The elevation of the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary varies from 100-1550m Asl. This tract is a continous stretch of vast, valuable forest area bounded on the east by the Sahyadri hills, which act as a great barrier separating the two states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The sanctuary lies on either side of the Shendurney river and is located on the north of Kulathupuzha valley separated by Churuttumala ridge. The whole area is hilly in character with a gentle slope towards the west. The eastern portion near the high hills is very irregular being interspersed with ravines. There is a series of high peaks protruding from the main ridge, the highest of which is the Alwarkurichi peak (1550m). Upper slopes are rugged, steep and inaccessible in many places.
The underlying rocks are metamorphic consisting of charnokites and other gneisses. In the main ridges and slopes there are intrusions of huge masses of rocks of granite nature that sometimes covering a considerable area in the most rugged form. Disintegration of granite gneisses form a very fine loam with an admixture of humus. This varies according to the position of the slope, shallow and stony along ridges, deep and fine in the valley. Laterite is also found in varying degrees of disintegration from hard rock to fine gravel. The soil along the stream and riverbanks is of alluvial deposits deep enough for luxuriant tree growth.