the Ouchterlony valley, are a continuation of the Kundah range. Pichalbetta (height: ), Nilgiri Peak and Mukurthi Peak are the important heights of this area. Though not the highest hills in the Nilgiris, these three hills stand out in relation to the generally uniform level of this area. Important peaks in the southwest Sispara/Bangitipal part of the park are Sispara (height: ) Anginda (height: ), Nadugani (height: ) and Gulkal (height: ). The park has a harsh environment with annual rainfall varying from 2010 mm to 6330 mm (79–249 inches), night temperature sometimes below freezing in the winter and wind speeds ranging up to . page 13 Fauna Several threatened mammal species live here including Nilgiri tahr, Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Nilgiri marten, Nilgiri langur and Bonhote's mouse. Mukurthi is near the northern end of the range of the Nilgiri tahr. A three-day census in March 2007 estimated 200 tahrs in the park including 60 young ones sighted. There are also leopard, bonnet macaque, sambar deer, barking deer, mouse deer, otter, jungle cat, small Indian civet, wild dog, jackal, black-naped hare, shrew, Malabar spiny dormouse and soft-furred rat. Avifauna consists mostly of hill birds including the threatened laughingthrush, whistling thrush, woodcock, wood pigeon, black-and-orange flycatcher, Nilgiri flycatcher, grey headed flycatcher black bulbul, white-eye, Nilgiri pipit. The predatory black-winged kite, kestrel and black eagle may be seen in the grasslands. The area is home to many species of point-endemics among reptiles such as the geckos dwarf gecko spp., Nilgiri salea (Salea horsfieldii) and the skink (Kaestlea bilineata) the snakes horseshoe pit viper, checkered keelback, rat snake, Oligodon venustus, bronze-headed vine snake and several shieldtails of which Perrotet's shieldtail is the most common. Like reptiles, almost all species of amphibians here are endemic only to this region, except the widespread common Indian toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus); main species include Bufo microtympanum and many species of tree frogs including Raorchestes tinniens, Raorchestes signatus, Raorchestes ravii, Raorchestes thodai, Raorchestes primarrumpfi, Ghatixalus variabilis and the dancing frog Micrixalus phyllophilus and aquatic ones like Nyctibatrachus indraneili and Fejervarya nilagirica. Butterflies with Himalayan affinity like the blue admiral, Indian red admiral, Indian fritillary, Indian cabbage white and hedge blues are seen here. Some streams had been stocked with exotic rainbow trout in the past. Flora The area is home to numerous endemic plants particularly of the scapigerous annual Impatiens plants. Alchemilla indica and Hedyotis verticillaris are found only