As children, most of us would be familiar with the fairytale about the frog who magically turns into “prince charming” on being kissed by a princess. The very perception of the frog turning into a “handsome” prince, meant that we looked at frogs as ugly and slimy little creatures. Didn’t we?
Well, to some they would indeed seem ugly and slimy. But if we try and understand the role their play in our very lives and on our very survival, our perception of ugliness and beauty would change forever.
Amphibians have a great impact in sustaining biodiversity and ensuring that forest cover remains, monsoon showers occur in time and rivers do not run dry. It’s very simple. Frogs feed on insects and so keep their population under control. If frogs and toads are gone, it will lead to rise in insect population, which is their main food. These insects will then devour leaves destroying entire forests leading to reduced ground water precipitation. As a result, clouds will not form and thus without rains, rivers will run dry. Put simply, the disappearance of frogs will ultimately affect forests, rivers and consequently us humans as well. That’s how important frogs are to us. But sadly, their numbers are decreasing.
There are more than 4,700 species of frogs in the entire world. It will be of interest to learn that, historically, when species faced extinction, one species of amphibian would disappear every 250 years. Unfortunately, in the last 35 years alone, about 120 amphibian species, including frogs, toads and salamanders, have disappeared!!
My recent trip to forests of Amboli with Nature India was an eye-opening experience for me. Adesh’s extensive knowledge about every aspect of nature, coupled with the expertise of Saunak Pal in the field of herpetology made my trip a memorable and very enlightening one indeed.
Amboli is a quaint hill station nestled amidst lush foliage on the Sahyadri Mountain Range in the southern-most region of Maharashtra. Perched at a height of approx 700m above sea level, it has the distinction of being the wettest region in Maharashtra receiving about 7500 mm of rainfall annually. This tiny region abounds in unique flora and fauna. Especially rich in herpetofauna, wild flowers and birds, the star attractions for nature enthusiasts like me are the wonderful array of reptiles and amphibians found in the region.
Although the regular route to Amboli is via Sawantwadi which is only about 35 kms away, we were advised very wisely by Adesh to travel via Kolhapur which is thrice the distance. Adesh’s vast travel experience had prompted this decision. The Konkan Rail which connects Mumbai to Sawantwadi runs along a landslide prone area especially during the monsoons. Train cancellations and delays are commonplace at this time of the year. So to avoid any disappointment the marginally longer journey would ensure that we reached Amboli despite heavy rains and consequent rail disruptions.
The longer route wasn’t without its perks too. Along the way, near the small town of Aajara, we stopped to get a glimpse of a unique ground orchid – Long-tailed Habenaria (Habenaria longicorniculata) commonly known as Sheput Habe amri in Marathi. A terrestrial orchid with small white flowers, it is unique for its almost 6 inch long spur in which it stores nectar. It is interesting to note that most orchids have specific pollinators. In this case, only a certain species of hawk moth with equally long proboscis, aids in pollinating this orchid.
Orchids reproduce by cross-pollination with birds and insects carrying pollen from the stamen of one orchid to the pistil of another. They use a variety of intricate strategies for attracting the many specific pollinators on which their survival depends. Consequently, the orchid and pollinator have evolved together. Orchids have evolved some of the most complicated pollination systems of all plants. Many orchids look like or smell like bees, which is what attracts bees to them. Other orchids, like one orchid species of South America attracts bees by a process called ‘pseudo-antagonism’. Parts of the orchid resemble an enemy insect which bees try to attack. During the assault pollen attaches itself to the attacking bee! The small wonders of nature!
We arrived in Amboli in time for lunch. Delectable Malwani cuisine awaited us at Hotel Satpurush. Fried fish, malwani chicken curry and a delicious vegetarian spread were served with much love. An unlimited supply of ‘solkadi’ completed the ever so scrumptious meal.
