City
Madurai
🇮🇳 India
Asia, India 188 spp. recorded
Madurai is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is often referred to as "Thoongaa Nagaram", meaning "the city that never sleeps". Wikipedia
9.918° N 78.107° E
🦜 Nature
188 Species sighted
20,286 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jan Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
VU Endemic
Bonnet Macaque
Macaca radiata
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Bark Gecko
Hemidactylus leschenaultii
LC
Common Bronzeback Tree Snake
Dendrelaphis tristis
VU
Indian Flap-shelled Turtle
Lissemys punctata
LC
Common Dotted Garden Skink
Riopa punctata
LC
Blotched house gecko
Hemidactylus triedrus
LC
Khorat Blind Snake
Indotyphlops braminus
NT
Bengal Monitor
Varanus bengalensis
LC
Indian Chameleon
Chamaeleo zeylanicus
LC
Keeled Indian Mabuya
Eutropis carinata
LC
Indian Wolf Snake
Lycodon aulicus
LC
Indian Cobra
Naja naja
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Common Indian Toad
Duttaphrynus melanostictus
LC
Chunam Tree Frog
Polypedates maculatus
LC
Schneider's Toad
Duttaphrynus scaber
LC
Ornate Narrow-mouthed Toad
Microhyla ornata
LC
Sri Lankan Bullfrog
Uperodon taprobanicus
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
Recent sightings in Madurai
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
American College, Madurai
-
Thiruparankundram Tank / Thenkarai Pond
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
28Jan
23Feb
24Mar
22Apr
19May
25Jun
24Jul
24Aug
27Sep
26Oct
22Nov
26Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
—
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
—
Wildlife spots
6
spotsZoos & centres
0
placesClimate
Tropical savanna
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.5
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 433
🐒 Mammals 81
🦎 Reptiles 85
🐸 Amphibians 21
620 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
36 Threatened 14 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
78% 📊
Coverage (87 species at ≥5% of 620 in the inventory)
14% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
8 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
20 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.9
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea — Low
Protected areas 0 Low
Wildlife spots 6 Medium
Zoos & centres 0 Low
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Madurai?
188 species
Madurai's urban area has 188 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are House Crow (about 90%), Rose-ringed Parakeet (about 90%), Rock Pigeon (about 90%), Asian Koel (about 80%) and Black Drongo (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Indian Palm Squirrel (about 50%); among reptiles, Oriental Garden Lizard (about 50%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Madurai?
April
In that month the city's 12 most-seen species average about 90% on a given day, against about 70% in February, September and November–December.
Can you see a Yellow-billed Babbler in Madurai?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Babbler sighting in Madurai on a given day, based on 813 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March and April (about 90%).
Can you see an Indian Palm Squirrel in Madurai?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Palm Squirrel sighting in Madurai on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January and September (about 70%).
Can you see a Purple-rumped Sunbird in Madurai?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Purple-rumped Sunbird sighting in Madurai on a given day, based on 678 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April (about 90%).
Where in Madurai is wildlife easiest to see?
Lady Doak College
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Lady Doak College (48 bird species recorded), followed by Vandiyur Lake and American College, Madurai. See them on the map.
Is Madurai good for wildlife watching?
4.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Madurai gets 4.8/5: 16th of 380 cities worldwide and 5th in Asia. 20 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data