Photoshoot @ Jerry "The Snakeman" Hillard's House

A friend of mine has a business performing educational shows with various snake species at events around the area. He can be booked to headline or run small shows. I put out a feeler two weeks ago, looking for anyone that possessed hybrid herps (interspecific, intra-specific, or intergeneric). I was invited over to shoot some of the species he works with. Here is a small selection of the many shots I took of his collection within two hours time. (note: a post/Q&A with Jerry about his business will be up shortly)

If you like the work, I can come and take photos of your collection for your business or personal use. Please inquire for pricing/contract at: ccarillephoto@gmail.com

Dr. Michael Tyler & Australian Herps

Dr. Michael Tyler is a well-known Australian amphibian specialist, an author of numerous books and papers, and has had the distinct honor of hosting the Second World Congress of Herpetology. Here are a few words with that host.

What sparked your interest in reptiles/amphibians?

Dr. Michael Tyler: A childhood interest in natural history which led to a fascination with entomology at first, and then to frogs.

Hypsiboas rosenbergi - Gladiator Tree Frog (Costa Rica)
© Chris Carille Photography

Were your parents or friends influential in your decision to go into herpetology as a profession?

     No one influenced me! I was an amateur in the early days until I was appointed lecturer in Zoology and was able to devote all my research interests to frog topics.

What led your interests towards amphibians specifically?

    Working at the British Museum with an Emeritus Curator who regretted being too old to travel to Australia and New Guinea, where he anticipated there must be a large number of undescribed frogs new to science.

If you were not into herpetology, what would you be doing?

© Chris Carille Photography

    Selling old and antiquarian books!

That is definitely a different profession! Where is your favorite herping spot in the world?

   The Kimberley, in NW Australia because so much of it is still unexplored.

Litoria spledida - Magnificent Green Tree Frog
Photo courtesy of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy

What herp in the wild still sends your excitement levels through the roof?

    Litoria splendida (The Magnificent Tree Frog which I found and first described!)

I think I'd still be pretty excited to find a herp I had discovered. 

Do you keep a life list?

    No I don’t.

Is there any country/area that is at the top of your list to visit/herp still? Why?

   New Guinea because there is still so much to be discovered there.

Rhacophorus dulitensis - Jade Tree Frog (Borneo)

I had a graduate professor perform his research in New Guinea - he would tell all sorts of stories about how remote field sites were. 

You set a precedent at the second World Congress of Herpetology by keeping it out of the red and turning a profit. How important was that standard you set towards the WCH reaching its goals?

                     It was important to me as it needed to be successful if WCH was to have a great future.  However, I don’t think too many people realised just what a challenge it was!

Agalychnis callidryas - Red-eyed Tree Frog (Costa Rica)
A favorite among amphibian enthusiasts.
© Chris Carille Photography

Do you keep any herps as personal pets? If so, what species and any favorites?

    

I have a variety of frogs as “pets” and my favourites are Litoria splendida and Litoria caerulea.

Any crazy herping stories (I had a snapper almost bite through my finger once while trying to photograph it)?

Not that I can recall although most field trips have had their moments!

8 species of frog have gone extinct in the last 25 years in Australia, which species do you feel are currently of most concern?

This is incorrect!  Only three have become extinct and I can’t prioritise the others.

Some misinformation on my part. I'm glad you corrected that. 

What is the number one conservation threat to Australia’s endangered species? (invasives, pollution, collection, habitat destruction, Bd fungus)

Bufo (Rhinella) marinus - Cane Toad (Costa Rica)
An destructive invasive in Australia.
© Chris Carille Photography

Probably Bd fungus.

Bd fungus seems to be a huge threat to all amphibian populations. Hopefully, a cure can be found.

In 2003 and 2004, you performed research on odors produced by frogs – I’d imagine smelling frogs had to be the hardest time spent in a lab?

No, it wasn’t at all difficult! I had known for a long time that I had a keen sense of smell and often identified frogs by their odors. I had a PhD student who also had an excellent sense of smell so we both enjoyed the work which led to the award of the IgNobel Prize at Harvard!

