In March 2016, I spent 3 nights herping at a montane forest of Sabah with 3 guests of mine. Because of the extremely dry weather, we didn't find many species of snakes despite looking hard. However, finding a Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis more than made up for all these! More pictures of this stunning lizard later!
If you are interested in joining me on either a herping trip or macro photography workshop, please feel free to contact me.
You can find Part II of the herping trip here.
Snakes
I spotted this pale salmon-colored White-spotted Cat Snake (Boiga drapiezii) while walking back to the guesthouse on our final night of herping at the montane forest!
What a beauty! Very different from all other Boiga drapiezii I have seen and photographed before!
White-spotted Cat Snake (Boiga drapiezii)
We saw many of these Schmidt's Reed Snake (Calamaria schmidti)
Schmidt's Reed Snake (Calamaria schmidti)
Schmidt's Reed Snake (Calamaria schmidti)
Lady Luck smiled upon me and I found this stunning Griswold's Reed Snake (Calamaria griswoldi) on our final night there.
More pics of this beauty! Griswold's Reed Snake (Calamaria griswoldi)
It has beautiful bright, orange venter! Griswold's Reed Snake (Calamaria griswoldi)
Griswold's Reed Snake (Calamaria griswoldi)
Lizards
This was probably the highlight of all our finds at this location: Kinabalu Crested Dragon (Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis)
Another portrait of this handsome dragon. Kinabalu Crested Dragon (Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis)
Full body shot of this gorgeous Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis
Kinabalu Crested Dragon (Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis)
Kinabalu Crested Dragon (Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis)
Kinabalu Crested Dragon (Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis)
Undescribed(?) species of Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cf. shenlong).
Beautiful lizard, Phoxophrys cephalum
Phoxophrys cf. cephalum.
Phoxophrys cf. cephalum.
Kinabalu Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus baluensis)
Another Kinabalu Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus baluensis)
Another Kinabalu Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus baluensis)
Frogs
Despite the extremely dry weather, we still managed to find lots of frogs.
Montane Large-eyed Litter Frog (Leptobrachium montanum)
Montane Large-eyed Litter Frog (Leptobrachium montanum)
A metamorph of Montane Large-eyed Litter Frog (Leptobrachium montanum)
Montane Large-eyed Litter Frog (Leptobrachium montanum)
Golden-legged Bush Frog (Philautus aurantium)
Golden-legged Bush Frog (Philautus aurantium)
Golden-legged Bush Frog (Philautus aurantium)
Kinabalu Torrent Frog (Meristogenys kinabaluensis)
Kinabalu Torrent Frog (Meristogenys kinabaluensis)
Juvenile Kinabalu Torrent Frog (Meristogenys kinabaluensis)
Juvenile Kuhl's Creek Frog (Limnonectes kuhlii)
A bigger Kuhl's Creek Frog (Limnonectes kuhlii)
A bigger Kuhl's Creek Frog (Limnonectes kuhlii)
An even bigger Kuhl's Creek Frog (Limnonectes kuhlii)
Moutain Slender Litter Frog (Leptolalax sabahmontanus)
Moutain Slender Litter Frog (Leptolalax sabahmontanus)
Moutain Slender Litter Frog (Leptolalax sabahmontanus)
Masked Tree Frog (Rhacophorus angulirostris)
Masked Tree Frog (Rhacophorus angulirostris)
Masked Tree Frog (Rhacophorus angulirostris), a different individual.
Kinabalu Tree Frog (Rhacophorus baluensis)
Kinabalu Tree Frog (Rhacophorus baluensis)
A juvenile Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis)
A juvenile Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis)
A juvenile Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis)
Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis)
Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis)
Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis)
Mossy Bush Frog (Philautus macroscelis)
Green Spotted Rock Skipper (Staurois tuberilinguis)
Mjoberg's Bush Frog (Philautus nephophilus).
Mjoberg's Bush Frog (Philautus nephophilus).
