<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOn the first day itself, after breakfast, as we were bracing ourselves for a leech infested walk through the jungles, Prashant urged me to come near a tree next to the dining hall. It took me a while to spot the green vine snake<\/strong> aka flatbread snake (Ahaetulla nasuta).<\/em> Quite similar to the green vine snake (Oxybelis fulgidus<\/em>) found in Central and South America<\/strong>, it is long and slender and moves slowly like a chameleon.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGreen Vine Snake – Ahaetulla nasuta<\/em>. <\/strong>Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIts movement was so hypnotizing that often I used to just shut my camera and observe its gait. Being a diurnal snake,<\/strong> it was easy to spot in day, as was evident in another sighting the next day. On second day, we spotted another green vine snake, yawning and basking in the sun, perhaps as a result of heavy downpour the previous night. With zilch movement, it looked like a twig of a shrub. Only Sujan\u2019s expert eyes helped us spot it. Mildly venomous, it feeds on lizards and frogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIndian Bull frog<\/strong> (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus).<\/em> Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA white spider<\/strong> (unidentified, pls see picture) played hide and seek on a leaf. A signature spider<\/strong> was busy expanding his kingdom on a tree as we proceeded for the first walk in to the forest. An Indian Bull frog<\/strong> (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus)<\/em> cleverly camouflaged, sat quietly on a slushy ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTranslucent Earthworm. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt ignored our presence and continued pretending to be a leaf. It was green in color. I was told that with age, it becomes grey in color. It is commonly found in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. A delicate red and black Damsel fly<\/strong> justified its name as it sit meditatively on a twig.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWood Spider<\/strong> – Nephila pilipes. <\/em>Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDamsel flies are sexually dimorphic<\/strong> pretty much like the female Wood Spider<\/strong> (Nephila pilipes )<\/em> which busied itself dining on a lifeless dragonfly nearby. It was amusing to see that the female spider was much bigger than the male<\/strong>. While females (black) can grow up to 30-50 mm, males (bright orange) are as tiny as 5-6 mm, making it 4-10 times smaller. No one answered my sexist remark, \u201cHow does that even work?\u201d<\/em> I found female gigantism<\/strong> and male dwarfism<\/strong> both amusing and baffling.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSlug. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe passed through the farmed land, spotting slugs<\/strong> and translucent earthworms<\/strong> (lazing on a leaf) to arrive at a clearing. It ended at a water body, pregnant with the abundance of August rain. Negotiating the shallow water streams on foot in dense jungle, we stopped in our tracks, when Ritesh pointed to a tiny creature in a hush-hush tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA spider devouring a dragon fly – Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe got down to our knees and in absolute silence admired the tiny Kottigehara dancing frog <\/strong>(Euphlyctis cyanophlytis)<\/em>. They have a typical habit of shaking their feet to garner female attention during the mating season. Hence the name! Their other common names is Indian skipper frog<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMoth. Can you help me identify the name of the species in the comment section below? Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWater scorpions<\/strong> (Nepidae) zipped past swiftly in the water stream. Water scorpions are not really scorpions. They are tiny aquatic Heteropteran insects which look like scorpions. In another pool of water nearby, skittering frogs<\/strong> rested under water nonchalantly. It camouflaged itself well blending with the color of mud beneath water. The more easily spottable tadpoles<\/strong> (black and bigger in size) swam in the pond poetically. The water was so clear we could see all the creatures easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPill Millipede. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe most visually appealing (for me) creature we spotted on this day was Pill Millipede<\/strong>. Fat and blue in color, it crawled slowly in the undergrowth. It turned in to a ball (or pill) the moment it sensed our presence. The 11 to 13 segments on its body, allows it to roll and protect itself from predator. The locals call it \u2018Roli Poli\u2019. They are detritivore<\/strong>, i.e., they feed on decomposing plant matter. We also spotted Malabar Torrent dart. I spotted them again 2 days later in Java Rain Resort in Chikmanglur.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPill Millipede. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDay 2 of the Agumbe Rainforest Expedition:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe previous night, we went on an exciting night trail in the rain forest of Agumbe where we spotted snakes like pit viper, rat snake<\/strong> and other gems like tarantulas, bioluminescence<\/strong> etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDragonfly. Can you help me identify the exact name of the species in the comment section below? Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI woke up on second day in my tent to the melodious song which Malabar Whistling Thrush<\/strong> (Myophonus horsfieldii<\/em>) made. I am a fan of the whistling sound which the bird makes. It is more melodious and versatile than the over rated cuckoo sound. The last time I heard the bird sing was when I stayed at my friend\u2019s traditional home in Kankavali<\/strong> (Sindhudurg district, few hrs away from Goa.) Their whistle is human like, hence they are also affectionately called Whistling Schoolboy<\/strong>. (Google up their whistle) They whistle mostly in dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan you help me identify the name of the species in the comment section below? Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI stepped out and listened to more amazing morning sounds of the forest. A woodpecker drummed on a tree. The sound was quite strong and reverberated around the jungle alternating with the sound which Malabar Giant Squirrel<\/strong> (Ratufa indica<\/em>) made. I saw none of the above, but they made their presence felt with their distinct sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBlister Beetle. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHowever, I did have a fleeting glimpse of a pair of Whistling ducks<\/strong> swimming languorously in the small pond near the Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology. It was a beautiful morning for sure. Later during the day trips, we spotted varieties of g<\/strong>rasshoppers<\/strong>, Blister beetle<\/strong>, Damsel fly<\/strong>, dragonflies<\/strong>, katydid<\/strong> (leaf insect). I was awed by the camouflage of katydid. Its shape and color made it look like a leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan you spot the Katydid. It camouflages itself and looks like a leaf. Hence the moniker – Leaf Insect. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nJust when I was taking my afternoon nap, a coral snake<\/strong> visited the camp area. Disappointed that I missed a chance to see one, I was praying that it appears again. After few hours, I did see one sliding in the undergrowth.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan you help me identify the name of the species in the comment section below? Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDay 3 of the Agumbe Rainforest Expedition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWe braved leeches and passed nests of Funnel web spider<\/strong> to arrive early morning at the Akkibatha Rashigudda<\/strong> peak. It was a small uphill hike. It’s only after reaching the peak, I fathomed the scale of the dense rainforest of Agumbe. Sujan, who has worked in BBC and Nat Geo<\/strong> documentaries, told us that only secondary forest (new forest cover) remains today.<\/p>\n\n\n\nView from Akkibatha Rashigudda peak. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe primary forest (Trees around 100 years old) has fallen prey to human activities in the area. As the green cover shrinks<\/strong>, the balance in the ecosystem suffers. I realized the urgent need of wildlife and forest conservation and habitat protection. You get that perspective only after spending quality time spotting many species of endangered snakes,<\/strong> insects, birds, frogs. The sheer number of species I spotted in just 2 days is overwhelming. No wonder Western Ghats (I love them more than Himalayas) have rich bio diversity. And oh, we heard a tiger roar<\/strong> from the peak. If only we could spot orange and black stripes amidst the dense green foliage. This was one of my most fulfilling and enriching trip of the year so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNest of Funnel Web Spider. Akkibatha Rashigudda peak. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs we were about to leave, a Blue Mormon butterfly<\/strong> (Papilio polymnestor)<\/em> took fancy to my Wildcraft shoes<\/strong> drying in the sun. The official \u2018state butterfly\u2019 of Maharashtra (Indian State) hovered around my shoes as I watched in amusement. It was our way of saying good bye to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSlug. Agumbe Rainforest Expedition. The wettest place in South India.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n