It had been raining incessantly since the time we arrived. The mist hung low in the air giving a mysterious feel to the surroundings. The silhouette of the nearby Shiva temple held me spell-bound. There was a slight nip in the air too. It was just divine! It was soon time for our first trail into the fabled forests of Amboli. Armed with leech-guard socks, torch-lights, ponchos and umbrellas, we set out into the forest.
The moist deciduous forests of Amboli are thick and dense. Very little sunlight seeps in through the dense foliage. It was misty. Leaves littered the floor of the forest creating an ideal habitat for numerous insects, amphibians and reptiles. Small puddles of water made by the steady rainfall provided frogs with nurseries to lay their eggs. Leeches thrived in the leaf litter. There was an orchestra being played out in the forest. The rhythmic tapping of the Bombay Bush frogs a.k.a typewriter frog set the tone for symphony. Amboli bush frogs, Malabar gliding frogs, bronze frogs and a band of toads and crickets lent the chorus. The sound of the rain drops maintained the tempo in the background.
The breeding season for most amphibians is during the monsoons and it is at this time that they are lustily vocal. The competition to attract a favourable suitor is fierce.
As we made our way through the forest, the incessant rain had made visibility difficult. It was cloudy and moist. Guiding us with their torch-lights, Mandar, Adesh and Saunak scanned the foliage in anticipation. An Amboli toad sat on a wet rocky surface. It was so well camouflaged against the moss laden stone that it took us a while to actually see it. I little further, an indirana ( leaping frog) sat hidden in a crevice of a rock. A clump of eggs lay ahead of him.
This was just the beginning of an intriguing odyssey.
While Shaunak was sharing interesting information about toads and frogs, Abhijeet, a fellow participant, who was also scanning the jungle noticed what was to be the star attraction of the trip. The Malabar gliding frog. Bright leaf green in colour, this arboreal frog has red webs on its feet and eyes that bulge out of its little head. Almost toy-like, these frogs can blend in perfectly with the environment inspite of their vivid colours. Like most frogs, the Malabar gliding frogs rest in the foliage during the day and are active at night. Remaining mostly in the lower canopy, this species, unlike others, builds nests in trees. The nests are made of foam from body fluids on the surface of a leaf, whose location is selected in such a way that it is strategically positioned above puddles of water. This ensures that the tadpoles that develop from the fertilized eggs fall into the water where they eventually develop into adult frogs. Clever strategy is after all the key to survival.
In the moist forest, as all of us eagerly observed and photographed these pretty croakers, a sudden alert was sounded by Mandar. Unnoticed by all of us, a Malabar Pit Viper sat stealthily on a tree at immediate striking distance!! In fact it lay coiled on the very branch which many of us had taken the support of, to enter the foliage to see the gliding frogs! It was a close call.
Malabar Pit Vipers are venomous snakes that are most active at night. It is also during the monsoons that they become more active. This particular individual was lying low probably waiting in ambush to strike at one of the numerous Malabar Gliding frogs that its meal consists of. Our focus had now changed to this handsome predator.
Found in various shades of grey, azure green, brown and yellow, there is no common colour or pattern in Malabar Pit Vipers. This phenomenon of different colour morphs in a single species is known as polymorphism. Polymorphism could be a strategy used by certain species to confuse predators thus giving them a survival advantage. Indeed some clever strategy! We were lucky to see an individual in its orange morph too, the very next day.
Another intriguing experience was the encounter with a Tarantula spider. Tarantulas are well known to the western world. But most people in India are not aware of the presence of Tarantulas in this country. People find them creepy because of their large, hairy bodies and legs. But these spiders are harmless to humans (except for the extremely painful bite). Tarantulas do not use webs to ensnare their prey though they do make burrows to hide in.
As we returned to the hotel that evening drenched through in enthusiasm, Amboli toads jumped around on the road leading to the hotel. Some were in amplexus (the mating position of frogs and toads, in which the male clasps the female around the back), others just leaping around looking for mates.
There was a tapping sound in the background, as if someone was tapping at the keys of the good old typewriter! It was the Bombay Bush frog. Aptly christened typewriter frog, for its call that resembles the tapping of a typewriter, Saunak had spotted a tiny individual on the leaf of a nearby bush.
