Monday 23 September 2013

Bothrops drinking

While walking along the edge of the forest fragment that REGUA has recently obtained, I came across this stunning bothrops jararaca (pit viper).

I had been hoping to find this charismatic species while at REGUA, but they are extremely sensitive to vibrations on the ground, so are usually long gone when you approach one on a trail. They are the snake to be most wary of when walking trails, because of their habit of sitting hidden amongst leaf litter on a trail or open area where their rodent prey may also pass. They also have very toxic venom which they use to kill their prey.

The specimen I found was very sluggish as it was a cool, overcast day and it may have been sat waiting for prey when the weather changed and therefore it lost its energy.



It then started drinking from the puddle it was lying next to and even yawned, which is something I have never observed a snake do before. This showed off its powerful fangs.




I also found this common whip snake swimming along a river on the Schincareol trail,

Common whip snake (Chironius exoletus)

A few of the frogs that I have managed to identify;

Girard's dwarf frog (Physalaemus signifier)

Scinax cuspidatus

Hipsiboas semllinezta

Crubixa snouted tree-frog (Scinax alter)

Crubixa snouted tree-frog (Scinax alter)

Dendropsophus meridianus



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