Reptiles of Agumbe, India

Xenochrophis piscator: PC Yatin Kalki

Date:
May 27th to June 22nd 2015

Species Found:

1. Green Vine Snake (Ahaetulla nasuta)
2. Malabar Pit Viper (Trimeresurus malabaricus)
3. Hump Nosed Pit Viper (Hypnale hypnale)
4. Checkered Keelback (Xenochrophis piscator)
5. Beddome's Keelback (Amphiesma beddomei)
6. Striped Keelback (Amphiesma stolatum)
7. Travancore Wolf Snake (Lycodon travancoricus)
8. Indian Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa)
9. Brahminy Worm Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus)
10. Indian Dwarf Gecko (Cnemaspis indraneildasii)
11. Yellow Bellied House Gecko (Hemidactylus flaviviridis)
12. Roux's Forest Lizard (Calotes rouxii)
13. Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor)
14. Nilgiri Forest Lizard (Calotes nemoricola)
15. Brahminy Skink (Eutropis carinata)
16. Gunther's Snake Skink (Lygosoma guentheri)
17. Indian Flying Lizard (Draco dussumieri)

Background:

I am doing a 3 month long research project in the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats near Agumbe, Karnataka. I am working with herpetologist, Gowri Shankar, at his research base at the Kalinga Center for Raiforest Ecology. My project is titled 'Use of Artificial Cover by Reptiles and Amphibians'. I have number of sites where I have laid out tin sheets, wooden boards and roof tiles. Everyday I check under them to see if any animals are using them. I see some animals under my cover objects but most are encountered while I'm walking between sites. These are some of the reptiles that I encounter during the course of my fieldwork. [I am writing this post during a week long break. My research project ends only in August]

Green Vine Snake

Ahaetulla nasuta: PC Yatin Kalki

The Green Vine Snake is a master of camouflage. Its slender body is almost impossible to pick out in the thick vegetation of the Agumbe rainforest. Nonetheless, it is probably the most common snake in the region. It takes patience and practice to find this snake but once you have the technique down, you start to see them everywhere. A day hasn't gone by where I haven't seen a Green Vine Snake. My record is 7 in one day. These snakes will often spend multiple days resting or waiting to hunt on the same plant. Around our base, we have a few resident Green Vine Snakes which we have observed feeding, sleeping and even mating. Green Vines are diurnal, so as soon as it gets dark they curl up on a plant and go to sleep. In the dark, they are a lot easier to see by torch light.

Sleeping Ahaetulla nasuta: PC Yatin Kalki

I will often spot a Green Vine Snake at night and then return to the same spot early in the morning to watch it uncurl and get ready to hunt or move. It's horizontal pupils give it excellent depth perception, which helps it catch frogs and lizards. It then immobilizes the prey with the mild venom from its rear fangs and then proceeds to swallow. The venom is lethal to small animals but has no effect on humans.

Ambush position of Ahaetulla nasuta: PC Yatin Kalki

When threatened, Green Vine Snakes will try to escape by moving quickly through the vegetation. If they don't have a clear escape route, they will inflate their bodies and expose the interscale black and white colors, and also open their mouths. This display is just for intimidation. They are actually very calm and peaceful creatures.

Defensive position of Ahaetulla nasuta: PC Yatin Kalki

Defensive position of Ahaetulla nasuta: PC Yatin Kalki

I found the individual in both photos above by accident while walking to my site in the grassland. The grassland has a few scattered trees with rocks and scrub grass between them. I accidentally brushed past this tree while walking and there happened to be a Green Vine Snake in it. Since it was not able to escape to another tree, it first inflated its body and then opened its mouth when I started to take photos. I brought my camera pretty close to its face, but it didn't strike even once.

Malabar Pit Viper

Green Morph of Trimeresurus malabaricus: PC Yatin Kalki

These snakes are also pretty common during the monsoon season, when they breed. They are nocturnal ambush hunters, so I often see them sitting in a coiled hunting position at night. They wait for unsuspecting frogs, lizards and small mammals to cross their path and then deliver a lightning-quick strike, injecting haemotoxic venom. This venom is potent against small animals but it only causes pain and swelling in humans. They come in different colors or morphs, ranging from green to brown to even orange and yellow. I have seen about half a dozen light green individuals, 

Brown Morph of Trimeresurus malabaricus: PC Yatin Kalki

At one point, we observed courtship going on between a male and female MPV. The male was brown and about half the size of the female, who was light green. The male stayed next to the female for 3 days, occasionally nudging her and flicking his tongue but I guess he was unsuccessful because we then found the female sitting alone.

