Amboli revisited (Mid May + Early June) *Updated

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Chaitanya
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Amboli revisited (Mid May + Early June) *Updated

Post by Chaitanya »

I had gone for a short 3 day herping trip to Amboli during middle of May which usually is the end of dry season. It being dry season wasn't expecting much of frog activity but I was shocked with what I found on that trip. I was accompanied by Vishal and Indrajeet for herping.

ImageCommon Cat Snake by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr
After taking the turn from National Highway 4 for Amboli, within 200mts we found a Common cat snake(Boiga trigonata) which was injured badly by a passing vehicle.

ImageBuff Striped keelback by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr
After travelling further towards Amboli, we found the next road kill of the night, this time a striped keelback(Amphiesma stolatum).

ImageIndian Balloon Frog by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr
On outskirts of Uttur, I heard the call of Balloon frog(Uperodon sp.), so we stopped the vehicle to investigate. to our surprise the call were being made by male Indian balloon frog(Uperodon globulosus). These frogs are only seen during the first 15 days of monsoons mating and calling, after which they vanish underground for rest of year. So finding these frogs in middle of dry season calling was unusual.

Finally after reaching Amboli, we went in search of snakes and frogs. First spot was the garden to search for some frogs, and as usual found these Malabar gliding frogs in that garden.
ImageMalabar Gliding Frog by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Also in the same pond was a field mouse.
ImageIMG_9187 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

After leaving the garden we heard a call of Amboli Bush frog(Pseudophilautus amboli) from the tree along the road that leads to the garden. After searching for 5-6 minutes finally spotted these tiny frogs calling from under the leaves. In the excitement of finding that frog we were reckless and didn't look in the branches above the head for snakes. All 3 of us were standing and photographing the frog with a Malabar pit viper sitting right on top of our head within striking distance. There is a pit viper over Indrajit's head and all 3 of us were recklessly photographing bush frog.(photo taken by Vishal)
ImageDSC_0032 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

first Malabar pit viper of the night:
ImageMalabar Pit Viper(Trimeresurus malabaricus) by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageMalabar Pit Viper(Trimeresurus malabaricus) by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageMalabar Pit Viper(Trimeresurus malabaricus) by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageMalabar Pit Viper(Trimeresurus malabaricus) by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Sleeping Forest lizard(Calotes rouxii)
ImageIMG_9212 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Next up while walking the road towards forest we found the 2nd pit viper of the night. This fellow was about 12 ft off the ground and then after we returned from the walk we found it had gone higher up in the tree.
ImageIMG_9215 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

After calling it a night, we went to hotel rooms and slept for the night. In the morning at around 10am left for a morning walk towards the village of Chaukul. On the wall of Whistling woods hotel, we found another pit viper resting within the gap between blocks of chira rock.
ImageMalabar Pit viper by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9218 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Indrajeet and Vishal taking photos of the pit viper:
ImageIndrajeet and Vishal photographing Malabar pit viper by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Blue tiger:
ImageIMG_9221 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

After walking about 300mts we found a Vine snake(Ahaetulla nasuta).
ImageIMG_9226 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9228 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9243 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9253 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

After this vine snake we found 6-7 more vine snakes alongside the road within a time frame of another 30mins.

Tiger centipede(Scolopendra sp) sleeping in tree:
ImageIMG_9259 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Burrowing spider(Thrigmopoeus sp.) male running in middle of the road, in search of female for mating.
ImageIMG_9266 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr


Night 2 of herping:

On the 2nd night of herping, we went for walk along the same path to garden. Since it was early in the evening, we found Amboli bush frogs calling from their usual low branches.
ImageIMG_9269 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9276 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Next up was a Bombay bush frog(Raorchestes bombayensis) sitting in middle of road.
ImageIMG_9279 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

A few feet from this spot we found a wolf spider with her babies on the back.
ImageIMG_9284 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Next up on the same path was a Common krait(Bungarus caeruleus), this was one of the most aggressive krait I have come across in recent times.
ImageIMG_9294 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Afterwards we went to the spot where we had spotted the tarantula in middle of road. To the surprise we found a male trapdoor spider in middle of road.
Idiops sp.
ImageIMG_9307 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

The tarantula wall next to the place where we found burrowing spider in morning. This wall was maybe 10ft across and 5 ft high. it has around 40 tarantula burrows. In that patch of forest we found about 8-10 such walls filled with tarantulas.
ImageIMG_9313 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9315 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr


After calling it a night we went to sleep.

Next morning we went to the fort nearby to check out the landscape and have some fun.
Mahadevgad:
ImageIMG_9325 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

View from the fort of the valley below:
ImageIMG_9328 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

we also saw some Forest lizards(calotes sp) and Fan throated lizard(Sitana sp). While having lunch in the hotel we saw some cnemaspis sp, on the rocks. For Vishal it was his first dwarf gecko and he was too excited to catch one. before catching it , he spotted a pit viper hiding in that rock.
ImageMalabar pit viper and Cnemaspis sp. hatchling by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9333 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

The owner of the hotel wasn't too comfortable having a venomous snake sharing the same place where customers were eating. So we removed the snake the released in the bushes nearby.
ImageMalabar Pit Viper(Trimeresurus malabaricus) by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageMalabar Pit Viper(Trimeresurus malabaricus) by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

After eating we went to the stream where usually the wrinkled frogs(Nyctibatrachus petraeus) are found. And as expected in the small drying pools we spotted quite a few of nycti's hanging around.
ImageIMG_9341 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9343 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9345 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Night 3(last night of herping):
Again back to the same forest garden for herping, right at the entrance was a Russell's kukri snake(Oligodon taeniolatus) .
ImageIMG_9351 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9371 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

