia lanceloata], The Dhaman [Grewia tiliaefolia], The Kadamba [Mitragyna parviflora], and The Cinnamon Tree [Cinnamomum macrocarpum] among others. The area is also rich in bamboo, climbers, lianas, and epiphytes.

Medicinal Plants
It is impossible right here to give a complete list of medicinal plants that are found in the area but they number in the hundreds. Communities living here such as the 'Dhangars' have a system of folk medicine that is really old, and time tested. If guests are interested in learning more about this, there are knowledgeable individuals who can take them on a guided tour. There are innumerable medicinal plants growing in and around the Hermitage; suitable cures for every disease imaginable! Included is a list of medicinal plants commonly used as household remedies.

Wild Flowers
More colour to be found in the Wild flowers growing in woodlands, along the roadside, open meadows and grasslands. There are flowers all the year round.

Mammals, Reptiles, and Snakes - List of Mammals
The Forests of the West harbour a vast range of life forms from the very small to the very large. Almost half the reptiles and more than three-fourths of the amphibians known in India are found in the Western Ghats.