Author Archives: rahulalvares
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution The Forsten’s Catsnake is a giant among catsnakes. At at whooping 91 inches maximum recorded length it is certainly the largest of all the catsnakes in India. Catsnakes are strange … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution I often find this large and beautiful butterfly at the butterfly park in Cotigao. The first three pictures are of male specimens. The last one is a female. Caterpillar
I have goose bumps on my skin as I peer out the window of my sleeper coach. But it isn’t the cold. It’s the sight of a large hoarding which says ‘Welcome to Gir, the last home of the Asiatic … Continue reading
Click on the images to load them in high resolution 1. White-naped woodpecker Of all the woodpeckers the white-naped woodpecker has been my rarest find. Unbelievably I found and photographed this woodpecker right outside my house in unassuming Assagao! The … Continue reading
Click on the images themselves to load them in high resolution Average length: 4-5 feet. India’s most famous snake is also one of the commonest species that is found in Goa. I have caught at least 300 cobras in the … Continue reading
I photographed this beauty at the Cotigao Wildlife sanctuary. From my understanding the host plant for this small butterfly is Bryophyllum pinnatum. And this is definitely where I found the little butterfly perched pretty! Luckily for me the striking butterfly … Continue reading
As someone who earns his living seeking out birds and snakes in wildlife sanctuaries for foreign tourists in Goa, I’m busiest from November to April. By May my flow of clients is a mere trickle and it’s time to become … Continue reading
This bird which is a member of the pheasant family is rarely seen since it is very secretive. In fact its mostly seen only when it darts out from the undergrowth to cross an open patch of land. Both the … Continue reading
Click on the pic to load it in high resolution Of the ‘Big Four’ dangerous snakes found in India, the Common Krait is the most venomous. Its venom – a powerful neurotoxin – is supposed to be fifteen times more … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in higher resolution The Common Rose is a common and very colorful butterfly found in Goa belonging to the group of red bodied swallowtails. It has a wide distribution in India and can … Continue reading
‘Wow! That’s quite a boat you’ve arranged for us, Arjan!’ I exclaim. Arjan smiles weakly. He’s not sure if I really like it. But I really do! And what’s not to like? It’s got a spacious, airy upper deck on … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution The Malabar whistling thrush is a stunning bird to look at when the light catches it. But what its most known for is its iconic ‘whistling schoolboy’ call. The call … Continue reading
Click on the pics themselves to load them in high resolution Of the 275 odd species of snakes found in India only four are viewed as a real threat to humans. These four species of snakes – grouped under the … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in higher resolution This is a small but very dainty and elegant butterfly found in the Western Ghats. Each hindwing of this butterfly has a long tail and black spots. The spots possibly … Continue reading
Ever since I watched one of Rom Whitaker’s documentaries on the King cobra I’ve wanted to go to Agumbe. Apparently Rom himself had caught his first King Cobra in Agumbe in 1971 and he maintains that Agumbe remains for him … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution Vernal hanging parrot The vernal hanging parrot (or the lorikeet) is a tough bird to see since it’s a small bird which sticks mostly to tree tops. Locating one for … Continue reading
Click on the pics themselves to see them in high resolution. In my last column we got introduced to the first of the ‘Big Four’ venomous snakes: the Russell’s Viper. This time let’s get to know its close but much … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution The fulvous forest skimmer (Neurothemis fulvia) is a medium-sized dragonfly with transparent wing tips. The first two pics below are of male specimens. The last two are of a female. … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution The following are a few photographs I took while shooting a pilot film with filmmaker and friend Mrinal Bahukhandi over three days in the Little Rann of Kutch Wild Ass … Continue reading
All these shots were taken at a small water body on the Arrosim beach. Since the water body was only ten odd meters from the crashing waves of the sea I imagine it had been created by the sea overflowing … Continue reading
Click on the images to load them in higher resolution Around nine one evening, I heard a loud squeak come from just outside my room. I knew immediately that it was the sound of a rat in trouble. Torch in … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution I’ve always had a thing for handling dangerous animals. When I was at the Croc Bank in Mamallapuram Gerry Martin one day casually mentioned to me that he could teach … Continue reading
Click on the pics to load them in high resolution The following pictures were taken along the way from Shimla to the Great Himalayan National park. Black throated tit Mrs Gould’s sunbird Crimson sunbird Great barbet Black bulbul Himalayan bulbul … Continue reading
Click on the pics to see them larger If you live in Goa then you know that April and May are the two most hot and humid months. 90% humidity makes everything disgustingly sticky. But if there’s one benefit to … Continue reading
Hoplobatrachus tigerinus Average length: 6.5 inches Click on the pic to load it in high resolution Every year in June, when the heaviest rains hit Goa, an army of bullfrogs begins to call right behind my house. Their call, a … Continue reading