As amphibians and frogs are nocturnal creatures, observing them in the night was the appropriate thing to do. After a delectable Malwani dinner, we set out once again for the nearby Amboli Vanudyan. A dim glimmer of moonlight filtered through the thickets. The rhythmic tapping of the Bombay bush frogs and the high pitched song of the cicadas broke the silence of the night. A Deccan Banded Gecko scampered across the path. The poor fellow had lost his tail presumably in an attack or accident. A Lynx spider sat stealthily on a leaf. Suddenly, there was hushed excitement as someone spotted a stick insect as long as a foot ruler! In the guise of a twig, it was difficult to see the creature despite its huge size.
Stick insects have a remarkable defence mechanism in the form of camouflage. They have the ability to resemble stems, twigs and leaves, and the bodies of some species are even covered in moss-like growths that supplement their disguise. Some species have the ability to change colour depending on their surroundings. In a further fascinating behavioural adaptation some stick insects make a rocking motion which mimics the movement of leaves or twigs swaying in the breeze! A grand design for survival!
The numerous Malabar gliding frogs, jumping restlessly all over the ‘udyan’, looked like delightful plastic toys scattered all over the place by a mischievous little child. They were literally all over – on the trees, on the rim of the well, on the moist ground, even inside the temple. The ‘ling’ dedicated to Lord Shiva was brimming with frog’s eggs. Tadpoles in various stages of development slithered around in the dampness. Delicate wild Balsam flowers popped out from the moss laden ground. Toads hopped around in search of mates. It was well past midnight when we left the udyan, but the drama being played out in the forest had just begun.
The forest was alive and bustling with activity.
The delectable breakfast of kanda-poha and simmering hot tea, served at Hemant Ogale’s turned out to be great fuel for the long and arduous day that lay ahead.
The route to Parikshit Point, our destination for the day, is a mildly strenuous hike through a dense, leech infested forest. The decomposing leaf litter that covers the forest floor creates an ideal habitat for leeches. Leeches thrive on the blood of mammals and they can instinctively sense their presence. Though leeches are not harmful to us humans, it will be rather pretentious on my part to say that they didn’t freak me out! The leech-guard socks, firmly secured right upto my knees, were to be my saviours of sorts. But despite the socks, I had four or five leeches on my body at the end of the day. One even managed to get upto my neck, literally! But I was luckier than a fellow participant, Ajay, who had atleast a dozen or more leeches creeping all over on the insides of his poncho :( It was the Volini spray that we were armed with, that eventually came to his rescue.
A leech stuck to our body usually falls off if a pinch of salt is sprinkled on it. Volini acts in very much the same way and is more convenient than lugging along a packet of salt.
Along the way we had a glimpse of a host of intriguing creatures. A Pill millipede lay all coiled up like a ball, presumably threatened by our presence. This species of millipede, when threatened, rolls into a tight ball. Bronze frogs, that usually remain closer to the ground near small puddles of water, leaped around playfully. A beautiful orange centipede swiftly wriggled past. An intriguing mushroom called ‘dead man’s finger’ looked phantom-like growing out from a crack in a rock.
At the end of the long hike in the incessant rain through dense foliage, emerging onto the top of Parikshit Point, seemed as if we had emerged into paradise! Although it was overcast, a glimpse of the sky provided much relief. It was an amazing sight to behold! The entire expanse of the plateau was covered in lush green Topli Karvi shrubs. The visual was astounding. It seemed as if many green ‘toplis’ were placed overturned on the ground. The peculiarity of this shrub is the hemispherical tuft that is formed on the ground from its numerous stems. The shrub flowers only once in seven years. It was sheer bliss from the leech laden path we had just left behind.
It was on this plateau that we encountered the rare caecilian, the Ichthyophis davidii. Caecilians look like worms but are actually limbless amphibians. Very little is known about these astonishing creatures. Another spectacular sighting was the Pied-bellied Shieldtail. A non-venomous snake found all over the Western Ghats, it is slender and smooth and has a striking blue iridescence.
