Herping in Bangalore, India

Indian Wolf Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Date:
May 24th and 25th 2015

Species Found:

1. Spotted Leaf Toed Gecko (Hemidactylus maculatus)
2. Indian Wolf Snake (Lycodon aulicus)
3. Indian Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa)
4. Spectacled Cobra (Naja naja)
5. Checkered Keelback Water Snake (Xenochropis piscator)
6. Asian Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)

The Trip:

I looked for reptiles and amphibians in the areas surrounding my house and found all the species I had found before, in addition to the 6 species listed above.

Less than a kilometer away from my house, there is a large tract of land that is used to house and raise cows, locally called a goshala. The cows live on a small portion of the land while a large area is used to grow hay, and an even larger area is left untouched from where wild grasses are harvested periodically. All of these areas provide great habitat for herpetofauna, especially snakes. Previously, I had visited the cow sheds and the hay fields but the "wild" area was new to me, so I had no idea what to expect.

One morning I was looking around under rocks and in hay piles near the hay fields in the goshala, finding my usual assortment of the lizards, frogs and toads. Soon, 2 locals noticed me and walked over. They asked if I was looking for snakes and I said yes. They said that they knew where to find snakes and asked me to follow them. We walked on a narrow trail and the hay fields gave way to wild, native grass and scrub vegetation. I felt that it would be impossible to find snakes in such dense undergrowth but they seemed to know what they were doing so I followed. While we were walking I learned that these guys liked to see snakes but were afraidd to get too close. We agreed that they would find the snakes and I would catch them. Soon, we came across a shallow but expansive pool of water on our left at the end of a 15 foot slope. The slope was dense with thorny Acacia trees whose branches hung above the water. One of the locals pointed at a tree branch and said "snake". I saw a 6 foot Rat Snake sprawled across the thorny branches above the water. We moved a little closer and the snake started to move down from the tree. I knew that if I wanted to catch this snake I would have to act fast, so I slid down the slope toward the water while the snake reached the gound. Unforunately, my shirt and the skin on my arm got caught in the thorns of an Acacia branch and I was stuck. Meanwhile, the snake slithered into a burrow by the roots of a tree, never to be seen again. I took out my knife and cut the thorns away from me and made my way back up to the trail. I was disappointed that the snake had got away but I knew I would find more. The locals told me that they had to leave but that I should keep looking in the same area as they had seen a variety of snakes there. I too decided to try again another time.

The next day, I came back and started to walk on the same trail. Soon I noticed a snake resting on the trail about 10 meters ahead. I slowly crept forward to get a better look at the snake. There was dense knee-high grass on either side of the trail so I knew that catching this snake would be impossible. I got close enough to see that it was a Spectacled Cobra, basking in the sun, just minding its own business. Its hood was obviously closed but I could tell the species by the coloration and shape of the head. I tried to pull out my phone to take a photo of the snake but the movement of my hand alerted the snake and it quickly disappeared into the grass. I walked on and checked for Rat Snakes in the trees above the water but there were none. I kept walking until I found some rock piles, an awesome place to find reptiles. I started moving some rocks around when I saw a large brown gecko dart into a crevice. I had never seen this species of gecko around here before so I started moving the rocks around where it had gone in. on the underside of one of the rocks that I lifted, I found a small, brightly colored gecko, probably a juvenile of the same species. I quickly caught the gecko and put it in a box so I could photograph it later. I kept on probing for the adult, when I suddenly saw the smooth scales of a snake. I knew that it could either be a harmless Wolf Snake or a deadly Krait so I used a stick to move the rocks that were above it. When I saw the brown body with single white bands I knew it was a Wolf Snake. I used my hands to pick it up and it promptly bit me twice, but I wasn't worried. I put it in a bag to photograph. I kept looking for the adult gecko but it was gone. I found out later that the gecko was a Hemidactylus maculatus, a species usually found at the foothills of the Western Ghats. I took photos of both reptiles and released them where I found them.

Juvenile Spotted Leaf Toed Gecko: PC Yatin Kalki

Juvenile Spotted Leaf Toed Gecko: PC Yatin Kalki

Juvenile Spotted Leaf Toed Gecko: PC Yatin Kalki

Juvenile Spotted Leaf Toed Gecko: PC Yatin Kalki

Indian Wolf Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Indian Wolf Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Indian Wolf Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Later that day, a friend told me that there was a Checkered Keelback Water Snake in a pond in his backyard, so I went over to take a look. Checkered Keelbacks are non-venomous but aggressive snakes. I knew I was going to get bitten more than once. The snake was in the water but I could see its body coiled around some lotus leaves. I quickly reached in and grabbed the snake. The moment it's head came out of the water, it promptly bit my wrist and held on. I wasn't fazed so I untangled the snake from the leaves and brought it onto the grass. It was a young female Checkered Keelback, called so because of the pattern on its back. The snake bit me 4 more times before it calmed down and became completely docile. I got some photos and then showed my friend's parents how to hold the snake. I then released ot back into the same pond. I explained that snakes are aggressive for a very short period and that with gentle handling they are quick to calm down. They were keen to learn more and asked me a lot of questions, which was a pleasant surprise. Usually, people are close minded and think the worst when it comes to snakes.

