Herpetology Workshop

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Madras Crocodile Bank - Centre For Herpetology
P.O. Box 4, Mamallapuram - 603 104,
Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone [Mob.] +91 9940052964
Phone [Office] +91 44 27472447

Of Kings and Men!

Agumbe has long been the focus of much rumour, legend and superstition. Aside from the unexplored terrain, deep forests and remoteness, the area’s climate and denizens have made it one of the more austere places to live in south of the Vindhyas. Agumbe gets in excess of 8-9 metres of rain a year! It also has wave upon wave of leeches through the monsoon and other not so inviting species like nettles and ticks.

Still, for the Nature enthusiast, Agumbe is one of the pearls of the Western Ghats. It has, arguably, the highest density of king cobras in India (and possibly the world). The high rainfall makes it an amphibian paradise and the thick and diverse vegetation houses a myriad of birds.

Rom Whitaker’s relationship with Agumbe started in the early ‘70’s when he first visited the area and caught two king cobras. He has since been hooked and always wanted to return. Around thirty years later, he did come back and decided to set up a research and conservation base right in the heart of the Agumbe forest. The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) was started to study and protect the king cobra. It has since grown into a research station dedicated to any form of environmental research from climate change to amphibians.

On the 12^th to the 14^th of June, we will be running a herpetology workshop at ARRS. It is open to anyone from the age of 12 upwards and will focus on various aspects of herpetology from research to conservation issues. It will also be a very useful platform for people to work out the fundamentals of herpetological taxonomy, identification of species, understanding reptile and amphibian behaviour and getting exposed to various field techniques.

Gerry Martin will head the group. At the base, Gowri Shankar (Conservation Officer at ARRS) will be sharing much of his experience with us.

Activities:

Working on existing research projects at the base
Exploration and trekking in the area
Presentations and discourses on various aspects of herpetology
Stream walk- understanding and experiencing hill stream ecologies
Accompany ARRS personnel on any king cobra rescue
Field techniques in herpetology
Learn radio tracking

Note: It is important to remember that this is not a snake handling workshop. In the past, we have had some individuals enrol in our programs expecting to learn snake handling. This will not happen. Also, there will be no collection of any wildlife or wildlife products. Anyone attempting to do so will be reported to the authorities.

Contact Gerry Martin: 9845779666.