Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

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Jim Wetherall
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Joined: December 4th, 2014, 1:56 am

Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Jim Wetherall »

Hi guys,

About time that I provided my summary of an awesome adventure with the Bangladesh Python Project last month.
Being my girlfriend and I's first time out of Europe, our arrival in the capital Dhaka was a bit of a culture shock! To be herded like cattle through various queues in two airports and sitting on two planes for a total of 12 hours and then to be immediately confronted by the mayhem of Dhaka upon exiting the airport was interesting to say the least.
Dhaka is a place you really need to experience first hand, I could go into great detail about the insane traffic, colourful people and general anarchy but it wouldn't do justice to just how insanely awesome that place is!
Upon arrival at the airport we were greeted by Scott Trageser who was managing the foreign project workers, we were escorted to our hotel, chilled for a few hours and then back out into the madness for a few hours including some rickshaw riding on our way to dinner.
The following day, having met all of the other participants we headed out to Bhawal National Park on our way to our ultimate destination in the North East. We stayed there for a few hours but still managed to rustle up a few Herps there.

Asian Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys)
ImageAsian Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Berdmore's Microhylid Frog (Microhyla berdmorei)
ImageBerdmore's Microhylid Frog (Microhyla berdmorei) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Bengal Monitor (Varanus bengalensis) - I realised later on that I'd had my telephoto in my bag, grrr!
ImageBengal Monitor Lizard (Varanus bengalensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Next up was a 5 hour drive to Lawachara National Park which was to be our home for the next 10 days. Upon arrival we were shown to our living quarters.

ImageIMG_5706 by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImageIMG_5769 by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

The following 10 days were full to the brim with numerous herps and various of native wildlife (all lifers for me!) so rather than writing about each one individually, I'll just chuck a loads of photos up and let them do the talking!

Short-Nosed Vine Snake (Ahaetulla prasina)
ImageShort-Nosed Vine Snake (Ahaetulla prasina) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Two-Striped Pygmy Tree Frog (Chiromantis vittatus)
ImageTwo-Striped Pygmy Tree Frog (Chiromantis vittatus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Capped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus)
ImageCapped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Point Nosed Frog (Clinotarsus alticola)
ImagePoint Nosed Frog (Clinotarsus alticola) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Common Asian Toad (Duttophrynus melanostictus)
ImageCommon Asian Toad (Duttophrynus melanostictus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Vampire Frog (Leptobrachium smithi) ... These guys were awesome!!
ImageVampire Frog (Leptobrachium smithi) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Diard's Blind Snake (Argryophis diardii)
ImageDiard's Blind Snake (Argryophis diardii) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImageDiard's Blind Snake (Argryophis diardii) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Emma Gray's Forest Lizard (Calotes emma)
ImageEmma Gray's Forest Lizard (Calotes emma) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Orbweaver (Genus? Species?)
ImageOrbweaver by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Indian Bull Frog (Hoplobatrachus tigrinis)
ImageIndian Bull Frog (Hoplobatrachus tigrinis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Mymensingh Microhylid Frog (Microhyla mymensingensis)
ImageMymensingh Microhylid Frog (Microhyla mymensingensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Zaw's Wolf Snake (Lycodon zawi) ... This was a DOR that Jonathan Hakim found on one of his nightly solo excursions
ImageZaw's Wolf Snake (Lycodon zawi) -DOR by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock)
ImageHoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

The Bangladesh Python Project is currently radio tracking Python bivitattus, Indotestudo elongata and recently Pangolins.
We got involved in taking morphometric data and affixing radio transmitters to three elongata's before their release.

Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata)
ImageElongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImageElongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImageElongated Tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Yellow Speckled Wolf Snake (Lycodon jara)
ImageYellow Speckled Wolf Snake (Lycodon jara) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Unidentified Microhylid Metamorph (Microhyla sp.)
ImageUnidentified Microhylid Metamorph (Microhyla sp.) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Phayre's Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei)
ImagePhayre's Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

After a morning Monkey hunt, we came back to the dorms to find this hitchhiker on the truck!
ImageKatydid by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

