Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
1. Forests
- Mostly tropical dry deciduous and thorn forests; moist deciduous forests in the north-eastern Eastern Ghats; mangroves at the Godavari and Krishna mouths.
- Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) — endemic to the Seshachalam, Palakonda and Lankamala hills (Tirupati, Kadapa, Annamayya); protected and heavily targeted by smugglers.
- Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve — declared in 2010.
2. Tiger reserve
| Reserve | Fact |
|---|---|
| Nagarjunasagar–Srisailam Tiger Reserve | Nallamala forests — the largest tiger reserve in India by area; includes the Rajiv Gandhi and Gundla Brahmeswaram sanctuaries |
3. National parks
| National park | Location |
|---|---|
| Sri Venkateswara NP | Tirupati / Seshachalam hills — Talakona waterfall |
| Papikonda NP | Godavari gorge (Papi hills) |
| Rajiv Gandhi NP (Rameswaram) | Kadapa |
4. Wildlife and bird sanctuaries
| Sanctuary | Feature |
|---|---|
| Coringa | Godavari estuary — mangroves (Kakinada) |
| Krishna | Krishna estuary — mangroves; fishing cats |
| Kolleru | Freshwater lake — migratory birds, grey pelicans |
| Pulicat | Brackish lagoon — flamingos |
| Nelapattu | Nellore — breeding site of the spot-billed pelican |
| Rollapadu | Kurnool / Nandyal — Great Indian Bustard grasslands |
| Sri Lankamalleswara | Kadapa — rediscovery site of the Jerdon's courser (1986) |
| Koundinya | Chittoor — Asian elephants (border with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) |
| Kambalakonda | Visakhapatnam |
| Telineelapuram & Telukunchi | Srikakulam — painted storks and pelicans nesting in villages |
| Gundla Brahmeswaram | Nallamala |