Satiated from the overwhelming experience, it was now our bellies that needed to be gratified.
As dusk fell, the drizzle continued. The last 2 days had seen periodical alternating between heavy and light showers. Mist was a constant. We headed for a short walk to a dilapidated old palace nearby. There is beautiful saying in hindi that speaks of the beauty of a palace being seen in its ruins. (Khandar batatien hai ki imaarat kitni khoobsoorat thi) This couldn’t have been a better example. The moss laden dilapidated structure could have been nothing short of majestic. The cracked moist walls and ceilings, the crumbling staircases and the eroded floors seemed to reflect the lost glory.
All sorts of creatures now inhabited the old structure. A Horse-shoe Bat hung from the cob-webbed ceiling. A Malabar Whistling thrush found the palace a safe haven to make its nest. The croaking of the wrinkled frog echoed through the ruins. The mist, hanging low, added to the intrigue.
Thirsting for some more exploits in the alluring forests of Amboli, yet another night trail beckoned us. The usual drama was being played out in the forest. For the numerous toads, frogs, insects, skinks and geckos, it was life as usual. It was during this last trail that we had our most memorable sighting…. the sighting of the Malabar Pit viper in its orange morph. There couldn’t have been a better way of calling it a day…..or rather night!
Our last morning in enticing Amboli was not to be without drama. There was a light drizzle. As we walked along the road leading to Shirgaonkar Point, several shallow puddles of water lined the main road. The puddles were covered with over-grown blades of grass. At first they seemed to be usual puddles of rain water. Closer scrutiny of the puddles made our eyes pop out in disbelief! A couple of pairs of huge bulging eyes seemed to be floating on the surface of the water! It was not long before we learnt that those eyes belonged huge Bull Frogs that were lounging in the shallow puddles as they lay there completely motionless.
An array of hoppers, an owl moth and a hawk moth basked in the occasional sunshine. An ootheca (egg case) of a wasp hung precariously from a bush. The droplets of rain on moss laden branches made sublime images. The marvels of nature’s architects could be seen in the giant webs that hung from moss laden tree trunks. Beautiful ferns sprung out of cracks in trees trunks. Caterpillars of all shapes and sizes lay waiting to morph into beautiful butterflies and moths. Nature was celebrating the festival of life.
And as I remembered the fairytale of the frog turning into the handsome prince, meanwhile Nature was the princess busy kissing ugliness away and magically turning everything into a thing of beauty.
Nivedita Kothare
(Amboli - Aug 2015)
Well, to some they would indeed seem ugly and slimy. But if we try and understand the role their play in our very lives and on our very survival, our perception of ugliness and beauty would change forever.
Amphibians have a great impact in sustaining biodiversity and ensuring that forest cover remains, monsoon showers occur in time and rivers do not run dry. It’s very simple. Frogs feed on insects and so keep their population under control. If frogs and toads are gone, it will lead to rise in insect population, which is their main food. These insects will then devour leaves destroying entire forests leading to reduced ground water precipitation. As a result, clouds will not form and thus without rains, rivers will run dry. Put simply, the disappearance of frogs will ultimately affect forests, rivers and consequently us humans as well. That’s how important frogs are to us. But sadly, their numbers are decreasing.
There are more than 4,700 species of frogs in the entire world. It will be of interest to learn that, historically, when species faced extinction, one species of amphibian would disappear every 250 years. Unfortunately, in the last 35 years alone, about 120 amphibian species, including frogs, toads and salamanders, have disappeared!!
My recent trip to forests of Amboli with Nature India was an eye-opening experience for me. Adesh’s extensive knowledge about every aspect of nature, coupled with the expertise of Saunak Pal in the field of herpetology made my trip a memorable and very enlightening one indeed.
