Every now and again, we came across these large reptiles that obligingly posed for us, as they basked in the winter sun at Bharatpur. I thought they we re fascinating to look at. They look a hundred years old, with all that folded skin and dinosaur-like appearance!
The Indian Monitor, I think its called. Its one of those ancient survivors - the species dates back several million years, I read somewhere. Around three feet long I would estimate that the one we saw were. I think thats the average size of this variety.
All the ones we came across were solitary, and thats how adult males seem to hang out. Not fond of company it would appear!
After a while, this one got a bit annoyed and irritated with all the clicking and commotion and kind of walked off in a huff, into the bushes! Its walk is clumsy and deliberate, and a sitting target I would imagine for poachers and hunters. The eat all kinds of other insects and small creatures like frogs. I do wonder if they form the food for some other creature. I think their young are vulnerable to being eaten by larger birds and such, but I cant imagine anything wanting to eat one of these adults - would be terribly leathery dont you think?!
Mr Ramanan sent along more python pictures, and this pair are so spectacular that I had to share them.
He revisited the python burrow that I wrote about about, a second time and saw them once more. This time they were out of the burrow, and quickly slid in on the arrival of intruders. But before that he got these lovely shots.
A darker-skinned maleIf you click on the photo and zoom in, you can even see the heat sensors above the nostrils.
Let me say at the outset (or have I said this before?), that I have a morbid, irrational fear of snakes, and I would most definitely prefer to see them on TV than to have a personal encounter with one!
But Bharatpur is famous for the Indian Rock Python and Whitaker has classified them as "harmless" (how could a snake that hugs its prey to death be called harmless, anyway?), and so how could I come away without a peek? 13-year-old Adhi had said on the train that the only reason he was coming to Bharatpur was the see the "hibernating Indian Rock Python"!!
Very reassuringly, Whitaker's book reports that there are no known incidents of a human being eaten by these snakes! Made me feel a lot better, I tell you. These snakes have a "territory" of sorts and favourite burrows, where they sleep, catching the sun in the day, and hunt at night.
So, we set off for the Jatoli checkpost where there were reportedly burrows of these snakes. The path was stony, dusty and uneven, and it seemed safer to wheel the bikes along these narrow paths rather than risk shooting off into the marsh on either side.
Parking our bikes at the checkpost, we went with the forest ranger from there into the scrub on the right. We only saw an empty burrow. No snake. I looked nervously around my ankles and into the surrounding bushes, and hissed to Divya (who seemed least bothered), "what if its there in those other bushes?". I have to tell you that Divya has been on a couple of trips to Agumbe, where they do research on the King Cobra, another of Whitaker's projects, and so has seen those definitely-not-harmless reptiles doing various things (like eating each other up), and this was definitely passe for her!
So, we headed back, and the ranger decided to take us into the left side. I desperately wanted to tell him, bhai sahb, chodiye, koi baath nahin, hum, vaapus chalte hein, but the others were off behind him before I could open my mouth! And so I reluctantly followed, too nervous to lag far behind, and too nervous to go to the head of the line!
And this is what we saw:
A typical burrow. can you see the snakes?What are all those bones lying around?! Somebody pulled my leg - "Oh that's its last night's dinner. Not to worry, it wont eat for a while now!"
We had obviously got too close. Their heat sensors, close to their nostrils must have been sending loud alarm bells. In a flash, these two slithered further into the burrow, and out of sight! Who said they move slowly, these were gone in the blink of an eye, quite literally. All of us, with the sole exception of Mr Ramanan, jumped two feet away in alarm!
As we headed back (me, in relief and triumph!), Mr Shivkumar began a yarn about his erstwhile pet python that he had many decades ago.... he would feed it rabbit that he bought from Moore market...and then gave it away to Harry Miller....for the sake of the python, not out of fear for himself, he emphasized!
I am still undecided as to whether to believe him or not....Anybody can corroborate the story?!
My in-laws had an unwelcome visitor this week, in the form of a huge snake, coiled up on the cool bathroom floor! It slithered past the housekeeper as she went to clean up, she let out a shriek loud enough to summon the whole neighbourhood, and fled from there, slamming the bathroom shut behind her!
