With the generous funding supports from CHS and MHS, I went back to my home province, Yunnan, for a little project, and I took the chance and did some herping along the trip.
First stop, Gejiu and Mengzi
As the major mining sites for tin and coal in China, the subsequent deforestation destroyed most of the natural habitats in those two places.
One of the entrances of the tin mines
one of the open coal-mining sites
Almost cleared mountains with very few patches of "forests"
Outside the major cities scattered with many slum towns, which were specifically built for the miners.
Those STD medication ads (for all kinds of nasty STD and parasites like pubic louse) were very common in the poor mining district.
Some herptiles found around these two localities:
Tiannan Knobby Newt
Verrucous Digging Frog, Kaloula verrucosa
[/url]
Tadpoles
Burmese Keelback, Rhabdophis leonardi
Black-headed Slugater, Pareas nigriceps
Big-eyed False Cobra, Pseudoxenodon macrops
[url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/78660738@N05/14125001589/]
And Jerdon Pit-viper, Protobothrops jerdonii
The "kissing" in action
Japalura varcoae
The second stop was a small town beside the Red River.
Those fruits are AWESOME! lol specially the mangoes!!!
Our driver, I called him "The Man" hahaha
We drove about 2km away from the town and took the trail off-road along the stream into the mountain.
Night sky decorated with Fireflies
Even though I did not have the chance to see the Yangtze Giant Solfshell Turtle, I did found my first Chinese turtle in the upper reach of the stream!
a Chinese Softshell, Pelodiscus sinensis
Some other herptiles found in the stream
Hemidactylus frenatus
Odorrana livida
Polypedates impresus
Common Asian Toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Southern Yunnan 2014
Moderator: Scott Waters
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
The third stop, Daweishan Natural Reserve at Pingbian.
We only stayed there for one night, and given that the herping results are not that bad.
interesting slug
gigantic spiny frog tadpole
Paa sp.
Odorrana tiannanensis, very common and could be found almost everywhere at night
Road-killed Tylototriton daweishanensis
Lycodon septentrionalis
I had never seen such a high density of Bamboo Pit-viper before: there were one coiling on the side of trail in every 5m at night!
Trimeresurus gumprechti
Courting and breeding Rhacophorus omeimontis
Breeding site
And the last shot was the gift for this stop (the pair somehow managed to detect the snake and escaped from the side)
We only stayed there for one night, and given that the herping results are not that bad.
interesting slug
gigantic spiny frog tadpole
Paa sp.
Odorrana tiannanensis, very common and could be found almost everywhere at night
Road-killed Tylototriton daweishanensis
Lycodon septentrionalis
I had never seen such a high density of Bamboo Pit-viper before: there were one coiling on the side of trail in every 5m at night!
Trimeresurus gumprechti
Courting and breeding Rhacophorus omeimontis
Breeding site
And the last shot was the gift for this stop (the pair somehow managed to detect the snake and escaped from the side)
- Kevin Messenger
- Posts: 536
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 3:00 pm
- Location: Nanjing, China
- Contact:
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
awesome! loved seeing pics of the R. leonardi! and the Tiannan knobby newt. Seeing a jerdonii from that area is also very cool
-
- Posts: 20
- Joined: May 28th, 2014, 9:01 am
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
Very cool pictures! Love the last one especially!
Astounding to find those high densities of T. gumprechti. May I ask what time of the year was this? I've found high densities of snakes only in early spring, mating season or end of the season.
With kind regards,
Tim
Astounding to find those high densities of T. gumprechti. May I ask what time of the year was this? I've found high densities of snakes only in early spring, mating season or end of the season.
With kind regards,
Tim
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
Thanks for your commentTim Leerschool wrote:Very cool pictures! Love the last one especially!
Astounding to find those high densities of T. gumprechti. May I ask what time of the year was this? I've found high densities of snakes only in early spring, mating season or end of the season.
With kind regards,
Tim
That was in the early May, and I am not sure if that is the breeding season for the species. Those individuals seemed to be attracted by the abundant frogs and rodents along the trail.
