Western Ghats Herpetological Adventure 2009

Southern India is as rich in biodiversity as it is in geographical diversity. On this expedition we will stay at India’s premier institutions for herpetofaunal research, the Madras Croc Bank and Romulus Whitakers Rainforest Research station (ARRS). We will trek through the incredibly biodiverse mountain range known as the Western Ghats and will explore varying habitats and beautiful scenery along the way. From farmland and scrub forests, to rivers, rock pools and rainforests in our search for reptiles such as King Cobras, kraits, russells & saw scaled vipers, spectacled cobras, crocodiles and much, much more. All the while we will be guided by the expert herpetologist Gerry Martin and assisted in part by members of the snake tracking tribe – the Irulas. At the end of our trip we will cross the border from Karnataka into northern Kerala, where we will stay at a beach resort on golden sands overlooking the Malabar Coast. 

Morning: Arrive Chennai. 

We will be met on arrival by Gerry Martin and his team and transferred to the Madras Crocodile Bank. Upon arrival we will have the chance to freshen up before we begin the days activities.

Here we will meet all the staff & researchers and will watch a presentation on Crocodile Biology which will include information on the Crocodile Bank’s history and ongoing conservation work. We will then begin the fun work of assisting the staff in their work; this will include the feeding and  measuring of crocodilian specimens.

Before we embark on our day’s herping, a talk will be given on safety and you will be able to familiarize yourselves with all the medically significant snake & invertebrate species.

We will then drive for approximately 45 minutes before we begin our trek across farmland and scrub forests around Chinglepattu – this is the home territory of the Irula tribe and where they search for the “Big Four” every day. The “Big Four” are those species which are responsible for the most snake bites in India – the spectacled cobra, saw scaled viper, russells viper and the common krait. At the end of the day captured specimens will be taken back to the Irula Cooperative Society and we will be able to observe the extraction of their venom.  

Upon arrival in Mysore we will stop for breakfast and will then drive the short distance to the Ranganthittu Wildlife Sanctuary where we will be able to search for mugger crocodiles by boat on the river. Later on in the day we will drive to Nagarhole National Park where we will be able to go on game drives looking for large mammals such as Tigers & Elephants. At the end of the day we will be transferred to Gerry Martin's farm in Hunsur.

As well as being a haven for reptiles & amphibians, Ranganthittu sanctuary is also home to a myriad of bird & mammal species such as cormorants, darters, white ibis, storks, egrets, herons, terns, swallows, streaked weavers, ducks, teals, sandpipers, kingfishers, fruit bats, bonnet macaques, palm civets, common mongoose and common otters. 

Nagarhole National Park is 650 km2 contains one of the finest deciduous forests in India and is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora. It is one of the best places to see wild elephants and tiger sightings have been on the increase over the last couple of seasons. 

After an early breakfast. Gerry will give a demonstration highlighting important aspects of snake handling and snake behaviour. We will then travel on to our next destination - The Mojo Rainforest Retreat in Madikeri.

We will have two days of herping fun in this prime habitat for reptiles. 

The Western Ghats of India are internationally recognized as one of the 18 Biodiversity hotspots in the world that need to be preserved. The surrounding areas of Galibeedu and Kaloor are best described as low altitude ‘Shola’ forest. Sholas are tropical montane evergreen forests nestled in the folds and valleys of mountains covered with grasslands (typically above 1700m). These shola-grassland eco-systems are unique to the Western Ghats of India and harbor a great diversity of flora and fauna – a great deal of it endemic to the region.

The grasslands act like sponge absorbing the monsoon rains and releasing the moisture slowly. Here one can see an abundance of evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforest trees, ferns, shrubs (many which have medicinal properties) and over 40 species of endemic wild orchids.

Most of the large animals have been eliminated due to excessive hunting and other human disturbance but this area has a very rich ‘small animal’ diversity. Among the animals occasionally spotted here are wild boar, jackal, civet cats, squirrel (including Malabar Giant), mongoose, porcupine, and rare deer species. More common are the many species of snakes, vipers, cat snakes, wolf snakes, cobras, kraits and the elusive King Cobra. In addition there are plenty of monitor lizards, geckos, skinks, as well as abundant amphibian, bird and insect species including the largest moth species in the world – the Atlas moth.

We will continue in our search for reptiles in the surrounding area.

On previous visits some of the species we have found include Malabar rock pit-vipers, green tree vipers, Bibron's Coral Snakes, common kraits, Beddome’s cat snakes, vine snakes, rat snakes, Whitaker’s earth boas, cobras, Bengal monitor lizards, various garden lizards, flying lizards, caecilians and a host of other herpetofauna including the King Cobra.

In the evening there will be a presentation about the Agumbe facility and its important research into the behaviour and ecology of Ophiophagus hannah and its conservation. After the presentation we will be able to go on a night trek and will also be able to take UV torches in search of scorpions.

Today we will go on a stream bed walk, this is a great way to find reptiles and many species of snake may be found on the river banks and in the foliage as well as Theraphosid spiders in the river banks. Also found close by are the large Poecilitheria spiders, commonly known as "Indian Ornamental" spiders.  

We will drive to the airport in time for our flight back to London via Dubai with Emirates.

Arrive back at London Gatwick the same day.

FROM £1974 PER PERSON SHARING
(SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY AND CHANGE)

PRICE INCLUDES:
International flights with Emirates in Economy class.
Train transfers as per itinerary.
Road transfers as per itinerary in private, air-conditioned, vehicles.

All accommodation as per itinerary
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided at all locations. Herpetologist & Irula tracker fees.

PRICE EXCLUDES:
Meals and Services not detailed.
Airport tax upon departure
Items of a personal nature (Laundry, telephone calls, photographic permits, tips, medical bills, visa charges and travel insurance etc.)
Anything not included in the ‘price includes’ section.

+44 (0)208 347 4020