Checkered Keelback Water Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Checkered Keelback Water Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Checkered Keelback Water Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Checkered Keelback Water Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

That night while I was walking around around with some friends, I saw a bright yellow Asian Toad beside the road. I recognized it as a male in breeding colors, a trait that I had failed to observe in the 8 years that I had been living in Bangalore. Once a year, male Asian Toads become bright yellow to attract females. I put my hand on the toad's back and he made a high pitched chirping noise, confirming my suspicions. Only male toads can vocalize and if a male accidentally mounts another male, the one on the bottom will vocalize to let the other one know that he is not a female. My hand on the toad's back triggered the very same behavior.

Male Asian Toad in Breeding Colors: PC Yatin Kalki

Finding species that I haven't seen before is always a pleasure. Finding them so close to home is even better. Observing a new trait in a familiar species can also be just as interesting.

Herping In IIT Chennai, India

Brook's Gecko

Date:
January 2nd 2015

Species Found:

1. Brook's House Gecko (Hemidactylus brookii)
2. Indian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus)
3. Asian Toad (Bufo melanostictus)

Background:

My family took a trip to Chennai for 2 days and I decided to look for herps on the IIT campus in my free time. The campus is built in a reserve forest so it has lush greenery and prime wild animal habitat.

The Trip:

I just went around the campus one evening for an hour or two, looking along ponds and under rocks.

The first animal I found was a gecko on the side of a rock. On closer inspection I found that it was a Brook's Gecko.

Brook's Gecko

Brook's Gecko

Brook's Gecko

The next herp I found was an Indian Bullfrog. I saw a lot of them hopping by the side of a pond and it took a while to actually catch one because they were so fast and it was dark. The individual that I caught was a juvenile. Adults get around 5 times bigger.

Juvenile Indian Bullfrog

Juvenile Indian Bullfrog

Juvenile Indian Bullfrog

Juvenile Indian Bullfrog

Juvenile Indian Bullfrog

On the way back to the hotel I caught a little Asian Toad. I had seen plenty of these near my house in Bangalore but this one had a darker and duller coloration than the ones I had seen.

Juvenile Asian Toad

Juvenile Asian Toad

Juvenile Asian Toad

Juvenile Asian Toad

This was a very short trip but I did manage to get 2 new species for my Indian Herpedex.

Herping In My Backyard In Bangalore, India

Spotted Supple Skink

Date:
December 25th 2014

Species Found

1. Peninsular Rock Agama (Psammophilius dorsalis)
2. Mysore Day Gecko (Cnemaspis mysoriensis)
3. Asian Toad (Bufo melanostictus)
4. House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)
5. Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor)
6. Spotted Supple Skink (Lygosoma punctatum)
7. Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops brahminus)
8. Sri Lankan Painted Frog (Kaloula taprobanica)

Background:

I am back in my house in Bangalore for Winter Break. Even though I have lived in Bangalore for 8 years, catching all kinds of animals, I didn't really document the herps I caught. I didn't start keeping a species list or taking detailed pictures till after I went to Illinois for college. During my stay in Bangalore, I planned to start my Indian Species List afresh and take good photos of all the species I grew up catching.

The Trip:

Well, it wasn't really a trip... I just walked around my backyard whenever I had time and looked around for herps.

The first herp I came across was a large female Peninsular Rock Agama. These lizards are lightning quick and have hooked claws good for gripping rough surfaces like the walls outside my house. It was a good thing my dog was with me because he helped me corner the large lizard behind some flowerpots. I grabbed the Agama and it promptly bit my hand. Its teeth are razor sharp but they aren't very long so the bite wasn't serious. I took the lizard to an area with smooth tiles so it wouldn't escape easily. (Its claws are great for running on rough surfaces but are virtually useless on smooth ones.) I took some pictures with my phone, which is no DSLR, but the picture quality is decent.

Female Peninsular Rock Agama

Female Peninsular Rock Agama

Agama Teeth

Soon, the Agama started to get kind of sluggish. It was tired from all the failed escape attempts. I decided to move it onto the grass to take some more "natural" photos.

