Some herping pics from Taiwan

[Kada]

Some of the species we love here in Taiwan. I am in agriculture, and many of these are animals we try and create habitat for on our lands. LIke vivariums if they were acreage haha

Buergeria robusta a very variable tree frog here, favorite was the black and red ones, will find pics.

Odorrana swinhoana

Pelophylax fukienensis

Zhangixalus moltrechti

Daboia russelii one of the few things i am actually concerned about picking up.

Laticauda laticaudata they come up onto the rocks and skim off the fresh water in the pools for a drink. very docile snakes!

Lycodon ruhstrati

Naja atra

Protobothrops mucrosquamatus

Ptyas major

Ptyas mucosa The OBT of taiwans snake world in my opinion haha

Diploderma swinhonis

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Great pics, friend!

 

[Mike Withrow]

That had to be an amazing experience. I lived and worked back and forth in Australia for almost four years. Lived on the gold coast but I worked in the northern parts of Brisbane and I regret not taking time to explore the wildlife there more than I did. Wasn't worried about all the craziness you read about with some of the stuff there,but I admit. One more tomato ever went missing because of that stupid iguana that ran around our place omg that dude drove me nuts.

Two goals I had. One have a garden in Australia. Done. Two was fishing for pretty sure spelling is not going to be right. And hopefully catching ok yeah not attempting that. It looks horrible. Anyways big huge fish that according to everyone swam in the canals all around the gold coast. Failed and failed bad.

 

[viper69]

That krait is GORGEOUS!! Nice frogs!!

 

[The Snark]

Pick up a Russells? Dicing. I assume using a loop or other restraint. Top pros won't just pick them up. Not worth the risk. As fast as the fastest of the viper family and death in minutes regardless of intervention.

 

[Kada]

Pick up a Russells? Dicing. I assume using a loop or other restraint. Top pros won't just pick them up. Not worth the risk. As fast as the fastest of the viper family and death in minutes regardless of intervention.

Cheers folks. The krait are about the only hot I actually pick up bare handed. only for adjusting for a few pics, I try not to touch animals generally speaking. venomous or not

By picking up a russels by hand I meant at work, on the farm and by accident hehe!. I have pulled on cobras and Protobothrops a number of times by accident while hand weeding certain plots. We use hooks for everything intentional to put your mind at ease:

Couple more pics


Sinomicrurus hatori Asian coral snakes are super pretty.

Deinagkistrodon acutus

When hooks arent available. Orthiophis taeniurus, biggest i have found so far. i am 6'5" for sort of a reference

Trimeresurus stejnegeri

B robusta again, my favourite find of all time probably. red and black

 

[The Snark]

The krait are about the only hot I actually pick up bare handed.

You had me worried there. We had a saw scale do a demo about six feet from me in the carport. From my days of bare handed dealing with rattlers a good reminder. Blur fast. Coiled in front of the door in the dark. Tagged my wife's pants leg. I turned on the jeeps headlights and holy crap!!
Kraits are cool, lazy, laconic and ultra easy going, I've shooed and even tossed a few off of roads. Only in the evening for a few hours do they turn into a menace, a complete reversal of personality.
We have mostly O. Hannah around here. Only concern with them is not seeing them and stepping in the wrong place. How most people in India get tagged. They turn that tan blond color the same as the dried out grass in summer. But super smart. See a Hannah, just freeze. If need be wave an arm to get their attention and they automatically avoid you. Our rather stupid cat tried playing with one once. One fang, partial paralysis front left leg for the rest of his life.

 

[Kada]

You had me worried there. We had a saw scale do a demo about six feet from me in the carport. From my days of bare handed dealing with rattlers a good reminder. Blur fast. Coiled in front of the door in the dark. Tagged my wife's pants leg. I turned on the jeeps headlights and holy crap!!
Kraits are cool, lazy, laconic and ultra easy going, I've shooed and even tossed a few off of roads. Only in the evening for a few hours do they turn into a menace, a complete reversal of personality.
We have mostly O. Hannah around here. Only concern with them is not seeing them and stepping in the wrong place. How most people in India get tagged. They turn that tan blond color the same as the dried out grass in summer. But super smart. See a Hannah, just freeze. If need be wave an arm to get their attention and they automatically avoid you. Our rather stupid cat tried playing with one once. One fang, partial paralysis front left leg for the rest of his life.

Hehe, the "kraits" iwas referring to, and @viper69 seemed to like are *sea* krauts hehe. the land "kraits" I wont touch bare handed outside of accidents, and given how dang common they are it can happen! the only "land kraits" we have here in Taiwan are Bungarus multicinctus. they arent aggressive, but the can be quite whiney and stressed easily. I have watched them literally seem to bounce down fields haha. I wont hold them, but they are common as anything so bumping into them isnt so unheard of. i think we have 4 sea kraits, but only the one land krait.

the only venomous snake in Taiwan I have experienced being generally aggressive are the russels. but hey are extremely vocal and let you know right quick! even then, its defensive. but with attitude haha.

So you are in india? never been but there is some bucket list species I want to go search for and see in the wild! amazing place!

on taiwan, a couple resources people might find interesting if at all interested in Taiwans fauna.

Probably the best online resource for general snakes in taiwan
https://www.snakesoftaiwan.com/home.html

one of the better wide spreading database for species here. in chinese but they use scientific names so it's not hard to navigate.