Courtship of Trimeresurus malabaricus: PC Yatin Kalki

Hump Nosed Pit Viper

Hypnale hypnale: PC Yatin Kalki

The Hump Nosed Pit Viper is another snake that is seen a lot more frequently during the monsoon season. It is not a very big snake, growing to a maximum length of about 1.5 feet. Like the Malabar Pit Viper, it is a venomous ambush hunter. Its habitat is the leaf litter of the forest and thus, it is quite hard to see due to its camouflage. The first time I saw this snake, a group of 4 of us were making our way through the forest, digging in random spots in search of a Wormsnake. We were disturbing the leaf litter a lot and as a result, a visitor in our group spotted this tiny snake crossing his path. I followed the snake to the base of a tree, where it coiled up in defense. The snake stayed in the very same spot for around 6 hours, allowing us to get a good number of photos. Since that time, I have seen 4 more individuals of this species, including one under a wooden board in the grassland.

Checkered Keelback

Xenochrophis piscator: PC Yatin Kalki

The Checkered Keelback gets its name from its checkerboard pattern and the keeled scales on its back. It is a non-venomous water snake, and perhaps the most plentiful snake in India. It was certainly one of the most common snakes at KCRE too. At least 3 times, I had gone to the edge of the pond at night, to see the tail of a thick snake disappear into the bushes before I could get a good look at it. I always suspected that it was a Checkered Keelback but I couldn't be sure. One day, I shined my light on a large Checkered Keelback in the middle of the pond. I sat down to watch as it swam to the edge of the water and started targeting a Skittering Frog on the bank. The snake slowly inched out of the water, closer to the frog. It stopped moving for a while so I decided to move down the bank to get a closer look. I climbed down and sat on a rock about 10 feet away from the snake and the frog. The snake was still moving towards the frog, when suddenly the frog took notice and hopped away. The snake was now on the bank so I moved in for photos. I managed to get less than 6 inches from the snakes head without it moving. Only when I got up after taking photos, did the snake turn around and head back into the water. I was surprised at how bold this snake had been. When I got back to camp, I told the others about it and Udit said that there was a Checkered Keelback in the area which was unafraid of humans, slithering over a visitor's foot in the past. I saw the same individual 3 more times after that, twice in the pond and once in the well.

Juvenile Xenochrophis piscator: PC Yatin Kalki

A few weeks later, I was walking through the Acacia plantation with another intern named Aishwarya when she spotted some movement in the grass. I took a closer look and found that it was a juvenile Checkered Keelback. It was only about 20 cm long and it didn't have the characteristic pattern yet, but I could tell it was a Checkered Keelback.

Patternless Xenochrophis piscator: PC Yatin Kalki

Recently, I found a Checkered Keelback under a piece of tin in the plantation. This individual didn't have the pattern but it was about 2 foot long. I could only identify it from its temperament. It just goes to show how variable the patterns can be on this species. I have also had other encounters with Checkered Keelbacks at KCRE. There was one that came into the dining hall during heavy rain and another that was in a 50 foot deep well, thriving on frogs that fell in.

Beddome's Keelback

Adult Amphiesma beddomei: PC Yatin Kalki

The Beddome's Keelback is another species commonly found in the Western Ghats. It rarely exceeds 2 feet in length and lives mostly in the leaf litter or under rocks. I found quite a few Beddome's Keelbacks under my cover objects in various places. The first Beddome's Keelback that I saw was a juvenile on my first day. I found it under a rock on a dry streambed. Since then, I have found Beddome's Keelbacks consistently under rocks in the forest and grassland.

Juvenile Amphiesma beddomei: PC Yatin Kalki

Subadult Amphiesma beddomei: PC Yatin Kalki

Striped Keelback

Amphiesma stolatum: PC Yatin Kalki

The Striped Keelback is a fairly common plains snake. It is not so common in the Western Ghats because of the rainforest. I found a single Striped Keelback in all my time at KCRE and I found it in the grassland. This was my first and only encounter with a Striped Keelback and I was reminded a lot of the Garter Snakes found in the US. Striped Keelbacks are known to be very calm and gentle snakes.

Amphiesma stolatum: PC Yatin Kalki

Travancore Wolf Snake

Lycodon travancoricus: PC Yatin Kalki

The Travancore Wolf Snake is a species found only in the Western Ghats. I had seen the Indian Wolf Snake in Bangalore but the Travancore Wolf Snake was a new find for me. This individual was found on the move near the kitchen at night. It is called a Wolf Snake because of its long front teeth that resemble canines.

Indian Rat Snake

I saw at least 3 individual Rat Snakes at KCRE but they were all so fast that I couldn't get a photo of a single one. The Rat Snakes I saw there were quite different from the ones I had seen in Bangalore. They were dark brown or black while the ones in Bangalore were greenish yellow.