Amboli is a quaint hill station nestled amidst lush foliage on the Sahyadri Mountain Range in the southern-most region of Maharashtra. Perched at a height of approx 700m above sea level, it has the distinction of being the wettest region in Maharashtra receiving about 7500 mm of rainfall annually. This tiny region abounds in unique flora and fauna. Especially rich in herpetofauna, wild flowers and birds, the star attractions for nature enthusiasts like me are the wonderful array of reptiles and amphibians found in the region.
Although the regular route to Amboli is via Sawantwadi which is only about 35 kms away, we were advised very wisely by Adesh to travel via Kolhapur which is thrice the distance. Adesh’s vast travel experience had prompted this decision. The Konkan Rail which connects Mumbai to Sawantwadi runs along a landslide prone area especially during the monsoons. Train cancellations and delays are commonplace at this time of the year. So to avoid any disappointment the marginally longer journey would ensure that we reached Amboli despite heavy rains and consequent rail disruptions.
The longer route wasn’t without its perks too. Along the way, near the small town of Aajara, we stopped to get a glimpse of a unique ground orchid – Long-tailed Habenaria (Habenaria longicorniculata) commonly known as Sheput Habe amri in Marathi. A terrestrial orchid with small white flowers, it is unique for its almost 6 inch long spur in which it stores nectar. It is interesting to note that most orchids have specific pollinators. In this case, only a certain species of hawk moth with equally long proboscis, aids in pollinating this orchid.Orchids reproduce by cross-pollination with birds and insects carrying pollen from the stamen of one orchid to the pistil of another. They use a variety of intricate strategies for attracting the many specific pollinators on which their survival depends. Consequently, the orchid and pollinator have evolved together. Orchids have evolved some of the most complicated pollination systems of all plants. Many orchids look like or smell like bees, which is what attracts bees to them. Other orchids, like one orchid species of South America attracts bees by a process called ‘pseudo-antagonism’. Parts of the orchid resemble an enemy insect which bees try to attack. During the assault pollen attaches itself to the attacking bee! The small wonders of nature!
We arrived in Amboli in time for lunch. Delectable Malwani cuisine awaited us at Hotel Satpurush. Fried fish, malwani chicken curry and a delicious vegetarian spread were served with much love. An unlimited supply of ‘solkadi’ completed the ever so scrumptious meal.It had been raining incessantly since the time we arrived. The mist hung low in the air giving a mysterious feel to the surroundings. The silhouette of the nearby Shiva temple held me spell-bound. There was a slight nip in the air too. It was just divine! It was soon time for our first trail into the fabled forests of Amboli. Armed with leech-guard socks, torch-lights, ponchos and umbrellas, we set out into the forest.
The moist deciduous forests of Amboli are thick and dense. Very little sunlight seeps in through the dense foliage. It was misty. Leaves littered the floor of the forest creating an ideal habitat for numerous insects, amphibians and reptiles. Small puddles of water made by the steady rainfall provided frogs with nurseries to lay their eggs. Leeches thrived in the leaf litter. There was an orchestra being played out in the forest. The rhythmic tapping of the Bombay Bush frogs a.k.a typewriter frog set the tone for symphony. Amboli bush frogs, Malabar gliding frogs, bronze frogs and a band of toads and crickets lent the chorus. The sound of the rain drops maintained the tempo in the background.
The breeding season for most amphibians is during the monsoons and it is at this time that they are lustily vocal. The competition to attract a favourable suitor is fierce.As we made our way through the forest, the incessant rain had made visibility difficult. It was cloudy and moist. Guiding us with their torch-lights, Mandar, Adesh and Saunak scanned the foliage in anticipation. An Amboli toad sat on a wet rocky surface. It was so well camouflaged against the moss laden stone that it took us a while to actually see it. I little further, an indirana ( leaping frog) sat hidden in a crevice of a rock. A clump of eggs lay ahead of him.
This was just the beginning of an intriguing odyssey.
