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While investigating snow leopard kill sites, we (@otocolobus) encountered two ~5 week old cubs at a secondary den site. Cubs were well hidden in a rock hollow beneath an overhanging Lonicera shrub.

Wonderful to stumble upon concrete signs of successful reproduction springing from Kyrgyzstan's continued commitment to meaningful snow leopard conservation.

This male Drongo sang for at least 7 minutes during which I managed to record at least half of it, grab a few photographs and a short video.

I haven't cropped the audio as it demonstrates the Drongo's range of musical note and it's incredible ability to mimic, not just birds but cats too.

On Sunday (9-01-22) we spotted a sea snake on the shore during a waterfowl census conducted by Warblers and Waders from Veli to Perumatura.  It will be washed ashore in a big wave. 'Unable to go back to the sea, we left the sea snake in the sun.  Later, when we went home and talked to the snake experts, we found that the sea snake we saw was Graceful Small- headed Sea Snake- Hydrophis gracilis, which had not been reported in Kerala before. Thus, it was added as the seventh species of sea snake found in Kerala.  Experts also suggest that the baby snake is a sea snake.  It is astonishing that we are conserving natural biodiversity despite polluting and destroying the oceans.  Image shared here . Photograph and note by Sri Sushant, Warblers and Waders Thiruvananthapuram.

It is found in the mountains of southern Western Ghats south of Palakkad Gap, in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is a high-elevation specialist, not normally recorded anywhere below 1200 m asl. Precise records are from Nelliyampathy, Munnar, Anaimalai, Palni hills, Meghamalai, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Agasthyamalai and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. At elevations of 1200-2695 m asl. The type locality is listed as "Anamalai hills (Tamil Nadu State, southwestern India)”.

Trimeresurus macrolepis is a slow-moving, arboreal, nocturnal snake that prefers rainforests, and is also found in tea, coffee and cardamom plantations.

It feeds mainly on frogs, lizards, small birds and rodents. Trimeresurus macrolepis is oviparous. Sexually mature females lay eggs in October, in clutches of 4-7.

BIDENS ANDICOLA H.B.K., Nov. Gen. et Sp. 4:237 (186). 1820; B. andicola H.B.K. vars. normalis and heterophylla O. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 3^II^: I36. 1898; B. fruticulosa Mey. and Walp., Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 19 Supplem. I. 271. 1843.

Descript. amplific.- Herba perennis, semi-procumbens vel etiam erecta, valde hispido-pubescens vel fere glabra, ramosa, 2-8 dm. alta, caulibus parce angulatis. Folia 1-7 cm. longa, valde polymorpha; nunc indivisa, ovata, serrata, sessilia vel alato-petiolata, ad apicem obtusa vel subacuta; nunc tripartite vel 1-3-pinnata foliolis ovatis vel lanceolatis vel linearibus et ad apicem sensim vel abrupte apiculatis. Capitula ramos terminantia, longe pedunculata, radiata; pansa ad anthesin 2-4 vel rarius etiam usque ad 5.5 cm. lata, 0.7-1.4 cm. alta. Involucrum perspicue hispidum, bracteis ex-terioribus 8-10, lanceolatis vel lineari-oblongis, ciliatis, supra saepe glabratis, apice plerumque obtusis, quam interioribus lanceolatis dense hispidis plerumque multo brevioribus. Flores ligulati saepius 8, lutei, ligula elliptico-oblanceolati, apice plerumque minute 3-denticulati, 1.2-2.5 cm. longi. Achaenia tenuiter linearia, inferne sensim attenuate, obcompresso-quadrangularia, sulcata, supra plus minusve erecto-hispida, fusco-nigra, corpore 0.7-1.4 cm. longa et 0.4-1 mm. lata et paleas demum superantia, apice bi- (vel pauca tri-) aristata, aristis tenuibus, brunneo-stramineis vel rubescentibus, re-trorsum hamosis, 1.7-3 mm. longis.

BIDENS ANDICOLA var. DECOMPOSITA O. Kuntze, I.c.; B. macrantha Griseb., Abhandl. Goett. I9:I38 I874; B. grandiflora Balb. var. breviloba 0. Kuntze, I.c.-Folia 2-3-pinnatisecta, usque ad I dm. longa, achaeniis superne valde attenuato-elongata.