Female Peninsular Rock Agama

Female Peninsular Rock Agama

Female Peninsular Rock Agama

Later that day, I caught a juvenile Rock Agama. It was about half the size of the adult but just as fast. I tired this one out as soon as I caught it and proceeded to photograph it in the grass.

Juvenile Peninsular Rock Agama

Juvenile Peninsular Rock Agama

Juvenile Peninsular Rock Agama

Next, I found some Mysore Day Geckos while I was moving a pile of sticks. These are probably the most abundant reptiles in my backyard. They are tiny and they live in large numbers. Their babies are so small that they are hard to see, but the yellow stripe running down the back is a dead giveaway. Like most geckos, they have the ability to lose their tail when threatened by a predator. The tail is full of nerves, which twitch and writhe, distracting the predator while the gecko makes a getaway.

Mysore Day Gecko

Mysore Day Gecko

Mysore Day Gecko

Baby Mysore Day Gecko

Baby Mysore Day Gecko

While moving some flowerpots next to a lamppost, I found 2 Asian Toads half buried in the soil. They come out at night to eat the insects that are attracted by the light. The individuals I found were pretty small compared to others I had seen, which get as big as grapefruits. I took them to the grass for their photo shoot.

Asian Toad

Asian Toads

Asian Toad

Asian Toad

A few years ago I found a large pregnant female Asian Toad. These are some pictures of her.

Pregnant Female Asian Toad

Pregnant Female Asian Toad

One lizard that every Indian is familiar with is the Wall Lizard or House Gecko. They are very common in Indian houses, hiding behind picture frames during the day and hunting insects at night. I had no difficulty finding a good number of these lizards. These geckos are known to lose their tails and grow them back fairly quickly. One of the individuals I found was in the process of growing its tail back.

House Gecko

House Gecko

House Gecko

House Gecko Regrowing Tail

Another lizard that most Indians are familiar with is the Oriental Garden Lizard, which is an arboreal reptile commonly found in yards. I saw a large one on the fence separating my yard from my neighbor's. It jumped into the neighbor's yard before I could catch it. Later on I caught a baby Garden Lizard. It looked less than 2 weeks old but it was still energetic and really hard to catch.

Baby Garden Lizard

Baby Garden Lizard

Baby Garden Lizard

Earlier this year I caught a juvenile Garden Lizard whose tail tip had been cut off by a predator or something. As I said before, I wasn't he best at photographing my herps so here is a pretty bad picture of it.

Juvenile Garden Lizard

About a week after I came back to India, I caught another juvenile Garden Lizard on my balcony. This one was more colorful than the one I had caught before and had a full tail.

Juvenile Garden Lizard

Juvenile Garden Lizard

Juvenile Garden Lizard

I found some really cool herps by flipping bricks and cinder blocks near my house. Under a large cinder block I found a skink, something I had never seen near my house in the 8 years of living there. I caught it and took it inside to find out what species it was. With the help of the internet I found that it was a Spotted Supple Skink. Since this was a very unusual discovery, I was significantly more excited about it.

Spotted Supple Skink

Spotted Supple Skink

Spotted Supple Skink

Spotted Supple Skink

I found another Skink close by but this one dropped its tail as I caught it. Its tail was reddish, suggesting that it was a juvenile.

Spotted Supple Skink with autotomized tail

Under a brick I found a pair of Brahminy Blind Snakes, and I got one before it went down a burrow. This species is probably the smallest snake in the world and this individual was barely 3 inches long. Another cool thing about this species is that it reproduces asexually and all the individuals are female and genetically identical. The snake musked when I picked it up, as most snakes do, releasing an unpleasant odor. I had seen these before in my backyard but they are still pretty rare in this area.

Brahminy Blind Snake

Brahminy Blind Snake

The next day, I went to a small lake a few 100 meters from my house. There I found a Sri Lankan Painted Frog under a large rock that I flipped. The frog was tucked in a little cavity in the ground. Painted Frogs are known to burrow and can even be found 10-12 feet underground during the dry season. The name "Sri Lankan" Painted Frog is a little misleading as it is found in India, Bangladesh and other parts of South Asia. The "Painted" part is pretty clear as the bright streaks on its back and sides look like paint.

Sri Lankan Painted Frog

Sri Lankan Painted Frog

Sri Lankan Painted Frog

Sri Lankan Painted Frog

Sri Lankan Painted Frog

My new Indian Herp List stood at 8 species, which is pretty good considering I didn't really go out of my way to look for these herps. In reality, the number of Indian herp species I have seen is probably much higher. I look forward to seeing more herps, snakes in particular, while I am here in India.