Hyla arenicolor - Canyon Tree Frog (Arizona)

Impressive! I'm not sure I could stomach smelling so many frogs.

What’s the best avenue people from outside Australia can help protect Australia’s amphibians?

To encourage captive breeding.

Has there been anyone you’ve really enjoyed collaborating with in your research? Why?

Ben Smith, the PhD student mentioned earlier who had a truly brilliant mind and was great to work with because he had so many ideas that we developed together.  He was the most outstanding student I have ever met and we achieved a great deal together because he was head-hunted and went to Europe!!

Who would win in a herp id’ing contest, you or [Australian herpetologist] Hal Cogger?

     

I have no idea!

Haha. Probably an unfair question putting you on the spot.

Australia has pretty strict importation and exportation laws regarding its wildlife. Do you think the increase of interest in the herp-keeping hobby has helped or hindered reptile &  amphibian conservation?

Rheobatrachus silus - Gastric Brooding Frog
Cares for its young in its stomach.

I doubt whether herp-keeping has had much of an impact in Australia, with the possible exception of Rheobatrachus which is so popular that over-collecting is a real threat to its existence in the world.

Anything else you’d like to share?

 No, apart from the fact that herpetology has given me a wonderful life and I could not imagine anything better if I had my life starting all over again!


The threatened species and ecological communities in Australia: Threatened Species
The amphibian research center for Australia: ARC
Western Australia Museum's Frog Watch: Frog Watch

Ashok Captain, Herp Photography, & his Love for India

Ashok Captain is a world renowned herp photographer and Indian snake enthusiast. Read on to learn about some of favorite spots, hear some photography advice, and get a peek into his favorite herping trips.

Viridovipera (Trimeresurus) medoensis - Medo Pit Viper  A. Captain/ Adu Ile Me/ The Lisus

How did you first become interested in reptiles/amphibians (particularly snakes) and photography?

A. Captain: In the 90's, we used to go on a lot of jungle trips - initially in the Western Ghats - places close to Pune (where I live). Most trips were during the monsoons (our rainy season) and we'd see a lotta creepies. Initially I tried to 'study' everything - monsoon plants, spiders, solifuges, amblypygids, scorpions, frogs, caecilians, lizards and snakes. I photographed all of these and needed captions for my slides (now digital images)! I soon gave up trying to 'id' everything and drifted towards snakes 'cos it was possible to do a lot (but not all) of the identification without killing 'em/ collecting 'em/ dissecting bits and pieces. This wasn't possible with several of the other animals.

Was anyone influential in your decision to go into herpetology as a profession?

Umm, nope. Snake taxonomy isn't a profession for me. Pros get funded to do this kinda thing. I spend most of my own money doing this stuff! Three guys who were extremely helpful (when I was a newbie) were Anil and Neelimkumar Khaire (brothers who run both the snake parks in Pune) and Rom Whitaker (he needs no introduction)! (Drum roll as Rom takes a bow).

Where is your favorite herping spot in the world?

Pretty much anywhere in India (I have a distinct Indian bias) though I have spent most of my 'field time' in the northern Western Ghats and eastern Arunachal Pradesh. 

Do you have any favorite herps to find in the wild? Anything that still gets you excited to find?

No favorite spots as such. Finding any herp is exciting for me! 

Oreocryptophis porphyraceus (formerly Elaphe porphyracea) - Red Mountain Rat Snake A. Captain/ The Lisus

Do you have a life list? If so, what herp is at the top of your list to find in the wild?

No life list as such, but I would love to see Indian Trimeresurus (Peltopelor) macrolepis; the Sri Lankan Trimeresurus (Craspedocephalus) trigonocephalus and the African Bitis gabonica (all in the wild).

Is there any country/area that is at the top of your list to visit still?

Injun bias again! In India, there are still so many places left to visit - the deserts, southern Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, the Andamans, Nicobar Islands . . .

Do you keep any herps as personal pets? If so, what species and any favorites?

