Herping in Amboli
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
These were the words resounding in my mind when I was preparing myself for first ever herping tour to Amboli with WILDARK to shoot snakes and frogs mainly.
It was never the fear holding me back; rather the uncertainty that new journey, encountering a whole different wildlife, would genuinely excite me!
Nevertheless, life is all about taking risks and exploring the unknown. I jumped into the wagon of macro photography, starting a new chapter of learning.
Before the real field work, there was a whole lot of ‘not so interesting’ work that needed to be done including finalising the gears, tricks to save equipment from torrential rains and of course, procuring each and every item in the list without fail to avoid any faux pas in the field.
As they say, ‘Good luck is when opportunity meets preparation, while bad luck is when lack of preparation meets reality.’
Macro photography was a completely new genre for me; I had to invest considerable amount of time studying both camera technicalities and subject knowledge. As I immersed myself in learning, it became clear to me that I am about to witness macroscopic marvels of nature that go unnoticed by most and left no doubt in my mind that this trip would open my eyes to the whole new intricacies of the natural world.
Here are the photographs of Frogs eggs which are the size of water drops and one can see life taking form inside…
The day finally arrived; we boarded a cab from Goa Mopa airport bound to Amboli.
As we journeyed through the winding roads, I was enthralled by the lush greens and descending mist which created a surreal landscape. The non stop rains added to the enchantment of monsoon of the Western Ghats.
Upon reaching Amboli, we received a briefing about the tour which included the essential do’s and don’ts from Mr. Vipul. After having a simple yet delectable meal, we were ready to embark on our first trail at 4 in the evening.
It didn’t take long before our very first sighting of a Green vine snake (widely found). This elegant and slow-moving creature presented us with ample opportunities of creative photography.
During the course of next 2 days we photographed a Cat snake and different morphs of Malabar Pit vipers.
Pit Vipers can detect prey via heat-sensing organs located in “pits” between their eyes and nostrils.
We were explained that Pit vipers are ambush hunters. They don’t waste their energy by looking for their prey; rather these camouflaged creatures patiently lie in wait for their next meal. Their astounding confidence makes them believe they are invisible to us. If one very carefully and slowly approaches and then retreats they won’t perceive us as a threat or prey allowing us go really close and photograph them.
It was an exhilarating experience, and we were made to uphold the highest safety and ethical standards throughout the workshop. Respecting the wildlife, we left each species right where we found it, ensuring their natural habitat remained undisturbed.
“Nights can never be real and enjoyable without the croaking of frogs and the chirping of crickets.”
All the frogs photographed are endemic to Western Ghats. Most of these
endemic species are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and disruption of the habitat quality.
‘In wildlife it’s not over till it’s over’.
Upon returning from the night trail, we were shown the molting of a Cicada. This natural transformation from one phase of life to the next was a unique and mesmerising experience. The Cicada shed its old exoskeleton, revealing a new, more vibrant form.
