kk_wildlife_photography_

10/06/2022

The Roux’s forest calotes (Monilesaurus rouxii)

Device :- Nikon Coolpix B600


- It is a common forest lizard found all over the Western Ghats forests.
- It is generally an semi - arboreal lizard found on the edges of forests and in light forest habitats, mostly insectivore and active during the day time.

*Coloration during Breeding Season:-
- The bright red coloration is merely due to the lizard decking up to attract a female for breeding.
- During the breeding season, the upper part of the male’s head and nape become bright red to attract females, while the rest of its body turns a dark black-brown.
- Whereas female have as usual dull colouration. Changing colour is only domain of males.

27/02/2022

Indian Forest Scorpion ( Heterometrus sp.) 🦂

Spotted Forest Scorpion while it was crossing concrete forest to reach the natural forest again!

General information on scorpions.
Scorpions are members of the class Arachnida and are closely related to spiders, mites, and ticks.

Physical appearance :
Scorpion uses hairs on their pedipalps and a comb-like structure called pectines ( present ventrally behind walking legs) to feel around and obtain sensory information.

Diet :
Scorpions eat small insects, arthropods, or small vertebrates such as mice or lizards. Here Juveniles use their venomous stinger to capture prey while adults use their pincers to crush and rip apart their prey.
When food is scarce, the scorpion has an amazing ability to slow its metabolism . This technique enables some species to use little oxygen and live on as little as a single insect per year.

Behaviour :
Scorpion species are solitary and live in burrows. Only males leave the burrows for extended periods of time in order to find mates.

Scorpions are venomous and not poisonous.

Device :- Nikon Coolpix B600.

08/02/2022

Golden Jackal
(Canis aureus) 🌟

Seeing a golden jackal eye to eye is a different feeling altogether !!! 🤩

It is a medium sized jackal from Canidae family, They are native to parts of Africa, central Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The Indian subcontinent has only has one species of Jackal i.e. Golden jackal.

Distribution :
The typical habitat of the golden jackal can be anywhere from the dry deciduous forests, semi-arid regions to agricultural lands and close to human settlement habitats.

Behaviour :
Golden jackals are strictly nocturnal in areas inhabited by humans, but may be partly diurnal elsewhere.
Each jackal species communicates through its own repertoire of calls. Golden jackals use a wide inventory of howls to locate one another.

Diet / food habits :
Golden jackals consume 54% animal food and 46% plant food. They are opportunistic foragers with a very varied diet, which consists of young gazelles, rodents, (especially during winter), hares, ground birds and their eggs, reptiles, frogs, fish, insects and fruit. They take carrion on occasion.

Economic importance for humans :
Golden jackals play an important scavanging role by eating garbage and animal carrion around towns and villages. They benefit agricultural field by preventing increase in the number of rodents.

Threats:
They are least concern, but population goes on declining due to hunting because they are sometimes hunted for their fur.

Do you know : Several mentions of jackals have been made in ancient texts in India and Egypt.

- All the information is taken from google from various valid references.

31/01/2022

Common tree frog 🐸 ( polypedates maculatus)

Tree frogs are a diverse family of amphibians that includes over 800 species.
Not all tree frogs live in trees.
Ever wonder how tree frogs easily climb on trees, walls, etc the arboreal adaptation in their toe pads or many have extra skeletal structures in their toes to climb easily on anything.
Tree frogs can be found in variety of colors depends on the type of habitat or condition.

Intresting fact :
Polypedates maculatus, periodically wipe themselves with mucus-borne lipids secreted from cutaneous mucous glands.
During harsh climate When they get dried, these skin secretions decrease water loss but provide only modest resistance to cutaneous evaporation so-called "waterproof" species of tree
frogs.

Device :- Nikon Coolpix B600

21/01/2022

Amur Falcon ( Falco amurensis ) ✨
- (Male)

The Amur Falcon is a fascinating migratory raptor. It migrates for 20,000+ km which is ofcourse one of the longest migration shown by these falcon species. Migrates west through India and across the Arabian Sea to Southern Africa....Because of the long journey, stopover sites are important for Amur Falcons to maintain stamina.
It says that they feeds on dragonflies that follow a similar migration path over Arabian Sea.
The birds are the least concern under IUCN Red List, but the species is protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Convention on Migratory Species, to which India is a signatory (which means it is mandatory to protect the birds).

Device :- Nikon Coolpix B600

18/01/2022

Tickell's blue flycatcher 🐦
_Cyornis tickelliae_

I’m the cute little bird called the  Flycatcher.  I’m a small passerine bird, and I belong to the Flycatcher family. But like they say, small is beautiful! 
Favors open hill forests as well as forest edge, particularly in drier, scrubby areas, often close to water.

Device :- Nikon Coolpix B600

13/01/2022

04/01/2022

Beddome's Cat Snake ✨ ( Boiga beddomie)

Is it only me or the Snake is really Smiling!!! ✨😄😂

It is a Mildly Venomous Snake. Endemic to Western Ghats. Has shorter fangs that deliver mild venom. It is similar to 2 other subspecies which can be differentiated only on the basis of the scale count.

Device :- Nikon Coolpix B600

03/01/2022

Bamboo Pit Viper 🐍 (Trimeresurus stejnegeri)

Species Endemic to Western Ghats. It is a Venomous snake .. Arboreal, stay at low grounds & highly active at night. Moves Slowly but when threatened strikes at a lightning speed⚡😈

Device - Nikon Coolpix B600.

29/12/2021

Indian Giant Squirrel/ Malabar Giant Squirrel 🐿 ✨

Highly Arboreal Species, spending most of the time on trees..undercanopy region.
It is the State Animal of Maharashtra. 🤩 Its population is stable. Deforestation is the biggest enemy for the species population.

Clicked in morning.. Observed feeding early morning.. Was ready to give some portrait clicks. 😂

16/11/2021

Indian Roller ( Coracias benghalensis)

Bright early Morning spotted a beautifully colored Indian Roller hunting in an open patch.

A brightly colored bird with various shades of blue on the wings, tails, and belly that are often more prominent in flight. Note the longitudinal white streaks on the throat and breast. Indochinese Roller has a purple-blue breast, a darker olive back, and is generally darker blue. Generally silent, but more vocal in breeding season with harsh calls. Prefers open areas, including agricultural landscapes, sitting on exposed perches including electric wires, occasionally pumping its tail slowly. Practically a resident roller with some movements in the western parts of its range.

28/10/2021

In frame :-Verditer Flycatcher✨
Shot on :- Nikon Coolpix B600.