Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

I know, it's sad. Here I am, boring you with more monochromatic monotony, just because I have nothing else to post, while instead I should be cruising the hell out of the island to produce something truly spectacular for a change (not that I'm not trying....so far we've put almost two thousand miles on the new car in exactly four weeks, but them snakes is elusive around these parts.)

Oh well. Enjoy the Bungarus fasciatus anyway. I found them on the same swamp road where I had already met three of their conspecifics before. Nothing special to report here, only that I discovered that the newly installed cover of my truck bed is an excellent platform for reptile photography. Macros are possible at eye height, and the beasts don't dare to get off the lofty perch, which makes shooting venomous or feisty specimens much easier, particularly when you're alone, as I was that night. And the black background can add an artsy touch :-)

Baby:
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Teenager. This one had a slightly more yellowish tint than the ones I've seen so far. But still nowhere as deep yellow as the continental variety in West Malaysia, Thailand etc.
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This would make a nice recruiting poster for the Malaysia Nature Society (Note the sticker in the window).
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Food for thought: mixed nipah/mangrove swamps seem to attract banded snakes for some reason: apart from the kraits, there's also a relative abundance of Boiga dendrophila. Who mimics whom?
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Azemiops
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Re: Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by Azemiops »

Fantastic Hans, I hope these are still active when I am over in July!
SnakeDude
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Re: Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by SnakeDude »

amazing photos! is it true that they're passive and "nicer" in the day, but get all aggressive at night? cause yours look pretty darn calm...
-Ian
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chrish
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Re: Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by chrish »

Gorgeous animal. I think those may be better looking than the black and yellow ones. Love that nuchal/head pattern.
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intermedius
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Re: Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by intermedius »

Amazing photos Mr. Hans.

Justin
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MaartenSFS
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Re: Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by MaartenSFS »

Psh.. your "bad" posts have more snakes than my "good" posts. I have only found lots of DOR kraits so far.. :? You should post more cultural scenes as well. I for one am very interested in those. Show us the whole picture of what it's like to live and travel on Borneo.
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

Thanks, guys!
SnakeDude wrote:is it true that they're passive and "nicer" in the day, but get all aggressive at night?
I keep hearing that, but I've never seen proof. All I know is that these guys behave pretty much the same as their cousins B. m. multicinctus in Taiwan - extreme timidity/docility and never a single bite attempt. Only sometimes they can suddenly jump out of their stupor and make a run for the roadside. In short, they're the fluffy bunny rabbits of the elapid world. Neurotoxic ball pythons, if you will.
You should post more cultural scenes as well.
I'm not really a visual anthropologist. Dances, architecture, costumes, nose rings, all that doesn't really interest me. What DOES interest me is stories about indigenous life. Whenever we hit a kampong (village) on our travels - and we hit a lot - I try to get the locals to tell us stories about their life in general, about life in the old headhunting times under the Brits, about how things have changed since then, about their relationship with their natural surroundings etc. I can listen to that stuff for days on end, and I don't give a shit if the narrator is wearing a bamboo skirt decorated with hornbill feathers or a greasy "Obama Is My Homeboy" T-shirt.

But occasionally I do shoot the odd cultural scene, and I'll put them up in a separate post soon. Thanks for the suggestion!
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TNWJackson
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Re: Borneo Dispatches #32: Less Talk. More Kraits.

Post by TNWJackson »

Very cool Hans, B. fasciatus are certainly special snakes.
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