Category: Arun

All posts authored by Arun

Arun, Encounter, ReptilesLeave a comment

Close Encounters of the Slithering Kind

Arun

These are not just encounters, but close encounters. In these situations I have either touched or been too close for comfort with certain members of the suborder SerpentesI’d never imagined that such a day would dawn. In 2008, I visited the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) with friends PD, Zak and Subbu. I must mention here that I was so scared of snakes that I was almost on the verge of being ophidiophobic. We were roaming the campus when station manager Prashant’s 4-year-old daughter found a baby Common Vine Snake (Ahaetulla nasuta) and caught it to show us. All four … Continue reading Close Encounters of the Slithering Kind

Arun, Encounter, Uncategorized1 Comment

Encounter: Malabar Grey Hornbill

Arun

The next time you hear a chuckle from the treetops or endearing squeaks and musical caws, look out for the Malabar Grey Hornbill. Or maybe a whole flock! What’s so different about the Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) compared with the other three hornbills found in the Western Ghats? The casque, of course. Rather, the absence of it. Although the attention-grabbing casque — the horn in hornbill — is not present in this southern species, the bright orange bill (in males) makes up for it and you realise the true meaning of the word “Hornbill”. The bill is shaped exactly … Continue reading Encounter: Malabar Grey Hornbill

Arun, Encounter, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Encounter: The Malabar Pied Hornbill

Arun

A timber yard in Dandeli, Karnataka offers some of the best views you can have of the threatened Malabar Pied Hornbill When you mention Dandeli, people respond in two ways. “Rafting!” exclaim the majority. The others enthusiastically say: “Hornbills!” On our trip, we (Sahastra, Bijoy, Andy, Satish and I) didn’t even consider the former. Four species of Hornbills are found in the Western Ghats. At Dandeli, it was the Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) that held our rapt attention for over two hours. After catching mere glimpses of these birds the previous day close to the core area of the … Continue reading Encounter: The Malabar Pied Hornbill

Arun, Encounter, UncategorizedLeave a comment

An Encounter with Radial Symmetry

Arun

While combing the Marakkanam beach in Tamil Nadu, north of Pondicherry, Sahastra, Beej and I came across an object that was pale green and symmetrical, with bands radiating from a central orifice at the top. Five white bands radiating from the centre can be seen Being city-slickers from landlocked Bangalore our experience with the secrets of the sea was limited. So we searched our memories for names — sea cucumbers, sea sponges… And then we got it right: Sea Urchins. Sea Urchins are creatures of the phylum Echinodermata, which also constitute starfishes, sea cucumbers, etc. Echinoderms are spiny-skinned invertebrates that inhabit … Continue reading An Encounter with Radial Symmetry

Arun, Uncategorized1 Comment

Metamorphosis at my doorstep

Arun

Somebody had planted it there — the Scarlet Milkweed. Didn’t give much thought to it. Noticed only when it bloomed with bright yellow-orange flowers, garnished with vividly coloured caterpillars. These were the larvae of the Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus), a species of Danainae (“milkweed butterflies”, which lay their eggs on various milkweeds, on which their larvae feed) and a subfamily of the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. Scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) also known as Bloodflower and Indian Root is native to South America but has spread across many parts of the globe. Its flowers attract many butterflies. The plant’s sap contains toxins, … Continue reading Metamorphosis at my doorstep

Arun, Birds, Travelogues, Trip Reports, UncategorizedLeave a comment

In the Flat Forest, Abode of the Frogmouths

Arun

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, also known as Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, is located between the branches of the Periyar River in Ernakulam district of Kerala. The great birdman Salim Ali had surveyed Thattekad in 1930 and described it as the richest bird habitat in the peninsula. He later urged the Kerala government to notify it as a sanctuary. In 1983, it was thus declared. The sanctuary covers around 25 sq km of tropical semi-evergreen and tropical deciduous lowland forests. Hence the name (Thattekad literally translates to ‘flat forest’ in Malayalam). Our guide Sudeesh (a crack-shot at spotting) explained that excluding the … Continue reading In the Flat Forest, Abode of the Frogmouths

Arun, UncategorizedLeave a comment

At Bilikal Rangaswamy Betta, was the leopard watching us?

Arun

Off we went, my namesake Arun and I, early Saturday morning on the Diwali weekend. Our destination – Bilikal Rangaswamy Betta, a hill in Kanakapura taluk of Bangalore Rural district. At the top of the hill is a temple but, of course, our visit was a pilgrimage of a different kind. We were there for birding and to salvage some peace and quiet, which is impossible in the city during Diwali.  Due to several unfortunate reasons we reached the foothills quite late. I tried to take the bike on the jeep track but soon gave up as I didn’t want … Continue reading At Bilikal Rangaswamy Betta, was the leopard watching us?

Arun, Encounter, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Encounter with the tiny giant – The Giant Wood Spider

Arun

Male and female spiders are not exactly lovey-dovey. The female ends up feeding on the male soon after mating or, in some cases, even before he mates with her. Posted by Arun Spiders have always fascinated me. These arachnids, even though they are considered a lesser order of creatures, have always been the awe-inspiring tigers of the miniature world to me. Among them there are tiny spiders the size of ants (or even smaller) and big ones that can hunt and devour birds. But until recently I did not have the good fortune to see the Giant Wood Spiders, which … Continue reading Encounter with the tiny giant – The Giant Wood Spider

Arun, Uncategorized1 Comment

Will Master Sprinter suffer the same fate as Mr. Stripes?

Arun

Posted by Arun We all know it, it’s finally official. The Government of India has decided to import cheetahs to the country from Africa.  Indian Cheetahs had disappeared from the subcontinent by the end of the first half of the twentieth century after relentless persecution for decades. They were also used extensively by Mughal emperors for hunting down gazelles. They are the only large members of the cat family (taxonomists don’t place cheetahs with true cats due to their non-retractable claws) known to have been tamed and used for hunting. But by the beginning of the twentieth century their numbers … Continue reading Will Master Sprinter suffer the same fate as Mr. Stripes?

Arun, UncategorizedLeave a comment

To Urigam after 4 long months…

Arun

A scene by the Cauvery Finally, after four months of inactivity, I got an opportunity to head once again to Urigam, along with some KANS* members (by now even I was one). This is the very same place I had been to for a ground survey a few months ago. Except it had a stark contrast in colour: it was now covered in green. A couple of weeks prior to our visit, it had rained well, triggering an almost complete transformation of the vegetation. Trees that were bone-dry months ago had sprouted new green leaves. Grass and shrubs shot up … Continue reading To Urigam after 4 long months…