Twitter
Advertisement

Raving about reptiles

The global diversity hotspot, the Western Ghats is second home to herpetologist Varad Giri.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

“They’re the friendliest creatures on earth,” says Varad Giri and you wonder if he’s talking about a four legged mammal. The herpetologist who works with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is referring to snakes, frogs, rats and lizards too!
Retreating to the Western Ghats every monsoon, Giri has also discovered two caecilians (legless amphibians) - they’re a cross between a worm and a snake. “They’re not as big as a snake though some are two-and-a-half feet long but they can’t be worms because they have eyes and a jaw,” he explains.

Scientists from the British Museum flew down to confirm his discovery. “I’ve even named them - Indotyphlus Maharashtra and Gegeneophis J C Daniel after the famous naturalist,” says the completely smitten Giri. How do you find  the slimy ‘beauties’ anyway? “They’re burrowed under rocks and they’re a good indicator of a healthy, unpolluted ecosystem.”

Being a herpetologist isn’t as glamorous as doing research on the tiger. “Everyone is talking about how one species of the tiger is going extinct but if you see, 31 percent of frogs are on the verge of extinction. These creatures tend to get ignored,” he says adding, “lizards are like biological pest control since they eat other creatures and keep the house clean.”

If like Giri, you’re fascinated by these creatures, you can learn more about them in a one year herpetology course that will be started later this year. “We had this course earlier and it was very popular -  not really surprising!” he smiles.

Having grown up in Sangli, he’s a celebrity of sorts there, now with the local papers writing about his achievements regularly. Currently working on a project of breeding frogs, it’s a tough job since work only happens during the monsoons.

“We were at the Koyna river studying these frogs and we had to wait for about eight hours to see something substantial. Since the area if known for its flooding, in just a couple of hours, the water was above our knees and I was so involved in watching these frogs that the current swept me away. I managed to hold onto branches in trees and get back onto land,” he explains matter-of-factly. This doesn’t deter him though - “It’s part of the job,” he sighs.

r_preeti@dnaindia.net

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement