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Perfect outdoor escapades: How to go herping in your own city
Summary
Urban forests are home to many reptile and amphibian species, and looking for them can be a rewarding experience if it’s done right
Growing up in Delhi, the National Zoological Park was the only possible place for a reptile enthusiast like me to go see snakes and other herps. But a visit to the zoo would have to be planned well in advance. Most reptiles and snakes go into hiding in winter and walking the long corridors of the zoo in the summer heat was not an option. But not everyone needs to go to a national park or zoo to see herps. Given our rich diversity of amphibians and reptiles, you can go herping in your own city—and find reptiles and amphibians in nature.
According to the latest Zoological Survey of India, there are 778 species of reptiles in the country, including subspecies. Of these, 426 are endemic to India. Different cities have a variety of species. Last month, for instance, herpetologists from the University of Delhi recorded the Beaked Worm Snake, Grypotyphlops acutus, for the first time in the city.
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For herpetologist Robin Suyesh, assistant professor, department of environmental sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, herping is an activity that needs to be done with low expectations. “It’s an exercise in patience," says Suyesh, 38, on the phone.
Suyesh has been herping in Delhi and its surrounding areas for the last nine years. “You can see herps within your city as well. Herps can survive in urban green spaces and city forests around you. Of course, you can’t compare the diversity (of species) with a national park. But you’ll get first-hand experience. In Delhi, for example, you can see over 40 species of amphibians and reptiles," Suyesh says.
While locations like Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary and the Yamuna Biodiversity Park are two places to visit in the national capital, Suyesh has many study sites in Gurugram. “It’s very close to the Aravalli forests, which have a good diversity of herps and many rarities too."
You can easily spot species like the marble toad, bull frogs and cricket frog in the region. “Monsoons are the perfect time to spot amphibians, especially when they are vocalising actively," says Suyesh.
When it comes to snakes and reptiles, all four venomous species of snakes are quite common in the Aravalli region: cobras, kraits, Russell’s and saw-scaled vipers, apart from rock pythons and the wolf snake. Suyesh explains that these are “shy animals" and often one needs to visit a site multiple times to encounter them. He says, “These encounters are mostly by chance. Don’t expect everything to be there while you are herping. For example, after years of herping in the city, I encountered a cat snake for the first time in Gurugram last month."
Respecting the animals
Wildlife conservationist Jose Louies, CEO of Wildlife Trust of India, says people don’t need to go to big wildlife destinations to spot animals. “Everyone looks outwards, while they should be looking at what’s around them," says Louies, who has conducted herping walks in the past.
“Herping is often misunderstood as an activity. The idea of these walks is to sensitise people to the presence of snakes and how they should be safe outdoors. There’s no need to catch snakes or photograph them. Just observe," adds Louies, who will be leading a herping night walk in Delhi on 25 August, in collaboration with travel company Asian Adventures and experiential travel platform Magucho.
Louies says the plan is to conduct more such herping walks in other parts of India as an “orientation to what is in your surroundings".
Bengaluru and Mumbai (Aarey Milk Colony and Film City) also have several locations that are ideal for herping. “The BNHS-run Conservation Education Centre organises night camps. You can get in touch with them for herp camps," says Zeeshan A. Mirza, a PhD student at the department of integrative evolutionary biology at the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Germany.
“You can spot many geckos in parts of Mumbai. In Aarey Milk Colony, there’s a gecko called Cyrtodactylus varadgirii (or Giri’s geckoella). It’s a very tricky gecko and was described as a new species from that region," adds Mirza, who has authored a paper describing the species. One can also spot snakes like the Bamboo pit viper (Trimeresurus gramineus), spectacled cobra (Naja naja) and amphibians such as the Ornate narrow-mouthed frog (Microhyla ornata) and Indian tree frog (Polypedates maculatus) in the region.
In Bengaluru, he highlights the GKVK campus (University of Agricultural Sciences) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus as good herping locations. “Apart from multiple species of geckos, you can also spot the Russel’s viper, king cobras, wolf snakes and at least 2-3 species of balloon frogs," says Mirza. “As a bonus, you’ll often hear the slender loris, which is a nocturnal animal."
Apart from Bengaluru and Mumbai, Mirza has also spent time herping in the North-East, especially in Guwahati in Assam and in Arunachal Pradesh.
Mirza says people were earlier curious about reading about animals in books. Herping, in that sense, is a good way to encourage them to connect with wildlife and make them aware of a creature’s existence. “Herping is a fun activity and it’s a rewarding experience. But everyone who goes for herping has to do it the right way," says Mirza.
