This species is endemic to southern western Ghats. It has a patchy distribution in western ghats of southern Karnataka and Kerala. It is adapted to live in the undulating terrain at the elevations between 1200 and 2600 m. It prefers to feed on grasses and bushes in Sholas. 

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).


According to IUCN Red List assessment, population of this species is severely fragmented. Its current population is estimated between 1800 and 2000 mature individuals which is declining all over its range. Major threats to its survival in wild come from habitat fragmentation owing to human activities such as agriculture and plantation, overgrazing by livestock, expansion of invasive species replacing native forage plant species. Occasional hunting and trapping is also another threat that has caused direct loss its population in recent years.