Showing posts with label Turtles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turtles. Show all posts

Saturday, March 5, 2011

At The Lake In Kandy.........................

I spent a little time at the lake in Kandy last Thursday. I like this particular lake for the photographic opportunities it offers. On one side of the lake there are some dead trees fallen in to it and you can always see a variety of waterbirds, turtles and huge water monitors perched on them and enjoying the sun.  Inhabiting a lake in the middle of a very thickly populated city, these birds are not as vary of us humans. However, this photography expedition didn't go all that well, the sunlight was way too bright, and I haven't    got the hang of exposure compensation and spot metering. Dah!.....

Asian Openbill Stork/ Anastomus oscitans
Asian Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans

Asian Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans 1















Black-crowned Nigt Heron/ Nycticorax nycticorax

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax1 


Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax


















Black-crowned Night Heron /Nycticorax nycticorax Juvenile

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) Juvenile

Little Cormorant /Microcarbo niger/දියකාවා

Little Cormorant Microcarbo nigerදියකාවා
















Little Cormorant Microcarbo nigerදියකාවා1

Parker's Black Turtle/ Melanochelys trijuga parkeri/ පාකර්ගේ ගල් ඉබ්බා


Parker's Black Turtle Parker's Black Turtle පාකර්ගේ ගල් ඉබ්බා1














                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Parker's Black Turtle Parker's Black Turtle පාකර්ගේ ගල් ඉබ්බා
















Water Monitor/Varanus salvator salvator/ කබරගොයා

Water MonitorVaranus salvator salvator කබරගොයා


Monday, August 23, 2010

An Indian Black Turtle Juvenile

Indian Black Turtle or Indian Pond Terrapin Me...Image by roosterfeather via FlickrThis little tortoise was crawling a neighborhood garden when I saw it. After taking some quick photos and video I set it free in to a stream in a nearby rice field. It was so small that two of the same size could  easily have fitted in to my palm .
The link at the end of the post says that  Indian Black Turtle or Indian Pond Terrapin (Melanochelys trijuga) is limited to the northern low wet and dry zone parts in Sri Lanka, but I've seen them often in the western province too, where there is still or slow flowing   fresh water such as rice fields, ponds, rain-filled old granite mines etc. 
Indian Black Turtle or Indian Pond Terrapin Me...Image by roosterfeather via Flickr
 It's said that these tortoises are near threatened. One factor which may contribute to that in Sri Lanka is  that people have a taste for it's meat. Some people hunt these and some times these critters bite on fishing bait get themselves caught. 
 ndian Black Turtle or Indian Pond Terrapin Mel...Image by roosterfeather via Flickr

This link here   provides a whole lot more information on  Indian Black Turtle.


 PS-Hi all, Looks like my identification of this animal is not entirely correct,as my  friend Bushana says in his comment. I'll quote him here in case you don't notice it.

"............What you have photographed here is Spotted black turtle(Melanochelys trijuga thermalis) a sub species with a face with bright red, orange or yellow spots. This subspecies has wide distribution in Sri Lanka(It doesnot imply that it is common) and specimens were reported from varies places throughout the country such as Colombo, Jaffna, Trinco, Kandy,Anuradhapura, Tissamaharama, Kalpitiya, Welimada..etc. Other subspecies M.t.parkeri or Parker's Black turtle -comparatively larger than this one and no color spots on the face- is restricted to Northern part of the country. So as a species it is distributed throughout whole island in suitable habitats contrary to what it is said in the link you have given above............"

Thanks Bushana!
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