台灣生物多樣性網絡

台灣生物多樣性網絡（Taiwan Biodiversity Network，TBN）是致力於運用生態調查開放資料，提供臺灣野生生物分布查詢的線上服務平台

www.tbn.org.tw

shameless post of the one me and my wife maintain, but barely ever upload new photos to haha

Biota Taiwan

For the spider folks. this site is terrible but is one of the best resources for spider pictures in Taiwan. a tip: google the genus or species and type "gaga" after, their site pops up. even knowing mandarin, their site is nearly impossible to navigate. a real.problem with us in Taiwan in general hahaha (navigation lol).

蠅虎圖鑑

check out these wild mutants found in Taiwan. not my pics, but Martha would be a day!

Very cool branded krait color mutation

Mutant Taiwanese krait slithers into Tainan home | Taiwan News | Sep. 13, 2023 17:39

www.taiwannews.com.tw

As a lover if all things vipers and boids, this one floored me!

Rare mutant yellow Taiwan bamboo pit viper spotted on trail | Taiwan News | Feb. 13, 2023 16:22

www.taiwannews.com.tw

 

[The Snark]

So you are in india?

Thailand, far north. Did you know the Russells change their venom according to climate? In colder climes the venom is mainly hemotoxin to aid in digestion while down in southern India it's predominantly neurotoxin.
Yes, they hiss very loudly if given the chance to give out a warning. But like most vipers they are always loaded guns with hair triggers and fire without warning if startled.
The kraits I have encountered around here are very slow and lazy. So slow they are very common road kills. Odd that we have two opheophagus snakes with entirely different operational parameters. I suppose down in holes invading snake nests and nursery's that is rather academic.
But Hannah is very big on munching amphibians and rice fields turn into their buffets.

That's one weird viper! Good to see the kids getting a proper education in wildlife.

 

[viper69]

I’ve read about kraits all my life when I come across info. One thing about sea snakes, one of the most powerful venom, and amazingly docile.

Land kraits same deal. I’d never hold one.

 

[Kada]

Thailand, far north. Did you know the Russells change their venom according to climate? In colder climes the venom is mainly hemotoxin to aid in digestion while down in southern India it's predominantly neurotoxin.
Yes, they hiss very loudly if given the chance to give out a warning. But like most vipers they are always loaded guns with hair triggers and fire without warning if startled.
The kraits I have encountered around here are very slow and lazy. So slow they are very common road kills. Odd that we have two opheophagus snakes with entirely different operational parameters. I suppose down in holes invading snake nests and nursery's that is rather academic.
But Hannah is very big on munching amphibians and rice fields turn into their buffets.

That's one weird viper! Good to see the kids getting a proper education in wildlife.

Ahh, got it. sorry, I am unfamiliar on both India and northern Thailand, only herped in southern Thailand, never the north. another bucket list place to go! A very different place. But from reading, your area has all kinds of amazing things! must be a treat to walk outside and see such animals. I am quite interested in north Thailand's inverts and agamids, those are my main draws

your viper in the garage reminds me of the monthly need to remove a cobra from either our kitchen or bathroom haha. I keep a hook by each door it's so often. I do love them, but I love them more knowing where they are. when I grab a dish from inside a cabinet and hear the hiss (or taking a dump and hear the hiss.....) I wont lie...I jump each each time. thankfully they are relatively predictable and not aggressive! no idea about your areas animals, but here most are pretty happy to leave as fast as possible . perhaps they know about our wine here and they got the memo. it is the surprise visits (by us) that tends to be the concerning aspect.

Generally speaking we have a pretty disgraceful relationship with animals in Taiwan. not something we ought to eb proud of. But articles like this do highlight the very fast change that is happening about respecting the environment, animals etc. it's bad here, but certainly moving in the right direction! The pet trade here is pretty damn grim though

I’ve read about kraits all my life when I come across info. One thing about sea snakes, one of the most powerful venom, and amazingly docile.

Land kraits same deal. I’d never hold one.

For sure bro! I'm right there with you. but the sea kraits, for obvious reasons, just seem to give up being gently maneuvered. they know they cant move well on land and probably assume we know what their mouth packs. mutual respect,even if we are messing with them for something as silly as photos.

when we learned about their drinking habits, skimming.pools in the coral at low tide, I was hooked! the blue didnt hurt with that species either

I have probably a few gb of photos of them. but between night, wet, ocean spray and needing to walk on sharp ass coral rocks many are blurry. much respect for those that get the good shots! will post more pics of these guys in a while. they really are a pretty fascinating creature, the more I learn about the more I am at a loss for words

 

[The Snark]

your viper in the garage reminds me of the monthly need to remove a cobra from either our kitchen or bathroom haha.

Cobras on the whole aren't aggressive biters but they are curious and very aware of their immediate surroundings. And they do the two step, raise up the front end then flatten the hood before they are in bite mode as a rule.
I've noticed they can be insatiably curious. A couple I know lives with an elderly Kaouthai that free ranges the house. Obviously only trained educated animal lovers are invited in. They also live with a tiger who occupies their spare bedroom. So they share their space and lives with Guinevere and Scheherazade respectively. Every time I visit their place here comes Guin. She waits patiently on the floor until I sit then has to investigate every inch of my person. If anything she's over fed and porked out so it's just simple curiosity. She never raises her hood and given a baby chick she may raise her head and stare at her people. "Aren't you going to kill it for me?" Talk about fussy and spoiled rotten.