Braminy Worm Snake

Ramphotyphlops braminus: PC Yatin Kalki

This species is commonly found throughout India. It is parthenogenic, which means that it can lay eggs without fertilization. I found a Wormsnake under a rock in the forest and 2 days later Gowri came and told us to collect a Wormsnake for some research. We spent weeks looking for a Wormsnake but were unsuccessful. Finally, I found one when I went to Bangalore and handed it over to Gowri. Recently, I found another Wormsnake under a rock in the grassland. It was right in the middle of an ant colony, probably feeding on the larvae.

Indian Dwarf Gecko

Cnemaspis indraneildasii: PC Yatin Kalki

This species is commonly found in the Agumbe region. I saw many of them on the walls and pillars of the dining hall, kitchen and bathroom. I had seen other Cnemaspis species before but this one was new to me.

Yellow Bellied House Gecko

Hemidactylus flaviviridis: PC Yatin Kalki

This Gecko is common throughout India, but I only saw 2 individuals around KCRE. One was found on the wall of an abandoned house and the other was found on the signs in our dining hall.

Hemidactylus flaviviridis: PC Yatin Kalki

Roux's Forest Lizard

Calotes rouxii: PC Yatin Kalki

This lizard is another endemic species. I found many of these throughout the Areca plantation and in various other places. The males have red heads with black bodies while the females are green, yellow or brown. While digging to construct a tent platform, we found 4 small eggs that we suspected were of this species. We brought them back and put them in a box with soil to let them hatch. A few weeks later, we had 4 baby Forest Lizards, which we released.

Hatchling Calotes rouxii: PC Yatin Kalki

Hatchling Calotes rouxii: PC Yatin Kalki

Oriental Garden Lizard

These are very common in Bangalore but were less common in Agumbe. I saw 3 or 4 individuals in total and all of them were very skittish, unlike the ones in Bangalore. I didn't manage to photograph any of these lizards.

Nilgiri Hills Lizard

Calotes nemoricola: PC Yatin Kalki

Udit and I found this lizard when we were walking on the stream at night. It was sleeping on a branch and I decided to come back in the morning to get photos of it. Sure enough, I found it in the same spot in the morning and proceeded to take some photos. It got disturbed by my presence and jumped off the branch and onto a rock.

Calotes nemoricola: PC Yatin Kalki

It then climbed up a different tree but now its head was a different color. Until recently, I though it was a Green Forest Lizard (Calotes calotes) but now I know that is a Niligiri Hills Lizard

Calotes nemoricola: PC Yatin Kalki

Brahminy Skink

Eutropis carinata: PC Yatin Kalki

Brahminy Skinks were very common around KCRE. I even ha one resting on the outside of my tent for a whole week. One memorable incident involving Brahminy Skinks happened a week or so after I arrived. Gayathri and I were flipping rocks in the forest when we found two small eggs under a rock. I didn't know what kind of eggs they were so I picked one up, inspected it and then handed it to Gayathri. She held it in her palm for a few seconds and then suddenly, the egg split open and a tiny skink jumped out, off her hand and into the leaf litter. The egg had hatched in her hand! We took the other egg back to camp and put it in a box with soil. It hatched after a few days and there was another baby skink running around in the box. I put some termites in for it to eat and surprisingly, it hunted and ate 5 termites in 10 minutes, just hours after it was born. We released this one in the place we found the eggs.

Hatchling Eutropis carinata: PC Yatin Kalki

Subadult Eutropis carinata: PC Yatin Kalki

Guenther's Snake Skink

Lygosoma guentheri: PC Yatin Kalki

Guenther's Snake Skink was a new species for me. I found them consistently under rocks and pieces of concrete near an abandoned house. I didn't find out what kind of Snake Skink it was until recently. I saw a juvenile with a red tail under a particular piece of concrete at least 10 times.

Juvenile Lygosoma guentheri: PC Yatin Kalki

Indian Flying Lizard

Draco dussumieri: PC Yatin Kalki

Draco Lizards were common in the Areca plantations. They would glide between trees and signal to each other with their bright yellow dulaps. They were always too high for me to photograph, but I spent a lot of time just observing them.

Herping at the Vermilion River Observatory

Blue Racer: PC Yatin Kalki

Date:
May 8th 2015

Species Found:

1. Eastern American Toad (Anaryxus americanus americanus)
2. Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
3. Smallmouth Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)
4. Northern Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans clamitans)
5. Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
6. Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxii)
7. Red Back Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Background:

Tristan and I had recently become board members of the Wildlife Society - Illinois Student Chapter. I was the Vice President and Tristan was the Undergraduate Representative. This meant that we frequently met one of the advisers for the club, Steve Buck, the Natural Areas Coordinator for the Vermilion River Observatory. He told us that he had a large area of land that was owned by the ECE department but was mostly natural forest area. He said that he had seen snakes on the property but nobody had actually done any surveys. He wanted us to come out to the site with him and document the species we found.

