Agumbe - Crown Jewel of the Western Ghats

With an annual rainfall of 4000 mm to 8500 mm, Agumbe lays claim to the moniker 'Cherrapunji of South India'. The wettest place in south India, Agumbe in the monsoon is a land transformed. The forested cliffs of Agumbe rise up more than 2,000 feet above sea level, trapping the monsoon winds that drift in from the coast. Fog clings to the thick vegetation and the undergrowth echoes with the cries of birds such as whistling thrushes, fulvettas and bulbuls. In the treetops, monkeys such as the rare Lion-tailed Macaque may be seen. But the most visible signs of life stir underfoot, amid bushes and leaf litter. Snakes and frogs, insects and crabs are drawn out by the abundance of food and in search of mates. Yahoo reader NITIN VYAS shares these vibrant photographs from Agumbe.