A few photographs later we were granted this really cool threat display!
ImageKatydid by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImageKatydid by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)
ImageSpotted Owlet (Athene brama) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Green Cat-Eye Snake (Boiga cyanea)
ImageGreen Cat-Eye Snake (Boiga cyanea) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Ayeyarwady Bow-Fingered Gecko (Cyrtodactylus ayeyarwadyensis)
ImageAyeyarwady Bow-Fingered Gecko (Cyrtodactylus ayeyarwadyensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Microletta sp.
ImageMicroletta sp by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

I got quite attached to this little Jumping Spider while photographing him outside our dorm
ImageJumping Spider by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

I went back inside, came back out 10 minutes later to find my new buddy being dismembered by a platoon of ants! Nature's nasty!
ImageJumping Spider by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

White-Barred Kukri Snake (Oligodon albocintus)
ImageWhite-Barred Kukri Snake (Oligodon albocintus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Shillong Bush Frog (Philatus shillongensis)
ImageShillong Bush Frog (Philatus shillongensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Twin-Spotted Tree Frog (Rhacophorus bipunctatus)
ImageTwin-Spotted Tree Frog (Rhacophorus bipunctatus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Mock Viper (Psammodynastes pulverulentus)
ImageMock Viper (Psammodynastes pulverulentus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Green Fan-Throated Lizard (Ptycolaemus gularis)
ImageGreen Fan-Throated Lizard (Ptycolaemus gularis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Nepal Cricket Frog (Zakarana nepalensis) ... The numerous Zakarana species found in the area became affectionately known as the "Shitload Frog" by our group as there were a shit load of them!!
ImageNepal Cricket Frog (Zakarana nepalensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Showing sexual dimorphism
ImageNepal Cricket Frog (Zakarana nepalensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) ... Not every day you get to see a wild example of this common captive, without the aid of radio tracking we would of never found this example in a million years!
ImageBurmese Python (Python bivittatus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Morphometrics being taken prior to release.
ImagePython bivittatus Morphometrics by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImagePython bivittatus Morphometrics by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImagePython bivittatus Morphometrics by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Himalayan Keelback (Rhabdophis himalayanus)
ImageHimalayan Keelback (Rhabdophis himalayanus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta)
ImageRhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Net-Casting Spider (Deinopis sp.)
ImageNet-Casting Spider (Deinopis sp.) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Spot-Tailed Pit Viper (Trimeresurus erythrurus) ... Although reasonably common in Bangladesh, this was still my favourite find of the trip. What can I say? I like Vipers!
ImageSpot-Tailed Pit Viper (Trimeresurus erythrurus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Terai Cricket Frog (Zakarana teraiensis)
ImageTerai Cricket Frog (Zakarana teraiensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Gular region is an identifying characteristic of this species
ImageTerai Cricket Frog (Zakarana teraiensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Also sexually dimorphic
ImageTerai Cricket Frog (Zakarana teraiensis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

We managed to get a night herping trip in at the end of the ten days at Ratargul Swamp Forest a few hours North of Lawachara.

I'm not a landscape photographer, it's something I really struggle with so I apologise in advance for these photos!
Image094 by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
Image095 by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
Image099 by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Bhamo Frog (Humerana humeralis)
ImageBhamo Frog (Humerana humeralis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Painted Keelback (Xenocrophis cerasogaster)
ImagePainted Keelback (Xenocrophis cerasogaster) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Checkered Keelback (Xenocrophis piscator)
ImageCheckered Keelback (Xenocrophis piscator) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

The people of Ratargul are among the friendliest people I've ever met, although I did leave that place with a lot less tobacco than what I arrived with! Those guys really liked my smokes!

And so concluded our time at Lawachara, and the beginning of the long trip to the Sundarbans Mangrove System in the South West of Bangladesh.
On route, we stopped off in Dhaka for dinner (best Chinese food I've ever had!)
Driving through the night we arrived at the boat the following morning.

