River Terrapin

River Terrapin
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan.

River Terrapin
Batagur baska

Among the largest of Asian river turtles, it is also the most endangered of all. This can grow upto 60 cms in length. Some places it is called Mangrove Terrapin as mangroves are the favourite haunt of these creatures.

Funny thing with Asian Turtles is that more they become rare, more they go up in value making survival even more difficult. Many fareastern societies use them in tradition medicine and these terrapins especially are a gourmet item fit for a king. In consolation it is also called the Royal Terrapin.

Peculiar features of this turtle include an upturned snout (which I have managed to catch) and four toes against five for other turtles (which I could not catch.)

Critically endangered in Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India; extinct in the wild in Thailand; presumed extinct in Myanmar and Vietnam. Main threats include diappearing mangroves, hunting for meat and eggs, indiscriminate fishing, loss of nesting beaches and so on.

Though there are efforts under way to revive the species, they are continuing to decline. For this species and many others, China and Hong Kong proves to be huge market where these species are not found at all. The turtle trade route from China extends all over Asia reaching all poorer and smaller nations and turtle trade flourishes regardless of restrictions.

Arun's advice against rock

Arun's advice against rock
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan.

Here is an instance, for a change, Arun cautioned me against going closer to his face! I wanted to get down to get to see if I could catch the heat sensing pits of this python but was told it can charge if irritated. So I had to contend with a top down shot.

Pythons are not venomous but can deliver a painful bite. Along with reticulates and boas these are very popular in giant pet trade. And their skin too fetches a good price. So they are becoming rarer in the wild and their current status is near threatened.

These pythons are smaller than Reticulated Pythons and also their cousins African Rock pythons. They grow upto 18 feet. Unlike us they don't spend much time finding and eating food. If they eat a good meal, say, their own weight they can go on for a full year before the next meal! Imagine if we had it like that.

I have talked to experts and searched all over the net. There has been no authentic record of pythons killing humans. Biggest meal they have taken is a small mammal and nothing more. But still the myth of pythons crushing humans and cows and such persists.

And they don't actually crush their prey. They constrict them to suffocate. Then they swallow the prey whole. Unlike many other snakes they move in a straight line. Snake scholars call it rectilinear progression.

This bud of love....

This bud of love....
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan.

by summer's ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.

William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet

And we find that Chennai Crows, an amateur theatre group has serious competion after all when it comes to Shakespearean productions. Catch the other scenes here.

Snake killer supreme

Snake killer supreme
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan.

King cobra
Ophiophagus hannah

Meet the longest venomous snake in the world. A king cobra can reach upto 17 feet in length. While it is not the most poisonous, it can deliver big doses enough to kill an elephant or 20 humans.

Scientists have placed King Cobra in a separate genus. It is much larger than normal cobras and its diet and behaviour show some differences. It is also considered more intelligent than cobras. But King cobra also has a threatening hood like other cobras and rear its head high enough to stare a man in his eyes.

Its scientific name ophiophagus means snake eater. He prefers other snakes for food. Rat snakes, cobras, smaller king cobras and even pythons.

It is the only snake that builds nests for the eggs. Curiously the mother which hangs around protectively leaves the nest just before eggs hatch. One theory is that the mother is so famished, she does not want to get tempted to eat her babies!

Despite their fearsome defence capability, they are said to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Rom Whitaker, brain behind the Madras crocodile park, is said to have encountered king cobras in the wild several times and every time they tried to slip away.

Incidentally king cobras rarely breed in captivity and Madras Crocodile bank has managed to do that.

King cobras are becoming more and mroe rare in India due to habitat loss.

Strong-shouldered and shiny horned

Strong-shouldered and shiny horned
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan.

Indian Bison or Gaur
Bos gaurus gaurus

This is a mighty beast. Six feet at the shoulder weighing 1000 kilo grams, it needs to fear only three enemies - a mightier bull or a marauding tiger or humans. These are the wild cousins of domesticated cattle but are rather large and avoid humans.

Listed as vulnerable, they face depleting grazing areas and infections from domestic cattle. There were instances when big herds were wiped out from attack of diseases such as foot-and-mouth. Their cousins in the fareast and China are even faring worse and are put on critically endangered list.

This is not the best view of this wonderful animal. He gave me very little time before he disappeared into the woods. I was watching his mate when this big fellow suddenly came into view and unnerved me. Of course, they were captive and I was behind the concrete barricade but still it was an awesome sight seeing him so close.

I had seen one in the wild few years ago but even then he did not give me a chance to set the camera. I was using an SLR film camera and driving the car and I had no chance. Such massive animals and they are so fast and vanish in a jiffy.

Just like a rude cowboy; eats shoots and leaves

Just like a rude cowboy; eats shoots and leaves
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan.

Lion tailed Macaque
Macaca silenus

Considered most endangered of all monkeys, not many survive in the wild. Found only in the southern part of Indian subcontinent. This area is designated as a biodiversity hotspot and just as other biodiversity spots it is under heavy threat of human pressure.

These animals do not seem to adjust well to human settlements like their cousin and are listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red list. Though the efforts in the last twenty years have brought them back from the brink, the future is still uncertain. These species are doomed for exisitence only in captivity.

They are called lion-tailed because of the tuft in the tail like that of a lion. However, look at their mane. They can very well be called lion-headed macaque as well. The word macaque is said to come from an African word for monkeys. They are the smallest of all the species of macaques.

They say their voice in the forest can be mistaken for that of a human and the 'coyee' sound that they make resembles the hindi 'koi hai?' meaning 'anyone there'.

EDIT Thanks to all those who liked the title. Let me clarify that it is my creation. It is an old joke and the origin is unknown (to me.)

Family dispute

Family dispute
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan.

There is big debate among the experts on whether this tortoise should be considered as a separate species (Indotestudo travancorica) or as part of the Forsten Tortoise (Indotestudo forstenii)

The opinion is divided and what is the big deal you might ask. If you combine them, beacuse of the spread and numbers they may get reclassified and possibly lose the status of endangered and become merely threatened and hence some protection. Of course, visually both these types have a lot differences but I am no expert to take sides.

Any way, the common name is Travancore Tortoise and it is usually found in the southern India. Travancore in a place in Kerala. He is largely a herbivore but is not averse to some tasty slugs and worms. Does not like the sunlight so much. This fellow ran away as soon as Arun put him down to the corner where it was darkest.

Chinese have a lot fascination for tortoises and chinese myths, chinese beliefs (e.g. feng shui) involve tortoises.