While Shaunak was sharing interesting information about toads and frogs, Abhijeet, a fellow participant, who was also scanning the jungle noticed what was to be the star attraction of the trip. The Malabar gliding frog. Bright leaf green in colour, this arboreal frog has red webs on its feet and eyes that bulge out of its little head. Almost toy-like, these frogs can blend in perfectly with the environment inspite of their vivid colours. Like most frogs, the Malabar gliding frogs rest in the foliage during the day and are active at night. Remaining mostly in the lower canopy, this species, unlike others, builds nests in trees. The nests are made of foam from body fluids on the surface of a leaf, whose location is selected in such a way that it is strategically positioned above puddles of water. This ensures that the tadpoles that develop from the fertilized eggs fall into the water where they eventually develop into adult frogs. Clever strategy is after all the key to survival.
Malabar Pit Vipers are venomous snakes that are most active at night. It is also during the monsoons that they become more active. This particular individual was lying low probably waiting in ambush to strike at one of the numerous Malabar Gliding frogs that its meal consists of. Our focus had now changed to this handsome predator.
Found in various shades of grey, azure green, brown and yellow, there is no common colour or pattern in Malabar Pit Vipers. This phenomenon of different colour morphs in a single species is known as polymorphism. Polymorphism could be a strategy used by certain species to confuse predators thus giving them a survival advantage. Indeed some clever strategy! We were lucky to see an individual in its orange morph too, the very next day.
Another intriguing experience was the encounter with a Tarantula spider. Tarantulas are well known to the western world. But most people in India are not aware of the presence of Tarantulas in this country. People find them creepy because of their large, hairy bodies and legs. But these spiders are harmless to humans (except for the extremely painful bite). Tarantulas do not use webs to ensnare their prey though they do make burrows to hide in.
As we returned to the hotel that evening drenched through in enthusiasm, Amboli toads jumped around on the road leading to the hotel. Some were in amplexus (the mating position of frogs and toads, in which the male clasps the female around the back), others just leaping around looking for mates.
There was a tapping sound in the background, as if someone was tapping at the keys of the good old typewriter! It was the Bombay Bush frog. Aptly christened typewriter frog, for its call that resembles the tapping of a typewriter, Saunak had spotted a tiny individual on the leaf of a nearby bush.As amphibians and frogs are nocturnal creatures, observing them in the night was the appropriate thing to do. After a delectable Malwani dinner, we set out once again for the nearby Amboli Vanudyan. A dim glimmer of moonlight filtered through the thickets. The rhythmic tapping of the Bombay bush frogs and the high pitched song of the cicadas broke the silence of the night. A Deccan Banded Gecko scampered across the path. The poor fellow had lost his tail presumably in an attack or accident. A Lynx spider sat stealthily on a leaf. Suddenly, there was hushed excitement as someone spotted a stick insect as long as a foot ruler! In the guise of a twig, it was difficult to see the creature despite its huge size.
Stick insects have a remarkable defence mechanism in the form of camouflage. They have the ability to resemble stems, twigs and leaves, and the bodies of some species are even covered in moss-like growths that supplement their disguise. Some species have the ability to change colour depending on their surroundings. In a further fascinating behavioural adaptation some stick insects make a rocking motion which mimics the movement of leaves or twigs swaying in the breeze! A grand design for survival!
The numerous Malabar gliding frogs, jumping restlessly all over the ‘udyan’, looked like delightful plastic toys scattered all over the place by a mischievous little child. They were literally all over – on the trees, on the rim of the well, on the moist ground, even inside the temple. The ‘ling’ dedicated to Lord Shiva was brimming with frog’s eggs. Tadpoles in various stages of development slithered around in the dampness. Delicate wild Balsam flowers popped out from the moss laden ground. Toads hopped around in search of mates. It was well past midnight when we left the udyan, but the drama being played out in the forest had just begun.The forest was alive and bustling with activity.
The delectable breakfast of kanda-poha and simmering hot tea, served at Hemant Ogale’s turned out to be great fuel for the long and arduous day that lay ahead.
