The Viphya Mountains, also known as the Viphya Plateau or Viphya Highlands, are a mountain range in Malawi's Northern Region. Geography The range runs north-northeast along the west shore of Lake Malawi. The range extends approximately 210 km from north to south, with Mount Champhila (1768 m) at the southern end of the range, and Mount Uzumara (1920m) at the northern end. The Mzimba Plain lies to the west. Mt. Chimaliro (2050 m.) is in the northern part of the range, about 40 km north of Mzuzu. The South Rukuru River drains the Mzimba Plain and the western slopes of the mountains. The South Rukuru drains northeastwards into Lake Malawi, and the river's lower valley defines northern end of the range, separating the Viphya Mountains from the Nyika Plateau north of the river. The eastern slopes are drained by the Luweya River and other streams which empty into Lake Malawi. The northern and southern portions of the range are separated by a lower saddle of hills. The town of Mzuzu is located on the saddle's western slope, and Malawi's M5 Highway crosses the saddle to connect Mzuzu to Nkhata Bay on Lake Malawi. Malawi's north-south M1 Highway crosses the southernmost end of the range. Ecology Plant communities in the mountains vary with elevation. Miombo woodland predominates below 1600 meters elevation, with areas of lowland forest and grassland. Above 1600 meters elevation, Afromontane grasslands, shrublands, forests, and woodlands are main native plant communities, with many distinct species from the adjacent lowlands. About 4500 hectares of montane rainforest remain in the southern part of the range, mostly in the South Viphya Forest Reserve. Ficalhoa laurifolia and Cryptocarya liebertiana are the main emergent trees in the rainforest. Mts. Uzumara and Chimaliro support patches of montane rainforest, with Ficalhoa laurifolia and Ocotea sp. as the dominant trees, and a dense understory of Acanthaceae shrubs. Mt. Uzumara is the southern end of the range for species of butterfly, Papilio bromius, P. jacksoni and Charaxes nyikensis. The Mtangatanga and Perekezi forest reserves, on the western slope of the mountains, protect distinctive high-altitude closed-canopy miombo forests. Brachystegia taxifolia is the dominant tree, with evergreen shrubs and mosses in the humid understory. The trees support many epiphytic orchids and lichens. The South Viphya forests are home to Malawi's largest population of red forest duiker (Cephalophus natalensis), along with yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus), vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), bushbuck (Tragelaphus