Kirloskar Vassundhara International Film Festival 2012

Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) :-

This is Endemic bird Species 

Size :- 

This bird also known as lesser Pied Hornbill, Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old world.

The Malabar Pied Hornbill is a common resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Shri lanka east to Borneo. Its habitat is evergreen and moist deciduous forests, often near human settlements.

During incubation, the female lays two or three white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks.

When the chicks have grown too large for the mother to fit in the nest with them, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, after which both parents feed the chicks.

The Malabar Pied Hornbill is a large hornbill, at 65 cm in length. It has mainly black plumage apart from its white belly, throat patch, tail sides and trailing edge to the wings. The bill is yellow with a large, mainly black casque. Females have white orbital skin which is not there in case of Males. Juveniles don't have the casque.

This species is omnivorous, taking fruits, small mammals, birds, small reptiles, insects etc. Prey is killed and swallowed whole. Figs form an important part of their diet and contribute to 60% of their diet from May to February, the non-breeding season and during breeding (March to April) up to 75% of the fruits delivered at the nest were figs. They also feed on other fruits including those of the Strychnos nux-vomica that are known to be toxic to many vertebrates.

A study comparing population over a 23 year period at Dandeli found no significant change.

In central India, tribals believed that hanging a skull of the hornbill (known as dhanchidiya) brought wealth.

Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) :
This is State Butterfly of Maharashtra
This is Endemic butterfly in India & Shri lanka. Mostly found in Western Ghat. most common in heavy rainfall areas, such as evergreen forest in western ghat. 

Habitat :-  It frequents flowers especially of Mussaenda frondosa, Ixora coccinea, Jasminum spp. and Asystasia gangetica.

Size : - 

Food plants :  Atalantia racemosa and Atalantia wightii , 
                         Glycosmis arborea, 
                         Plramigyna monophylla, 
                         Citrus grandis, 
                         Citrus limom.

Beddome's Cat Snake (Boiga beddomei) :
This is a species found in India & Shri lanka.
Size :- 2 to 3.5 feet 
Habitat :- Westerrn Ghat rain forest.
Specially Western Ghats, : Maharashtra (Kass (Satara) Koyna, Bhudargad (Kop) Amboli).

Malabar Gliding Frog  (Rhacophorus malabaricus)
This is Malabar Gliding Frog found endemic species in western Ghat...this is Tree Frog...
Size :- overall 100 to 110 mm.
Habitat :- on tree. mostly evergreen forest and cold area.
Location :- Amboli, Sindhudurga MS, Bhudargad, Kolhapur MS.