In the pond nearby, we saw the Malabar gliding frogs(Rhacophorus malabaricus) in amplexus in middle of dry season. Also saw some females building nests in the trees.
ImageIMG_9375 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Under the trees nearby, was a newly described species of leaping frogs endemic to Amboli- Indirana chirvasi.
ImageIMG_9382 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9387 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

In the same garden, we spotted a Travancore wolf snake, forest scorpions(Heterometrus sp), Tiger toad(Xanthophryne tigerinus) (not photographed) and another Malabar pit viper.
ImageIMG_9537 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

I made another trip to Amboli last week at the start of monsoons, and this time observed the explosive mating behaviour of Tiger toads. I will update the post soon with photos from that trip.
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Muchobirdnerd
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Re: Amboli revisited (Towards the end of dry season-pre mons

Post by Muchobirdnerd »

Awesome!
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Ruxs
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Re: Amboli revisited (Towards the end of dry season-pre mons

Post by Ruxs »

Great finds, sounds like a fun trip!
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Amboli revisited (Towards the end of dry season-pre mons

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

Thank you, that was great! We don't get to see too much stuff from your neck of the woods around here....
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Chaitanya
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Re: Amboli revisited (Towards the end of dry season-pre mons

Post by Chaitanya »

Ruxs wrote:Great finds, sounds like a fun trip!
It indeed was a fun trip, trip to Amboli in June was even better. Will update this post once I get the photos from my friend.
Hans Breuer (twoton) wrote:Thank you, that was great! We don't get to see too much stuff from your neck of the woods around here....
You are welcome, for last 3 weeks I have been herping at some other spots here in northern ghats. I will share pics from those soon.
Muchobirdnerd wrote:Awesome!
Thanks a lot.
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justinm
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Re: Amboli revisited (Towards the end of dry season-pre mons

Post by justinm »

I need to visit you one of these days... I'm always excited to see what you're finding.
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orionmystery
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Re: Amboli revisited (Towards the end of dry season-pre mons

Post by orionmystery »

Nice one, Chaitanya. Love the Malabar Gliding frogs.
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Chaitanya
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Re: Amboli revisited (Towards the end of dry season-pre mons

Post by Chaitanya »

orionmystery wrote:Nice one, Chaitanya. Love the Malabar Gliding frogs.
They are the coolest frogs found here in Sahyadris.
justinm wrote:I need to visit you one of these days... I'm always excited to see what you're finding.
You should make a plan for monsoons, I have couple of special spots for herping packed with a lot of interesting highly endemic herps.
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Chaitanya
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Post by Chaitanya »

I am updated the pics from June visit as well. The group was pretty much the same but since first week of June is when normally monsoons arrive, the amphibian activity this time of the year was insane. I am just adding pics from the 2n visit of the year.

Forest lizard(Calotes rouxii)
ImageIMG_7506 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

On night during just outside the resort we found the first snake of evening a Travancore wolf snake(Lycodon travancoricus)
ImageIMG_7512 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Common Krait(Bungarus caeruleus)
ImageIMG_7538 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7552 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Blue mormon: state butterfly of Maharashtra
ImageIMG_7533 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageBlue Mormon(Papilio polymnestor) in flight by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Dwarf gecko(Cnemaspis sp.)
ImageIMG_7558 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Elliot's shieldtail snake(Uropeltis ellioti)
ImageIMG_7562 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7567 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7573 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Smithsonia viridiflora
ImageIMG_7579 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Bombay Bush frog(Raorchestes bombayensis)
ImageIMG_7596 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7597 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7603 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Amboli Bush frog(Pseudophilautus amboli)
ImageIMG_7610 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7618 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Malabar Gliding frog(Rhacophorus malabaricus)
ImageIMG_7620 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7621 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Common vine snake(Ahaetulla nasuta) feeding on a Dwarf gecko(Cnemaspis sp.)
ImageIMG_7632 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Malabar Pit Viper(Trimeresurus malabaricus)
ImageIMG_7699 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_7711 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Cat Snake(Boiga sp.)
ImageIMG_8585 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_8591 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_8618 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageCat Snake(Boiga sp.) by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Another Malabar Pit viper morph(Trimeresurus malabaricus) found behind the rooms of resort where we were staying.
ImageIMG_8646 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_8646 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_8658 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_8677 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_8663 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageIMG_8641 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Bombay bush frog
ImageIMG_8653 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

The whole reason why I was late in updating the post was due to the fact that I was waiting for the pics of Amboli toad mating. That night I couldn't carry my camera as batteries had died. We went to field just after the first monsoon showers hit Amboli. That entire field was filled with 1000s of Amboli toads that had congregated for mating. We had to be careful while walking the field as there were toads calling, in amplexus barely few inches from each other. Also while walking some of the males were trying to mate with toes of our feet.

ImageDSC_0764 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr


Amboli toads in Amplexus
ImageDSC_0748 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageDSC_0758 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

ImageDSC_0770 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr

Also on the same field there were mating balls in which the female was covered in 4-5 males. In two cases we even saw the female was killed by the males in that mating ball. One of those female had drowned in a pool of water and she still was covered in 5 males. Here is another female that was dead and still there were 4 males trying to mate while a 5th one in background is trying to join in.

ImageDSC_0767 by Chaitanya Shukla, on Flickr
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