Herping in Nepal (really, actual herping!) - part 2
Posted: December 27th, 2019, 11:28 am
Continuing on my adventure in Nepal, I'm currently in Chitwan National Park...
Since entry into the park at night was prohibited, we walked around the outskirts of town in search of frogs, lizards, and snakes. Numerous frogs were observed both in roadside ditches and in the surrounding rice fields. The most common ones were Skittering Frogs (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis), the Terai Cricket Frog (Minervarya teraiensis), Chitwan and Roland’s Burrowing Frogs (Sphaerotheca maskeyi and S. rolandae) and the Indian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus). But the occasional Painted Globular Frog (Uperodon taprobanicus) and the Asian Common Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) could also be seen. The ubiquitous, Common Garden Lizards (Calotes versicolor) were easily spotted sleeping on the thinnest of twigs overhanging the road.
Scanning roadside ditches has proven rather productive in terms of finding herps as these channels make excellent traps for smaller species of amphibians and reptiles. I was however, rather surprised to find a three-meter-long Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) crawling slowly along the bottom of one. Not wanting to chance a possible vehicular encounter with this snake, I removed it and carried it into the nearby woods.
Within seconds of spotting the snake, dozens of the local people swarmed around me, some curious but many of them frightened. As I set the snake deep into the woods, a man, who was apparently drunk, was screaming at me in his native language and wielding a large stick with which he attempted to repeatedly hit the snake. I tried to calmly explain that the snake was not dangerous and that it should be left alone. My words apparently had no impact and I left him still screaming at the snake in the dark. I was later assured by the local authorities that he would not kill the snake as that would guarantee him going to jail.
Another large snake found in one of the roadside ditches was an adult Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) apparently hit by a vehicle and made its way into the ditch before succumbing to its injuries.
Due to the high temperatures we were experiencing at Chitwan, the daytime average was in the mid-30s C, (mid 90s F), and due to our relatively poor herping success we decided to venture into areas at higher altitudes. Just prior to our departure from the park we took one last look at the banks of the Narayani River hoping to get one more look at the Gavials, but the only reptile out was a Ganges Soft-shelled Turtle, Nilssonia gangetica.
We teamed up with the Director of the Turtle Conservation Center, (Tapil Prakash Rai) who accompanied us for several days to the region around Ilam. Here the elevation was between 1500-1700 meters (ca. 5000-5500 feet) and the temperatures were much milder, 22-25 C (low to mid 70s F).
The drive north towards Ilam yielded a number of diverse wildlife species including a large colony of Flying Foxes (Pteropus sp.), Tarai Gray Langurs (Semnopithecus hector), and a handsome Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum).
With Tapil’s help, we found several interesting amphibian species, notably, Nepal’s only salamander, the Himalayan Crocodile Newt, Tylototriton himalayanus (previously considered to be T. verrucosus), the country’s smallest frog, the Himalayan Foam-nest Frog, Raorchestes annandalii (recently, Philautus annandalii), Himalayan Toads (Duttaphrynus himalayanus), Tiger Frogs, (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus), and diminutive Terai Cricket Frogs, Minervarya (recently in the genus Fejervarya) teraiensis were also seen.
A number of reptiles were also encountered, including an endemic Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus cf. martinstollii), a Three Keeled Mountain Lizard (Japalura tricarinata), Sikkim Ground Skink (Asymblepharus sikkimensis), Common Garden Lizards (Calotes versicolor), and even the cosmopolitan and parthenogenic, Brahminy Blindsnake (Indotyphlops braminus).
And while Nepal is not often thought of as a ‘must see’ herpetological destination, its incredible natural beauty, exotic cuisine and extremely helpful and friendly local people certainly make it worth exploring.
Enjoy!
Paul
Since entry into the park at night was prohibited, we walked around the outskirts of town in search of frogs, lizards, and snakes. Numerous frogs were observed both in roadside ditches and in the surrounding rice fields. The most common ones were Skittering Frogs (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis), the Terai Cricket Frog (Minervarya teraiensis), Chitwan and Roland’s Burrowing Frogs (Sphaerotheca maskeyi and S. rolandae) and the Indian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus). But the occasional Painted Globular Frog (Uperodon taprobanicus) and the Asian Common Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) could also be seen. The ubiquitous, Common Garden Lizards (Calotes versicolor) were easily spotted sleeping on the thinnest of twigs overhanging the road.
Scanning roadside ditches has proven rather productive in terms of finding herps as these channels make excellent traps for smaller species of amphibians and reptiles. I was however, rather surprised to find a three-meter-long Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) crawling slowly along the bottom of one. Not wanting to chance a possible vehicular encounter with this snake, I removed it and carried it into the nearby woods.
Within seconds of spotting the snake, dozens of the local people swarmed around me, some curious but many of them frightened. As I set the snake deep into the woods, a man, who was apparently drunk, was screaming at me in his native language and wielding a large stick with which he attempted to repeatedly hit the snake. I tried to calmly explain that the snake was not dangerous and that it should be left alone. My words apparently had no impact and I left him still screaming at the snake in the dark. I was later assured by the local authorities that he would not kill the snake as that would guarantee him going to jail.
Another large snake found in one of the roadside ditches was an adult Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus) apparently hit by a vehicle and made its way into the ditch before succumbing to its injuries.
Due to the high temperatures we were experiencing at Chitwan, the daytime average was in the mid-30s C, (mid 90s F), and due to our relatively poor herping success we decided to venture into areas at higher altitudes. Just prior to our departure from the park we took one last look at the banks of the Narayani River hoping to get one more look at the Gavials, but the only reptile out was a Ganges Soft-shelled Turtle, Nilssonia gangetica.
We teamed up with the Director of the Turtle Conservation Center, (Tapil Prakash Rai) who accompanied us for several days to the region around Ilam. Here the elevation was between 1500-1700 meters (ca. 5000-5500 feet) and the temperatures were much milder, 22-25 C (low to mid 70s F).
The drive north towards Ilam yielded a number of diverse wildlife species including a large colony of Flying Foxes (Pteropus sp.), Tarai Gray Langurs (Semnopithecus hector), and a handsome Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum).
With Tapil’s help, we found several interesting amphibian species, notably, Nepal’s only salamander, the Himalayan Crocodile Newt, Tylototriton himalayanus (previously considered to be T. verrucosus), the country’s smallest frog, the Himalayan Foam-nest Frog, Raorchestes annandalii (recently, Philautus annandalii), Himalayan Toads (Duttaphrynus himalayanus), Tiger Frogs, (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus), and diminutive Terai Cricket Frogs, Minervarya (recently in the genus Fejervarya) teraiensis were also seen.
A number of reptiles were also encountered, including an endemic Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus cf. martinstollii), a Three Keeled Mountain Lizard (Japalura tricarinata), Sikkim Ground Skink (Asymblepharus sikkimensis), Common Garden Lizards (Calotes versicolor), and even the cosmopolitan and parthenogenic, Brahminy Blindsnake (Indotyphlops braminus).
And while Nepal is not often thought of as a ‘must see’ herpetological destination, its incredible natural beauty, exotic cuisine and extremely helpful and friendly local people certainly make it worth exploring.
Enjoy!
Paul