My mother-in-law, with remarkable alacrity rang up Just Dial (an information service - +91-44-2644 4444), got the number of the Guindy Snake Park from them, called the ranger there, (+(91)-(44)-22200335,22301328) who promised to send a snake catcher. Within half an hour, the catcher arrived, and from all accounts knew his snake-catching! He calmly proceeded to the bathroom, by which time the snake had disappeared under the wash basin drainhole, and was nowhere to be seen. He checked regarding the drain plan, asked for hot water to be poured down the drain, and then waited at the other end, in the garden.
Sure enough, in a minute the snake emerged, and was skillfully caught by the trapper. My in-laws commented that he kind of stroked the snake to calm it, and then put it into a bag, to be added to the collection at the Snake Park! He told them that it was a venomous snake, but we dont know the variety - it was not a cobra. It couldn't be the Krait, since the markings are so distinct, could it be a viper then?
After this incident, I realised that I knew so little about snakes - which ones are venomous, and which ones are not. Yes, I've been to the Snake Park and yes I possess Whitaker's book, and yes I've studied those glass cages and looked with somewhat horrified fascinaton at those slithery reptiles, but it somehow does not stick in the head. I dont find them as attractive as, say birds, nor are they as "handsone" as a tiger, as graceful as deer.
I think there are snake people and there are the others, and I dont know if it has to do with any exposure or awareness. My mother is positively fascinated by them, so is a cousin of mine who now lives in Atlanta, then there is a classmate of my husband who regularly caught them. I am not a snake person, and I have to make a conscious, rational effort to overcome the rising, irrational fear of them.
Of snakes and Scruggs, in Atlanta, Georgia
We saw this snake sunning itself in the undergrowth in one of those large parks near the Fernbank Museum. What was it - Midland brown? Earth snake?
Another day we stopped by at the Chattahoochee river that flows through Atlanta, and saw these ducks swim by,
before chancing upon a Steve Scruggs show. Steve Scruggs seems to be the American equivalent of our very own Rom Whitakers spreading awareness about snakes.
Quite the showman, check out these two little video clips of what we saw.
This one is to do with a common Georgian, non-poisonous snake.
And this one shows a rattlesnake.
Stone Mountain
Atlanta memories also include our trip to Stone Mountain, though totally unrelated to snakes, bear with me while I ramble! After all this is Madras Ramblings remember.
Stone Mountain is very unimaginatively named. It is, well a stone mountain you see. I guess if we can have yezhu malai and anai malai, they can have Stone Mountain! if I'm not mistaken its the world's largest exposed granite rock. (Ayers rock in Australia is sandstone.)
Can you imagine what a sense of regret our granite quarry owners must feel seeing this - so much untapped money!
We took the cable ride up, but you can walk up as well. The views all around are lovely. About 3,000 acres around the rock is like a nature park, so its lovely and wooded. there are lots of touristy and kid-friendly activities all over the base park area, but you dont need to do those things.
A walk up, enjoying the views, some birdwatching, and its a lovely day out in the open.
If you are lucky, you may come across these stoneworts, which grow in the little pools of water that collect in depressions and crevices on the mountain top.
Bad joke, sorry. Well, this is a rather spectacular lizard, and its called a rock agama, so do forgive me. A Peninsular Rock Agama, to be precise. This was another treasure that hung around the Chikaldhara resort. The first time I had ever seen something like this.
I'm not a great reptile person and suffer the usual fears and concerns about all things cold and clammy. But these two specimens were rather fascinating in a sort of creepy crawly way.
These rock agamas are interesting lizards, it appears. Their bodies are about a foot long, and their tails could be a foot and a half. They live in groups and have territorial fights with other lizards, and one weapon seems to be their looooong tail, which they use to whack the head of the enemy lizard. The thump can be so hard, that enemy could end up with a broken jaw! Regrettably, our lizard was a peaceable chap and just sat there, or should I say lay there.
Then, there was this other long-tailed fellow on the rocks around Chikaldhara. Definitely tail once again longer than body. Is this the female agama or a salea lizard or a skink lizard? I have no idea, as of now. Will add the details when I get to know.
Photo by Sripad
Python in the thicket spotted near the temple