On the river to Kotka
ImageOn the river to Kotka by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
ImageOn the river to Kotka by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr
Image419 by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Blue-Spotted Mudskipper (Boleophthalmus boddarti)
ImageBlue-Spotted Mudskipper (Boleophthalmus boddarti) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)
ImageBrahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Long-Nosed Vine Snake (Ahaetulla nasuta)
ImageLong-Nosed Vine Snake (Ahaetulla nasuta) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Spotted Deer (Axis axis)
ImageSpotted Deer (Axis axis) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Dog-Faced Water Snake (Cerberus rynchops)
ImageDog-Faced Water Snake (Cerberus rynchops) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Crab-Eating Water Snake (Fordonia leucobalia) ... Finding this specimen meant a range extension for this species!
ImageCrab-Eating Water Snake (Fordonia leucobalia) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)
ImageCollared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Glossy Marsh Snake (Gerarda prevostiana)
ImageGlossy Marsh Snake (Gerarda prevostiana) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
ImageWater Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

White-Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
ImageWhite-Bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Spot-Tailed Pit Viper (Trimeresurus erythrurus)
ImageSpot-Tailed Pit Viper (Trimeresurus erythrurus) by Jim Wetherall, on Flickr

Jodee and I had a great time in Bangladesh and we wouldn't hesitate to return at some point in the future. We made great friends over the 2 weeks and we can't wait to see all you guys soon!
(I've kept the "story telling" and descriptions to a minimum on this opening post so it didn't read too long, if anyone would like to know specifics on anything please let me know and I'll try my best to provide more detailed information!)

p.s. More photos of Bangladesh fauna (and other wildlife) can be found on my Flickr account
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130330812@N06/
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chrish
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by chrish »

Jim,

None of your images are showing up for me (using Google Chrome or IE).
I can see them in your Flickr album, but you must be using the wrong img tag URL.
Jim Wetherall
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Jim Wetherall »

They're not showing up for me either. What code do I need to copy and paste from Flickr to get them to show up?
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chrish
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by chrish »

Jim Wetherall wrote:They're not showing up for me either. What code do I need to copy and paste from Flickr to get them to show up?
I don't use Flickr, so I don't know which one you need. Look in the FAQ section above and see if someone has answered this (I'm sure they have).
Jim Wetherall
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Jim Wetherall »

Issue has now been rectified, my apologies!!
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Paul Freed
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Paul Freed »

Jim,
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Great photos and great post! However, only 2 images showed up for me. Guess I'm doing something wrong since you said the issue has been rectified. Thanks for sharing!

Paul
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Paul Freed
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Paul Freed »

Never mind Jim, as soon as I posted my last comment all the photos came up. Great to see them!
-Paul
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Jeroen Speybroeck
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Jeroen Speybroeck »

What a trip! Cool to see how some species are similar to what we found in Malaysia earlier this year. Love the hazy background in your first viper shot - gotta love those tree vipers!
Jim Wetherall
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Jim Wetherall »

Thanks guys.

Paul,
Hope your trip down memory lane was a fond one! I'll message you in a few days, got some information for our potential 2016 trip.

Jeroen,
It was a really cool trip, the Vipers were the most memorable Herps of the trip for me, while boating in the Sundarbans we came across a huge adult female swimming along side us!
In regards to the hazy background in that Viper shot, Bokeh is something I try my best to implement in a lot of my photos (when I remember!)
Malaysia is another place I would love to visit, loads more Vipers there!
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Keeper
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Keeper »

Great stuff! Love your photos!

Cheers

Kai
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Bostaff of Asclepius
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Bostaff of Asclepius »

Interesting species and excellent photos!
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Chaitanya
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Chaitanya »

excellent finds, really jealous about the Lycodon jara and Oligodon albocinctus. looks like I will have to make a trip to N-E India soon.
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Muchobirdnerd
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Muchobirdnerd »

Very jealous of Leptobrachium smithi. Cool looking trip.
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NatureStills
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by NatureStills »

Great shots Jim! Loved having you guys out there and seeing that all that effort photographing everything was worthwhile! Really impressed with your eye in a lot of these photos. You have some genuine talent man!!!
Jim Wetherall
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by Jim Wetherall »

Thanks for the feedback guys!
NatureStills wrote:Great shots Jim! Loved having you guys out there and seeing that all that effort photographing everything was worthwhile! Really impressed with your eye in a lot of these photos. You have some genuine talent man!!!
Thanks Scott, I really miss Bangladesh! Can't wait to get out to Asia again (or somewhere else equally awesome!)
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David O
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by David O »

Amazing post and photos. Love the herps, but that mudskipper is the coolest.
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jonathan
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Re: Bangladesh Python Project July 2015

Post by jonathan »

Nice post Jim. That Lycodon jara was just so beautiful. Fantastic snake diversity that we ended up with there.

I like the little web-casting spider too.
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