Bhutan's First Reptile Book Available on Pre-Order
Our intention in writing this book is to trigger an interest in the subject - the science of reptile biology. “Herps”, as the group, along with amphibians, is popularly referred to, are thought to be sensitive to changes in the environment. Understanding their ecology and conservation problems can help us understand threats we face, such as climate change. These animals are also useful for agriculture and other industries, as they are predators of insect and rodent pests that damage the crops, and for disease control through their feeding on insects, snails, and others.
Bhutan, a small kingdom in the eastern Himalayas is home to diverse flora and fauna. Conservation in Bhutan is currently focused on significant (here implying larger or economically useful) plant and animal species. Consequently, the tiger, snow leopard, elephant, and red panda, receive great attention, while snakes, lizards, tortoises, and turtles do not have conservation priority even if endemic or endangered. This book thus is an attempt to create awareness about this neglected group of animals. This book covers 82 species of snakes (out of ca. 102 species), 39 lizards and six turtles, a tortoise, and a crocodile. King cobras, Walnut kukri, Pythons, and almost all turtles and a tortoise are under the threatened category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Endemics of the country include the Bhutan Skink (Eutropis quadratilobus) and the Bhutan Agama (Calotes bhutanensis), both known only from the original descriptions. The species lost from the country’s fauna in the wild is the Gharial (Gavialus gangeticus). We have made an effort to limit the use of technical words, unless unavoidable. Common names and current scientific names have been mentioned. Range countries have been mentioned, and locations within Bhutan, if known, are specified.
Sizes
The sizes given are the maximum body length recorded for the particular species. For turtles and tortoises, it is the straight carapace length (CL) while for the lizards and snakes, the snout to vent length (SVL), and for crocodilians, total body length (TL).
On the cover is an Ampheisma snake which is yet to get a name. Concluded amateurishly as an A. parallelum, it could well be any species that are yet to be described. She is from Trashiyangtse Bumdeling and gave birth to three oblong white eggs in the first author's office at BWS headquarters.
We have beautiful lizards like Japalura variegata that occupy our beautiful forests. Sangay Tshewang like Foresters gets to see these animals in the wild so very frequently. By the way, the animal is from Dagana and its name is ........................
And then we have a critically endangered Yellow Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata from Pema Gatshel. Bhutan does have this species in various places like Sarpang, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar, Zhemgang, etc. Gyembo Namgyal, an educated villager had to report its occurrence from Pema Gatshel.
We also have the King, Ophiophagus hannah that controls the herp food web in the wild. The image submitted by one Tashi, a Forester, comes from Jomotshangkha Wildlife Sanctuary in Samdrup Jongkhar District was feeding on a Trachischium species when Tashi took the photographs.
Not only that, but we also have some unnamed vipers. The suspected Trimeresurus medogenssis was first considered T. yunanensis by one Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal, the only then Bhutanese Herpetologist. He later informed the scientific community that it could be a different species. Jigme Tshering in Trongsa thinks it is endemic to Bhutan which must be true!
The beautiful Russel's Viper is considered in India as one of the great four that causes fatalities in India. But in Bhutan, the species has never killed (no data at all but the possibility is not ruled out) a person to date. With just three sightings around the same places in the Sarpang district, I give the species a rare status in Bhutan. Sangay Dorji in Sarpang thinks that the species is rare in Bhutan.
Spectacled Cobra gets its name from the morphological appearance of the species on the back of its neck which bear two circular marks that appear like spectacles that people use. These are the animals that keep people safe and sound by eating animals that harm people. Ecosystem balancers!
The wonderful Himalayan Krait is a species of krait that does not come out much even in the breeding seasons. They carry venoms but they never bite human beings. Thus, the issue of the species being venomous is insignificant.
The innocent banded wolf snake lives in the temperate zone by elevations.
The amazing Long-tailed Lizard
The recent Salazar
The Japalura of Lhuentse
The undescribed Gasa Snake
The beautiful Pseudocalotes
The well-fed Trashigang Hemidactylus
Yet another Hemidactylus fromTrashigang
Ready to have sex Garden Lizard
The beautiful bamboo
The Chinese in Bhutan
The most expensive Lizard in Bhutan
Good-looking turtle
Another version of False cobra
The King
The Assam roofed turtle or Sylhet roofed turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) is from Phuntsholing and is a critically endangered animal that Bhutan should be concerned about. But looks like it will not happen anytime soon since we have to focus on our stomachs more than animals.
So, please order a copy. What are you waiting for?
Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal
Indraneil Das
Spectacled Cobra gets its name from the morphological appearance of the species on the back of its neck which bear two circular marks that appear like spectacles that people use. These are the animals that keep people safe and sound by eating animals that harm people. Ecosystem balancers!
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