Nope. 'Tis illegal in India. We have a 'Wildlife Prevention Act' that does just that! Did not know that!

I know when I’m behind the camera I get pretty focused, have you had any “close calls”?

Nope, again. Yup, I get pretty focused too, but I usually have several folks I trust helping [me] with the snake and photography. If it's a hot 'un, there are usually two guys (with their mobiles switched off) with snake sticks between me (camera, tripod and flashes) and the model. Most of my pics are posed. There may be another 2-3 guys holding the flashes and/ or umbrellas. Sometimes its not possible to get a pic. That's okay. 

Elachistodon westermanni - Indian Egg Eater
       A. Captain/ S. Deshmukh/ R. Nande

What’s more exciting, winning a cycling competition, discovering a new herp species, or getting that perfect photo published on a cover?

All three are equally exciting! : )

What has been your favorite/most memorable herping trip you’ve ever made?

Actually 4 of 'em! 1. I once spent 8 months in Arunachal. It was to be a year, but I had to meet my landlord in Pune! Anyways, I saw 26 Trimeresurus (Viridovipera) medoensis and several other beautiful snakes in the wild. One of the Medo Pit Vipers made the cover of a Christmas supplement of Geo (Germany)! Impressive! 2. On another trip to Arunachal, with the help of the villagers, we found a Protobothrops kaulbackii. 3. In Maharashtra (the state I live in), some young herp enthusiasts found a snake they couldn't identify - I took a bus there and the snake turned out to be Elachistodon westermanni (previously thought to be extinct)! This was like finding a live dinosaur. 4. A professor who studies fish, found a snake in Trivandrum (it was netted by some fishermen). I went there and it was a Homalopsinae - Enhydris dussumierii. The only place in the world its found in is Kerala state, India. So its not always in the deep dark jungles (as seen on telly)!

Of the new species you’ve described and helped to describe, has there been a favorite?

Ahaetulla c.f. nasuta - Green Vine Snake           A. Captain/ R. Whitaker/ A.R.R.S.

I've not described any new species yet! New records for India, several - Sinonatrix percarinata; Trimeresurus medoensis; Lytorhynchus paradoxus, Protobothrops kaulbackii, Amphiesma venningii. . . . No favorites! I apologize for my mistake, as I had read some false information that stated otherwise.

For those of us that know nothing of Indian herp culture, is it a developing hobby to keep snakes as pets there?

In a bad (according to me) way. Though illegal in India, there are several 'sarp mitras' (snake friends) who keep snakes in the name of 'educating' folks. Let's be honest - its a man against dangerous 'beast' adrenalin rush. My opinion is that this is extremely uncool. We've so few wild spaces left in India that preserving our wild populations is way more important than having 'em in (usually) smelly bags/ boxes/ jars. This is very different [compared] to the herp culture elsewhere in the world.

A lot of people have a negative outlook of snake charmers in India, do you have an opinion you could share?

Chrysopelea ornata - Ornate Flying Snake
           A. Captain/ R. Whitaker/ A.R.R.S.
               (Agumbe Rainforest Research Station)

For me its kinda complicated. Sure, I'd rather see snakes in the wild, sure, but these guys are making a living 'using' snakes and have been for generations. Unless they get an equally profitable/ more lucrative means of getting cash, I doubt they're gonna quit (even if a few snakes are 'seized' by the authorities). In fact I think taking away their snakes is bad for the wild population. They'll go get some more (and deplete the wild population still further). Besides this, we misguidedly release the rescued snakes. This is daft 'cos we've no idea where the snakes originally came from; they'll most probably die in new territories/ ranges and if they're infected with mites or something worse, they could wipe out an entire wild population. 

I also see an amusing double standard - guys in the US catching snakes/ herps for profit are no different (from the snake's point of view) to Injun snake charmers. (Whoops, they got me! There goes my 'wild' life). Yet these folks are called snake wranglers! I'm not dissing 'em, nor am I pro-snake charmer (I am not). 

You’ve worked with several other herpetologists – anyone you’d like to work with again?

