Amboli - hanging out with herps

July 2012 was the time when I could finally make it to this small & verdant hill station on the western Ghats with the Nature India. Monsoon is the best time to meet up with the Herpetofauna - amphibians & Reptiles - those innocent creatures we humans love to say eeks yuk! But once your eyes open to the beauty as well as their unique place in our eco-system, these creepy crawlies can be some of the most varied & fascinating creatures to watch. So here is a selection of some of these crawling jumping wonders.

Pinball

a beautiful Malabar Gliding Frog

Eggs of a Frog

Amboli toad - one of the endemics

Man-faced Bug

Caterpillar of Lymantiridae

Chlorophytum

Monsoon magic

Malabar Pit Viper

Common Shieldtail

Fungoid Frog

Common vine Snake

Another view of the Shield Tail

Amboli is 30 kms from the nearest railhead - Sawantwadi in Maharashtra. Trains on the Konkan railway from Mumbai's CST all have a short halt at this station. A good place to stay is Whispering Woods run by a local naturalist Hemant Ogale.
thank you to Adesh, Mandar & Hemant for making this such a wonderful learning experience. For those who have a fear of creepy crawlies, this trip will surely help you overcome it & enable you to enjoy nature's gifts.
Some tips:

1. Be nature friendly & do not litter the surroundings, this is one of the pristine forests that need to be preserved
2. Go with an open mind. The stay is simple yet comfortable with a good ambience for being in nature
3. Ensure protection against the leeches; Yes they do latch on to you but are not harmful. Leech Socks along with salt or tobacco powder acts as a deterrent

Enjoy the date with Herps!