ThisSlaphappyTaurus

A few days ago while visiting an Eco park in Laharpur (Bhopal) I happened upon this sober-sides reptile. It goes by many names - Changeable lizard, Eastern lizard, Oriental lizard or Crested tree lizard and its found all over Asia. It can change its body color to red, black or a mixture of both. It is insectivorous but also eats the occasional rodent or lizard. During breeding season the males become incredibly defensive of their territories. They try to ward off trespassers by brightening their red heads (which they get during breeding season) and by doing push-ups! And for the females they inflate their throats to attract their attention to the red head. Even though this a lizard species, they do not drop their tails like other lizards. In fact their tails are strict, long and pointy and can measure up to more than 20 centimeters!  You might even spot it in your garden or a park nearby just sitting on a tree changing its color and confuse it with a chameleon,...

Took this snap last week on a visit to Van Vihar National Park , minutes after entering the campus this teeny bird was sighted by my mother perched upon a Palash tree. The name of the bird is eponymous, named after a British ornithologist - Samuel Tickell . Approximately 14 centimeters tall, this little flycatcher can be found all over north-eastern, central and southern India. While the male bird wears a prominent orange cravat with blue coat and hood, the female wears a slightly cream-orange one with blue-grey coat and hood. I find their song to be one of the most mellifluous sounds I have heard. It feasts primarily on insects and larvae which it catches while flying as well as when on the ground. Apart from India its found in several countries across south and south-east Asia like Sri Lanka Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia. That is all I know about Tickell's Blue Flycatcher. Go out today, you might see this beauty yourself!

Shushing and brushing the leaves swayed and fell, The dust from down flew up a nd below dissipated as well, The wind breathed on my skin, As we raced against the breeze I felt amongst my kin Eyes panorama-ed left to right and all the way around, Ears were extra sensitive to every sound, Scouting for the Rey de la selva, Hearing every clack, sizzle, bellow and growl A muffled screech and then the tyres stopped rolling, A tribe of long tailed langurs were crowing, The guide seemed to hear the cackle from faraway, "Move east, route no. 2"- the guide had spoken The engine revved and the jeep lashed forward, And as we leapt onward, Blazing past the aves chirping in the scrim, I saw a herd of deer sprinting on my right The cackle grew louder and again we stood still, He rose up on his seat and I followed him, Then he perused the tufts of grass - his quotidian drill, Minutes passed and all we saw were langurs moving towards trees We turn...