Mountain Torrent Frog (Meristogenys amoropalamus)
Mountain Torrent Frog (Meristogenys amoropalamus)
Peter's Bush Frog (Philautus petersi)
Shrill Bush Frog (Philautus acutus)
Kinabalu Slender Toad (Ansonia hanitschi)
Kinabalu Slender Toad (Ansonia hanitschi)
Xenophrys baluensis with a leech on its body
Others
Lantern bug / lanternfly, Pyrops heringi
Big, fluffy Jumping Spider (Hyllus cf giganteus)
Delias cinerascens cinerascens.
Beautiful Green Dragontail butterfly (Lamproptera meges meges)
Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae) with red mites
Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae) with red mites
Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae). Cerogria sp? Suggested by Simon Shim.
Green beetle. Pseudochalcothea sp., possibly P. spathulifera. ID credit: Simon Shim, Spidery Claudy.
Green beetle. Pseudochalcothea sp., possibly P. spathulifera. ID credit: Simon Shim, Spidery Claudy.
Tiny red Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae) Probably, Astathes (Tetraophthalmus) japonica (Thomson, 1857). - ID credit: Francesco Vitali.
Probably, Astathes (Tetraophthalmus) japonica (Thomson, 1857). - ID credit: Francesco Vitali.
Probably, Astathes (Tetraophthalmus) japonica (Thomson, 1857). - ID credit: Francesco Vitali.
We found many Trilobite Beetle (Platerodrilus sp.)
Click Beetle (Elateridae). Sinuaria aenescens - ID suggested by Simon Shim
Click Beetle (Elateridae). Sinuaria aenescens - ID suggested by Simon Shim
Click Beetle (Elateridae). Sinuaria aenescens - ID suggested by Simon Shim
Unidentified Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae).
Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae). Eburiomorpha guttata - ID credit: Simon Shim.
Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae). Eburiomorpha guttata - ID credit: Simon Shim.
Beautiful Leaf Beetle (Chrysomelidae). Agasta formosa - suggested by Simon Shim.
Agasta formosa - suggested by Simon Shim.
Harvestman (Opiliones) eating something
Harvestman with the carcass of an assassin bug.
Leaf Rolling Cricket (Gryllacrididae )
Katydid, Mecopoda elongata
Unidentified katydid
Juvenile female Dragon-head Katydid (Lesina sp.)
Juvenile female Dragon-head Katydid (Lesina sp.)
Dragon-head Katydid (Lesina sp.)
Dragon-head Katydid (Lesina sp.)
Dragon-head Katydid (Lesina sp.)
Blattodea
A different species of Blattodea
Blattodea
Unidentified tarantula
Another tarantula
And another tarantula
A different, and smaller type of tarantula
A different, and smaller type of tarantula
We came across many stick insects. Here are some of the more interesting ones:
Mating pair of stick insect
Spiny stick insect. Adult female of Parastheneboea exotica
Spiny stick insect. Adult female of Parastheneboea exotica
Adult male of Nescicroa terminalis (ID credit Francis Seow-Choen)
Stick Insect (Phasmid)
Stick insect in the middle of molting
Really cool stick insect: Pseudodiacantha sp. - ID suggested by Bruno Kneubuhler.
Pseudodiacantha sp. - ID suggested by Bruno Kneubuhler.
Pseudodiacantha sp. - ID suggested by Bruno Kneubuhler.
Land Snail. Kalamantania whiteheadi - ID credit: Menno Schilthuizen
Twig Spider (Ariamnes sp.)
Caterpillar
Arctiinae, Erebidae - ID credit: John Horstman.
The biggest Hammerhead Worm (Bipalium sp.) I have ever seen. This one was at least 8 inches long!
Flies sleeping on the same perch at night
Pink mushrooms (!) with a cricket on one of them.
If you are interested in joining me on either a herping trip or macro photography workshop, please feel free to contact me.
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These are some seriously amazing pictures of wild life. Mother nature is truly fascinating and never ceases to amaze. This is a great post. Well done on it. Do keep us posted with more.
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