The route to Parikshit Point, our destination for the day, is a mildly strenuous hike through a dense, leech infested forest. The decomposing leaf litter that covers the forest floor creates an ideal habitat for leeches. Leeches thrive on the blood of mammals and they can instinctively sense their presence. Though leeches are not harmful to us humans, it will be rather pretentious on my part to say that they didn’t freak me out! The leech-guard socks, firmly secured right upto my knees, were to be my saviours of sorts. But despite the socks, I had four or five leeches on my body at the end of the day. One even managed to get upto my neck, literally! But I was luckier than a fellow participant, Ajay, who had atleast a dozen or more leeches creeping all over on the insides of his poncho :( It was the Volini spray that we were armed with, that eventually came to his rescue.A leech stuck to our body usually falls off if a pinch of salt is sprinkled on it. Volini acts in very much the same way and is more convenient than lugging along a packet of salt.
Along the way we had a glimpse of a host of intriguing creatures. A Pill millipede lay all coiled up like a ball, presumably threatened by our presence. This species of millipede, when threatened, rolls into a tight ball. Bronze frogs, that usually remain closer to the ground near small puddles of water, leaped around playfully. A beautiful orange centipede swiftly wriggled past. An intriguing mushroom called ‘dead man’s finger’ looked phantom-like growing out from a crack in a rock.
It was on this plateau that we encountered the rare caecilian, the Ichthyophis davidii. Caecilians look like worms but are actually limbless amphibians. Very little is known about these astonishing creatures. Another spectacular sighting was the Pied-bellied Shieldtail. A non-venomous snake found all over the Western Ghats, it is slender and smooth and has a striking blue iridescence.Satiated from the overwhelming experience, it was now our bellies that needed to be gratified.
As dusk fell, the drizzle continued. The last 2 days had seen periodical alternating between heavy and light showers. Mist was a constant. We headed for a short walk to a dilapidated old palace nearby. There is beautiful saying in hindi that speaks of the beauty of a palace being seen in its ruins. (Khandar batatien hai ki imaarat kitni khoobsoorat thi) This couldn’t have been a better example. The moss laden dilapidated structure could have been nothing short of majestic. The cracked moist walls and ceilings, the crumbling staircases and the eroded floors seemed to reflect the lost glory.
All sorts of creatures now inhabited the old structure. A Horse-shoe Bat hung from the cob-webbed ceiling. A Malabar Whistling thrush found the palace a safe haven to make its nest. The croaking of the wrinkled frog echoed through the ruins. The mist, hanging low, added to the intrigue.
Thirsting for some more exploits in the alluring forests of Amboli, yet another night trail beckoned us. The usual drama was being played out in the forest. For the numerous toads, frogs, insects, skinks and geckos, it was life as usual. It was during this last trail that we had our most memorable sighting…. the sighting of the Malabar Pit viper in its orange morph. There couldn’t have been a better way of calling it a day…..or rather night!
Our last morning in enticing Amboli was not to be without drama. There was a light drizzle. As we walked along the road leading to Shirgaonkar Point, several shallow puddles of water lined the main road. The puddles were covered with over-grown blades of grass. At first they seemed to be usual puddles of rain water. Closer scrutiny of the puddles made our eyes pop out in disbelief! A couple of pairs of huge bulging eyes seemed to be floating on the surface of the water! It was not long before we learnt that those eyes belonged huge Bull Frogs that were lounging in the shallow puddles as they lay there completely motionless.
An array of hoppers, an owl moth and a hawk moth basked in the occasional sunshine. An ootheca (egg case) of a wasp hung precariously from a bush. The droplets of rain on moss laden branches made sublime images. The marvels of nature’s architects could be seen in the giant webs that hung from moss laden tree trunks. Beautiful ferns sprung out of cracks in trees trunks. Caterpillars of all shapes and sizes lay waiting to morph into beautiful butterflies and moths. Nature was celebrating the festival of life.
And as I remembered the fairytale of the frog turning into the handsome prince, meanwhile Nature was the princess busy kissing ugliness away and magically turning everything into a thing of beauty.
Nivedita Kothare
(Amboli - Aug 2015)
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