For many years the identity of the South American Bidens andicola has been obscured for herbarium workers by the great multiplicity of foliage forms encountered. WEDDELL, as early as 1856 (Chloris And. 1870) described it as a polymorphous plant ("Plante polymorphe et très repande dans la chaine, mais presque exclusivement alpestre"). Later, OTTO KUNTZE, who like WEDDELL had collected in South America, commented upon the variability of the leaves ("Eine robuste Art mit einfach oder mehrfach ternatisecten Blättern, mittelgrossen gelben Strahlblüthen, ziemlich grossen Blüthenköpfen, äusseren zottig behaarten Involucralbracteen etc., aber in Bezug auf Blatttheilung wie manche andere Bidens-Art sehr variabel"; Rev. Gen. Pl. 3^II^: 136. 1898). In herbaria the numerous foliage forms are seen to simulate corresponding forms of B. triplinervia H.B.K. (B. humilis H.B.K., B. crithmifoliac H.B.K., etc.), and this has led often to confusion between the two species. Recently I was enabled, through the courtesy of OTTO BUCHTIEN (cf. SHEREFF, BOT. GAZ. 76: 151. 1923), to study a great number of specimens collected by him and displaying a wide range of variation. From these (all in Herb. Field. Mus.) and many others, totalling more than two hundred specimens, the preceding descriptions are drawn. It was found that sometimes, in poorly developed material, distinction from B. triplinervia is apparently impossible. In well developed material, however, the distinctions are usually very definite, B. andicola being coarser, its thicker heads having commonly about eight instead of commonly about five rays[4], etc. B. andicola has the paleae shorter than the mature achenes and this character separates it from the surprisingly similar aggregation of Mexican forms (Purpus 1547, 1548, 2637, 4135, 5089, 5620; Rose and Painter 6666, 7949; Pringle 4915; E. W. Nelson 3220, etc.) that in late years have passed erroneously under the name B. daucifolia DC. In the latter[5] the paleae are usually very blackish above and commonly surpass the mature achenes.

Occasionally a form of B. andicola is found with the leaves highly compound and the achenes strongly narrowed above, somewhat like those of Cosmos. If it were not for various connecting forms this would seem to be specifically distinct. KUNTZE, who himself collected specimens of it, referred at least one of them, a plant from Cochabamba, Bolivia (Herb. N.Y. Bot. Gard.) to B. andicola, naming it var. decomposita. In a careless moment he named a precisely identical form from between Cochabamba and Rio Juntas, Bolivia (Herb. N.Y. Bot. Gard.) B. grandiflora Balb. var. breviloba, although B. grandifjora is a Mexican species and is not known to occur in South America.

[4] Unfortunately, B. triplinervia produces at times an 8-rayed form. Discussion of this form must be deferred until a later date.

Sherff, E. E. (1926). Studies in the Genus Bidens. VII. Botanical Gazette, 81(1), 25-54.>>

Let's meet the most fascinating agamid in Sri Lanka!🇱🇰

*Sinhala- ගැට හොඹු කටුස්සා/කරමල් බෝදිලියා
*English- Hump-nosed lizard/Hump snout lizard/Lyre head lizard
*Scientific name- Lyriocephalus scutatus(Linnaeus, 1758)

This is the largest agamid lizard that endemic to Sri Lanka.This species widely distributed in wet and intermediate zones. Lives in canopy primary and secondary forests in Sri Lanka.When it feels something dangerous happening around,suddenly opens its bright red colour mouth and also males expand their dewlaps. They feed on earthworms,insects and ect. Sinharaja rainforest,Kanneliya rainforest are well known localties for this species and usually can be found around the water resources. A very CALMFUL,COLOURFUL and GORGEOUS agamid that can be found easily in Sri Lanka.But, the behaviors after feeling threatened are very SCARY!You can see well the sharp teeth and the red colour inside its mouth in this picture!Luckily,we observed this amazing creature for the very first time!

Check-
A Naturalist's guide to the Reptiles of Sri Lanka 2nd edition by Anslem de Silva & Kanishka Ukuwela(page35)

A study of behavior, habitat, distribution and ecology on Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Sri Lanka
( https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318816051_A_study_of_behavior_habitat_distribution_and_ecology_on_Lyriocephalus_scutatus_Linnaeus_1758_in_Sri_Lanka )

Behavioral ecology and microhabitat use by Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758): A monotypic genus in Sri Lanka (Reptilia: Agamidae: Draconinae) with notes on the taxonomy
( https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236231204_Behavioral_ecology_and_microhabitat_use_by_Lyriocephalus_scutatus_Linnaeus_1758_A_monotypic_genus_in_Sri_Lanka_Reptilia_Agamidae_Draconinae_with_notes_on_the_taxonomy )

📷 ©Pasindu Dilshan|2021

Common Name- Halcyon smyrnensis
Name of species- White-throated Kingfisher
Family- Halcyonidae
Photo taken on- 18 June,2015
At- Nemi Nagar ext Jaipur,Rajasthan
Description- White-throated Kingfisher Feed on house sparrow