The Trip:

Steve drove us to the VRO, about 30 minutes off campus. He opened the gate and gave us a copy of the key so that we could come back without him. We walked past piles of debris like tin and wooden boards, perfect snake habitat. Since we were on a schedule, we didn't flip any of it. The first herp we found was a small American Toad hopping through the grass. I picked it up and Tristan recorded its GPS coordinates. Steve showed us some pond and vernal pools that he had seen salamanders and frogs breeding in. We saw a few Green Frogs but didn't attempt to catch them. We then passed by a big pile of tin sitting out in the sun by the side of the road. This looked too good not to flip so we started moving the large tin layers. About 5 layers deep, I spotted a small Ringneck Snake curled up at the corner of the tin. I picked it up and showed Steve. He said that Ringneck Snakes had never been found in this area so it was a new record.

Pile of Tin: PC Tristan Schramer

Ringneck Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Ringneck Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Ringneck Snake: PC Tristan Schramer

At the very bottom of the tin pile, we found a Smallmouth Salamanderresting in the moist dirt. These had been well recorded in this area so we just left it alone. We let the Ringneck Snake go after getting some photos. Near the tin pile, there was some more debris that we decided to look under. Tristan found an Eastern Garter Snake under a rusty toolbox but that was about it. After that, we went to an old shed where Steve said that he had frequently seen a resident Black Rat Snake. Neither Tristan nor I had seen a Black Rat Snake so we were quite excited at the prospect of seeing one. We checked inside the shed but didn't find any snakes. Right outside the shed was a pile of debris. We started moving some of that and I saw the tail of a medium sized snake with some patterning on it. I immediately thought Black Rat Snake and pulled it out by the tail. I was surprised to find that it was actually a Blue Racer and the "pattern' I had seen was actually scale damage. It was not a healthy snake, with scale rot in multiple spots and a moderate case of mouth rot. We thought that it might even have Snake Fungal Disease so we took some pictures of the damage to send to herpetologists.

Catching a Blue Racer: PC Tristan Schramer

Blue Racer: PC Tristan Schramer

Blue Racer: PC Yatin Kalki

Blue Racer: PC Yatin Kalki

Blue Racer: PC Yatin Kalki

Blue Racer: PC Yatin Kalki

We then visited a cabin that had another shed next to it, where Steve had seen Five-Lined Skinks. I had seen plenty of these in Southern Illinois and Indiana but Tristan had never seen a Skink before. We tried looking for them but couldn't find any. We did, however, find another Ringneck under a piece of bark. Next, Steve took us to a spot where he had seen Redback and Slimy Salamanders. We found the Redbacks fairly easily but didn't find any Slimys. Steve gave us the keys to the cabin and said that we were welcome to stay there overnight when we were doing research. I really look forward to coming back here in the Fall and doing some intense snake surveys.

Garter Snake Rescue

Plains Garter Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Date:
May 6th 2015

The Trip:

I was doing my regular Mark and Recapture Study of the Garter Snakes on campus and Tristan was helping me. We were walking around catching all the snakes that we saw, when I saw 2 bright orange stripes in a bush. I knew that they were the dorsal stripes of the Plains Garter Snakes that I was catching but I didn't want to disturb them because I thought that they were mating. I took a closer look and saw some green netting around the snakes. The snakes were also a little too still to be mating. They were trapped in the net! I called Tristan over and he held the snakes steady while I cut the net away from the bush with my pocketknife. We took the trapped snakes to a rock to cut the net away from the snakes.

Snakes trapped in net: PC Tristan Schramer

I inspected the snakes and found that both were males. One snake also had severe scale damage from the net cutting into his body. I took out my surgical scissors and started cutting the net away. We freed one snake at a time and inspected the scale damage to see it was serious.

Scale damage: PC Tristan Schramer

Scale damage: PC Tristan Schramer

Freeing the snakes from the net: PC Tristan Schramer

Scale damage: PC Tristan Schramer

The damage wasn't severe and I knew that these snakes would live. However, if we hadn't found and freed them, they would have died slow and painful deaths of starvation. Both snakes were snakes that I had caught before. They had the characteristic black marker marks that I put on all the Garters I catch here. We let the snakes go after recording their data. We then ripped up as much of the green netting that we could from the surrounding bushes so that more snakes didn't find themselves in the same situation.

A little bit more about my research on the campus Garter Snakes: About 3 days a week, I go to Boneyard Creek and catch, measure and mark as many Garter Snakes as I can. I then let them go exactly where I caught them. Each snake is marked differently so I can tell individual snakes apart. The aim of the study is to get a population estimate of the snakes there.

All the snakes caught that day: PC Tristan Schramer

Each time I go to the creek, I catch around 8-20 snakes, of which a good number will be recaptures.