of their vegetation which consists of several tiers, the highest containing lofty trees...covered by numerous epiphytes" Agumbe rainforest research station The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station was founded in 2005 by Romulus Whitaker, a herpetologist. Whitaker had been familiar with Agumbe since the 1970s when he began studying the King Cobra. Its purpose is to create a local biodiversity database, encourage individual scientific research, collaborate with India's Department of Forestry and conserve the rainforest of the Western Ghats as well as to educate the residents of the region in the importance of forestry conservation. The King Cobra, an endangered species is the station's "flagship species". The station occupies an area of . Funding for the station came from Whitaker's mother, Doris Norden and from the Whitley Award received by Whitaker in 2005. Medicinal plants conservation area The Agumbe Medicinal Plants Conservation Area was established in 1999 to protect the important medicinal plants of the region. The "Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions" recorded 371 plant species at Agumbe, of which 182 were medicinal. Flora Endangered plant species Endangered plant species in the area include Dipterocarpus indicus Dysoxylum malabaricum Calophyllum apetalum Garcinia indica Garcinia gummi-gutta Myristica dactyloides Vateria indica Aristolochia tagala Tarenna agumbensis Adenia hondala Celastrus paniculatus Persea macrantha Plant species named for Agumbe Meliola agumbensis - fungus Tarenna agumbensis - shrub Hygroaster agumbensis - mushroom Dactylaria agumbensis- fungus Other plant species discovered at Agumbe Caudalejeunea pluriplicata - liverwort Notothylas dissecta - Hornwort Fauna Mammals Agumbe provides an environment for large and small mammals such as the endangered lion-tailed macaque, tiger, leopard, sambar, giant squirrel, dhole, a wild dog of India, gaur, the Indian bison and barking deer. Reptiles and amphibians In creating funds for conservation of the Agumbe rainforest, the Ophiophagus hannah, king cobra is a 'flagship' species. An Agumbe-based scientific project to radio-locate rescued king cobras aims to determine whether relocation is helpful to their survival. other reptiles and amphibians of the area include the cane turtle and a flying lizard. Birds Agumbe is a popular destination for bird watchers and photographers. Among the endemic birds are the Malabar trogon, the yellow-browed bulbul and Sri Lankan frogmouths. Insects and marine species Agumbe's many insect species include the Atlas moth, Cyclotoma alleni (a beetle discovered in Agumbe), Selenops agumbensis, a spider and Drosophila agumbensis a small fly species. Cremnoconchus agumbensis is a local small fresh water snail. Temples The Agumbe