- SurfinHerp
- Posts: 653
- Joined: October 18th, 2010, 8:55 pm
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Contact:
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
Great post Kai!
Lots of cool finds, but the false cobra is my favorite - that guy looks awesome
Looking forward to more of your posts...
Jeff
Lots of cool finds, but the false cobra is my favorite - that guy looks awesome
Looking forward to more of your posts...
Jeff
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
The last stop of the trip, Fenshuiling Nature Reserve at the China-Vietnam border. Like Daweishan, it also had good sub-tropical forests, and as I chatted with locals, it seemed like the herptiles here were more abundant than Daweishan.
Water snake, Sinonatrix percarinata
Very common in the rice plantations. When got caught on the tail, they would twist their body and roll like crazy, just like the death roll of the alligators. Two of the individuals we caught lost parts of their tail because of that suicidal movement.
Amphiesma stolata was also common in the plantations
Typical habitat
Another Lycodon of the trip, Lycodon fasciatus
Juvenile Yunnan Beauty, Orthriophis taeniurus
Hiked for 2 hours at midnight and almost fell from a 10m water-fall, I finally found this Trimeresurus stejnegeri
Psedocalotes microlepis
Sphenomorphus sp., any suggestion?
Leptobrachium chapaensis
Another Mr. Unknown, Leptolalax sp.
Kurixalus odontotarsus
Amolops chapaensis
The most abundant amphibian species, Fejervarya limnocharis
That's the end of the trip~ Sorry for the limited landscape shots (it's a pain to change lens all the time lol)
Hope you enjoy the photos as I do.
Cheers
Kai
Water snake, Sinonatrix percarinata
Very common in the rice plantations. When got caught on the tail, they would twist their body and roll like crazy, just like the death roll of the alligators. Two of the individuals we caught lost parts of their tail because of that suicidal movement.
Amphiesma stolata was also common in the plantations
Typical habitat
Another Lycodon of the trip, Lycodon fasciatus
Juvenile Yunnan Beauty, Orthriophis taeniurus
Hiked for 2 hours at midnight and almost fell from a 10m water-fall, I finally found this Trimeresurus stejnegeri
Psedocalotes microlepis
Sphenomorphus sp., any suggestion?
Leptobrachium chapaensis
Another Mr. Unknown, Leptolalax sp.
Kurixalus odontotarsus
Amolops chapaensis
The most abundant amphibian species, Fejervarya limnocharis
That's the end of the trip~ Sorry for the limited landscape shots (it's a pain to change lens all the time lol)
Hope you enjoy the photos as I do.
Cheers
Kai
- Hans Breuer (twoton)
- Posts: 3230
- Joined: June 8th, 2010, 3:19 am
- Location: Kuching, Sarawak (Borneo)
- Contact:
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
I sure did, man. Some glorious stuff there!Keeper wrote:Hope you enjoy the photos as I do.
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
No beauty snakes yet? haha Awesome finds!
- Tuataurifer
- Posts: 52
- Joined: November 6th, 2013, 6:38 pm
- Location: STL
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
Fantastic thread! You dont by chance have habitat shots of the first Tylototriton do you? Would love to see those if you do.
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
Great photos of some really neat stuff.
But the most "interesting" photo is that STD poster ! If they posted that somewhere in public in the US, there would be protests in the street!
But the most "interesting" photo is that STD poster ! If they posted that somewhere in public in the US, there would be protests in the street!
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
lol that's indeed true! I was wandering why nobody comment about that SDT photos hahachrish wrote:Great photos of some really neat stuff.
But the most "interesting" photo is that STD poster ! If they posted that somewhere in public in the US, there would be protests in the street!
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
I do, but that will be used for a publication. Once the paper is out I will let you know.Tuataurifer wrote:Fantastic thread! You dont by chance have habitat shots of the first Tylototriton do you? Would love to see those if you do.
Cheers
Kai
-
- Posts: 285
- Joined: June 9th, 2010, 8:15 pm
- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
Re: Southern Yunnan 2014
Since I am one of the few who keeps and breeds Yunnan Beauties, it was nice to see one in the wild.
Thanks.
Thanks.