Amboli....Kingdom of Reptiles & Heaven of Nature Lovers !!! : 2015

Amboli....Kingdom of Reptiles & Heaven of Nature Lovers & Nature Photographers !

Traveller, Writer & Photographer: Dr. Akash Akinwar, Mumbai

Email ID: drakashakinwar@gmail.com

Website: www.drakashakinwar.com

It has been 4 years i am visiting Amboli village & forest near Sawantwadi of Sindhudurga District of Konkan region of Maharashtra State, India. Amboli is very famous for its beautiful waterfall and natural beauty around it.

Famous Waterfall of Amboli

But for nature lovers & photographers like me Amboli is close to heart for some other reasons. I visit amboli not for waterfall but for the magical & mystic forest and the treasure of reptiles specifically Snakes & Frogs.

I am not going to give any theoretical details about Amboli but will take you through the most thrilling pictorial journey of my trip between 14th August to 16th August 2015.

My team members were Dr. Amit Mahajan & Dr. Swapnil Chavan from Mumbai and Our stay was at one of the most beautiful resorts of Amboli...Green Valley Resort.

Green Valley Resort of Amboli

Forest trail begins....(From Left) Dr. Swapnil Chavan, Dr. Amit Mahajan & Me Dr. Akash Akinwar

First Encounter....Malabar Pit Viper snake

Malabar Pit Viper is famous at the forest of Amboli & can be sighted easily

Malabr Pit Viper (Trimeresurus malabaricus)

Pit viper species is endemic to southwestern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Scientific name: Trimeresurus malabaricus
Higher classification: Trimeresurus
Rank: Species

Caterpillar

Malabar Pit Viper

During our nature trail at Amboli Forest

Mystic & Magical Forest of Amboli

Welcome to Amboli forest by Orange Crab

Magical Amboli Forest at its best

Lizard

Frog Egg

Met few travellers & photographers from Mumbai

Forest Toad waiting for someone....

Happy & Successful end of morning trail....

Night Trail

The most exciting & thrilling things to be done at Amboli is night trail.

Green Vine Snake

The green vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta) is a slender green tree snake found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Not to be confused with Oxybelis fulgidus, "green vine snake" found in Central and South America.

Deccan Banded Gecko (Geckoella deccanensis)

Geckoella deccanensis is endemic to the northern Western Ghats with an extent of occurrence of greater than 40,000 km² with no significant threats. It is reported from several protected areas. The species is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

Frogs of Amboli

Amboli is a paradise for frog lovers, So many researchers, Zoologists, Herpatologist & Photographers visit Amboli for the study & photography of Frogs.

Mating of Bombay Bush Frog

(Raorchestes bombayensis)

Philautus bombayensis is a species of frog in the Rhacophoridae family. It is endemic to the Western Ghats, India.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Beautiful tadpole of Malabar Gliding Frog

One of the frogs of Amboli

The Amboli bush frog (Pseudophilautus amboli)

is a rare shrub frog species endemic to the Western Ghats (India). It is found in Amboli (the type locality) and Amba in Maharashtra and in Castle Rock, Londa, Jog Falls-Mavingundi, and Kudremukh-Malleshwaram in Karnataka.

The Amboli bush frog is a small frog, though it is medium-sized to large among its relatives. The snout–vent length of this species is 34 mm (1.3 in) in males and to 37.5 mm (1.48 in) in females. Males have a large and transparent vocal sack when calling. The body is rather robust. Discs of fingertips are much enlarged. Tympanum is dark brown. dorsum is uniform blackish brown. Throat lemon yellowish with minute black spots.

Burrowing Frog

Wrinkled frog (Nyctibatrachus Species)

Malabar Gliding Frog

The Malabar gliding frog or Malabar flying frog (Rhacophorus malabaricus) is a Rhacophorid tree frog species found in the Western Ghats of India.