Frogs and Frogmouths

On Oct 2nd, the Malabar Natural History Society ( MNHS ) along with the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department and, The Zoological Survey of India conducted a Frog Survey at  the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary.Now while I am primarily a birder, and Herpetology not my usual cup of tea, I jumped at the chance of exploring the insides of the wildlife sanctuary at night.

So, along with my friends Riyan ( Asst.Prof in Zoology) and Sudheer ( Physician), we set out from Calicut at around 4:15 pm. The route we took was, Calicut-Thamarassery-Poonoor-Thalayad-Kakkayam-Kakkayam dam (entrance to Malabar WLS) . We made it just in time by 6:00 pm, when the rest of the team were disembarking from their vehicles.

After a quick cup of tea and refreshments at the dorms, we were given a brief introduction and objectives of the day’s survey by Dr.Jafar Palot ( ZSI and Hon.Sec of the MNHS). We were also in the esteemed company of Dr. Varad Giri of the BNHS and Satyan Meppayur of MNHS. Other members from the MNHS and BNHS has also come for the survey.

Ceylon Frogmouth | Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary(Kakkayam), Calicut | 2nd Oct 2014 The frog survey conducted by MNHS yielded a superb bonus….lots of frogs and this Frogmouth !!! It was a thrilling experience to hear the calls of the Frogmouths ( Many of them) in the crisp clean night , accompanied by the million frog and insect sounds… We had taken precautions by using torchlight ( and not a flash) and high ISO ( ISO 3200) to click this image.Though this might still have caused the bird some inconvenience,we left it on its way as soon as we managed this record shot. Many thanks to the excellent spotting skills of Riyan Konkath, and DrSudheer Mullakkal

Eagerly we set out and were soon set upon by the million leeches which are present in the rain forests at this time of the year.While the herpers,came well prepared with gumboots, headlights etc, we birders were not so well prepared and did not join them when they waded enthusiastically into the streams and pools inside the bamboo thickets.

Raorchestes ochlandrae (Ochlandrae reed frog) is a species of shrub frog in the Rhacophoridae family. It is endemic to the Western Ghats, India. This species of the oriental shrub frog was described from Kakkayam Reserve Forest of Calicut district, Kerala state, in the southern Western Ghats. ( Wiki) This was perhaps the prize catch of the night, and worth the numerous leech bites all over my body.

We stayed on the main path sufficiently thrilled to hear the calls of the very rare Ceylon Frogmouth. We even managed to spot and photograph one while the Herpers were finding many rare endemic frogs.The survey went on long into the night and finally we all trudged back to the base camp around midnight for a delicious dinner of steaming hot rice and sambar and pickles prepared by the foresters. As it was a working day the next day we drove back the same night a reached our homes by around 2:30 am.

I must put in a serious word of appreciation for the remarkable spotting ability, dedication and determination of the herpetology group.They are just too good, unmindful of the leeches and terrain, including negotiating small waterfalls at night, they kept on in full enthusiasm searching and finding frogs well into the night.

I must also give thanks to the gentlemen of the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department, who were fantastic guides and wonderful hosts, staying up so late into the night to take care of our group.