The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states. Geography The ecoregion has an area of . It includes the southern ranges of the Western Ghats, including the Agastyamalai and Anamalai, and the eastward spurs or slopes of the Nilgiri Hills and Palani Hills. The forests of Wayanad in northern Kerala mark the transition to the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests to the north. To the west, the Malabar Coast moist forests ecoregion lies in the coastal strip between the 250 meter contour and the Malabar Coast. To the east, the ecoregion transitions to the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests ecoregion in the drier rain shadow of the Western Ghats. It surrounds the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion, which lies above 1000 meters elevation. Climate The climate of the ecoregion is tropical, and varies with elevation and exposure. The western slopes of the mountains intercept moisture-bearing winds during the June to September southwest monsoon, when 65% to 80% of the annual rainfall occurs. The northeast monsoon brings additional rain between October and November. Evapotranspiration from the forests and moist sea air from the Arabian Sea provide additional humidity. December to May are the driest months. Rainfall on the west side of the range averages 2,000–3,000 mm annually. The eastern slopes are on the rain shadow of the mountains, and rainfall averages 1000 to 2000 mm annually. Average temperatures are generally cooler than in the adjacent lowlands, and decrease with increasing elevation. Flora Many forest trees lose their leaves during the dry season. Typical tree species include Adina cordifolia, Albizia odoratissima, Albizia procera, Alstonia scholaris, Bombax ceiba, Toona ciliata, Dalbergia latifolia, Grewia tiliaefolia, Holoptelea integrifolia, Hymenodictyon excelsum, Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Lannea coromandelica, Miliusa velutina, Pterocarpus marsupium, Schleichera oleosa, Spondias pinnata, Radermachera xylocarpa, Tectona grandis, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia paniculata, Terminalia tomentosa, Vitex altissima, Xylia xylocarpa, and Machilus macrantha. Fauna There are 89 native mammal species in the ecoregion. Larger mammals include the tiger (Panthera tigris), Asian elephant (Elephas elephas), gaur (Bos gaurus), Nilgiri langur (Semnopithecus johnii), dhole or Asian wild dog (Cuon alpinus), and sloth bear (Melursus ursinus). Among the smaller mammals are several threatened species, including Jerdon's palm civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni), Gray slender loris (Loris