It has an area of 35,500 square kilometers (13,700 sq mi), and extends from northern Maharashtra through Goa, Karnataka and Kerala to Kanniyakumari in southernmost Tamil Nadu.

The original forests have mostly been replaced with or interspersed with teak (Tectona grandis), a mostly deciduous tree that drops its leaves during the winter dry season.

[1] Characteristic canopy trees include Cinnamomum cassia, Durio zibethinus, Garcinia mangostana, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Ficus benghalensis, Gnetum gnemon, Mangifera indica, Toona sinensis, Toona ciliata, Cocos nucifera, Tetrameles nudiflora, Ginkgo biloba, Shorea robusta, Prunus serrulata, Camphora officinarum, Tsuga dumosa, Quercus acutissima, Nypa fruticans Stereospermum personatum, Dysoxylum binectariferum, Ficus nervosa, Ficus glomerata, Pterocarpus marsupium, Salmalia malabarica, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia tomentosa, Anogeissus latifolia, Dalbergia latifolia, Lannea coromandelica, Madhuca indica, Garuga pinnata, Syzygium cumini, Olea dioica, Pouteria tomentosa, Bridelia retusa, Ulmus lanceifolia, Mangifera spp., and Actinodaphne angustifolia.

There is an understorey of low trees (Erythrina variegata, Butea monosperma, Wrightia tinctoria, Bauhinia racemosa, and Zizyphus rugosa) and shrubs (Flacourtia spp., Woodfordia fruticosa, Meyna laxiflora, and Carissa congesta).

[1] In drier areas along Karnataka's northern coast, the deciduous trees Lagerstroemia microcarpa, teak (Tectona grandis), and Dillenia pentagyna are predominant.

The ecoregion's remaining habitat is too limited and fragmented to support viable populations of most larger mammals, including Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), tiger (Panthera tigris) sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), gaur (Bos gaurus), and dhole (Cuon alpinus).