Yup lots of 'em actually! Rom (Whitaker), Kedar (Bhide), Varad (Giri), Aaron (Bauer), Mark (Wilkinson), David (Gower), Andreas (Gumprecht), Frank (Tillack), Patrick (David), Gernot (Vogel), others whom I've written to and would like to work with are Frederick (Wagner), Wolfgang (Wuster), Anita (Malhotra), Anslem (de Silva) and Van (Wallach).

  

Do you have any photography tips for shooting herps?

Be patient (be prepared to spend all day/ several days if necessary). Corny, but I think herps sense 'impatience' and one never gets a good picture if one is in this 'zone'. Use the best equipment one can afford. [It is] better to have a macro lens (as opposed to a zoom with a macro feature) than a 'fill up the memory card' fancy camera - 6 MP is fine. The lens is IMPORTANT. I use smart flashes off camera and a light tripod with an 'action head'. *Pelican cases (in plastic bags that are carried in rucksacs) also keep the camera gear alive in rain forests. I put a sock full of fresh silica gel into the case every time I open it (if I'm on a long trip). This keeps the inside relatively dry. *This sounds ridiculously unwieldy but read on . . . I wrap the cases in plastic bags 'cos we once crossed a river and, though the cases were watertight, I couldn't open them until water in the gutters had dried (this took ages in a rain forest). If you open them when wet, drops from the gutter actually enter the case and water is sealed into the case. I carry the cases in a rucsac, 'cos its impossible for me to carry a suitcase-type piece of luggage in rough terrain.

How did it feel to have a snake named after you in 2007 (Captain’s Wood Snake - Xylophis captaini)

Embarrassing actually, 'cos we didn't find it first. My mum dampened the mild euphoria (that came later) by saying something like - "It's dirty and brown like your room." Actually there are two snakes named after me (more embarassment). The other is Dendrelaphis ashokii.  

Here in the US, I hear a lot about how great the tropics are to herp – do you think India gets proper recognition for it’s herpetological diversity?

The tropics are different. Great to herp, I don't know. If one is out in the right season and at the right time, there is lots of 'stuff'. Off season (at least in our neck of the woods) everything disappears. Proper recognition? I don't know.

A school of herpetology at the North Orissa University has (or will be) opening this year in India, how do you think further herpetological education will influence the conservation of India’s herpetofauna? **Edit - I received some misinformation, corrected by Ashok. As it turns out, this school had been opened previously and was run more as a short course.

About 5 years back Dr Sushil Kumar Dutta got the Department of Science & Technology to part with some cash and arranged this 'school' once every year in different Universities/ institutions - the first was in northern Orissa (and the last from this grant), the others were at the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehra Dun), Guwahaty (Assam), and at SACON (Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History) close to Coimbatore. The 'school' lasts about 10-12 days and is pretty intense. Most of the 30 or so folks that attend are really sharp, and some of them have already started doing really good work, so it's helping. However, these efforts are all drops in the ocean till we sort out our problem of rapidly vanishing wild spaces. This issue is kinda political and ecological, and I'm gonna stick to taxonomy and not get stuck in conservation arguments.

Any herp publications in the works? A possible follow-up to 2004’s Snake of India, The Field Guide?

A few short notes. Rom wants 'at least 25 species additions' before we consider a follow up. Guess who has to go get 'em? Kidding. But yup, we'd definitely like to do another version. I'd like to add an annotated key as well, but Janaki (the editor) is of the firm opinion that no one will be able to lift the field guide if we keep adding stuff, so negotiations on point number two are still on.

Macropisthodon plumbicolor - Green Keelback

                     A. Captain/ S. Thakur/ J. Kadapatti/ S. Mukherjee/ A. Patel

Anything else you’d like to share?

Nope! Think I've yakked quite enough. Happy, safe herping to you all. 

A

Ashok's and Rom's field guide can be purchased here: Snakes of India: The Field Guide

The interview with Rom Whitaker can be found here: Dr. Rom Whitaker & the Madras Crocodile Bank