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"Golden GOAT"

I've posted Bornean Keeled Pit Vipers a couple times over my years of being in Borneo, but when you look at an adult female individual, how could you not? Large, stocky, and almost always donned in beautiful colours, these snakes demand not only respect, but photographs that do them justice! On the final night (and as the group's final find), this species made its appearance once again, and in the most beautiful form I have ever seen.

Walking along the road with the park ranger, @steven_wong_45 pointed up to a dense area of low-hanging tree canopy, and as we looked up, we were shocked to see a HUGE female Bornean Keeled Pit Viper. As we slowly approached her, we came to admire not just her size (nearing three feet), but her beautiful gold scales and blue stripes! Tonight was also rather special, as shooting this snake would be my first time ever using a diffuser, one that was handed down to me by @marcuslucassen !

Adult females of this snake species come in two main colour phenotypes; gold or blue, and I personally always loved the gold ones more. So ends my Save The Frogs! Borneo Ecotour trip highlights, and I have to say, it was a wild ride with so many awesome people, locations and species! I could never thank @savethefrogs enough for the awesome opportunity, and now, inspiration for becoming a tour guide 🙏.

#borneankeeledpitviper #northphilippinetempleviper #tropidolaemussubannulatus #templeviper #tropidolaemus #pitvipers #crotalinae #vipers #viperidae #snakes #serpentes #squamates #squamata #reptiles #reptilia #savethefrogs #ums #poringhotsprings #poring #ranau #sabah #malaysia #rainforest #forestry #canon200dii #canonasia #naturephotography #wildlifephotography taken in Poring Hot Springs by @boiiiiiga

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14

a year ago

"Double Dose"

There are three viper species to be found in the upper elevations of Kinabalu National Park: the Sabah Pit Viper, the Chasen's Mountain Pit Viper, and the absolutely unmatched jewel in all of Sabah, the Malcolm's Pit Viper. The @savethefrogs crew had already seen the first two species within two nights of being at Kinabalu Park which satisfied any cravings I had for rare species because I can never be too greedy. However, before the third night could even begin, our legendary, one and only guide Maron rang in with some amazing news.

Maron called in just as everybody had finished dinner, asking if we wanted to see an adult female Malcolm's Pit Viper. Sure enough, as we ascended the Timpohon Gate Road, we were met with the sight of Maron watching over an insanely beautiful Malcolm's Pit Viper albeit in the soggy rain. But what shocked everyone even more (especially the late-night walkers) was three hours later, ANOTHER big female was slithering on the grass next to the road!

Malcolm's Pit Vipers are, without a doubt, the Kings (or should I say Queens) of the Bornean highlands, with their beautifully contrasting black and green scales, large size, and rarity. I have been lucky to see them on almost every trip to the park, but the sheer awe I feel from being able to observe one never goes away. Even with the consistently heavy rains making photography insanely difficult, it actually made for some super fun memories with everyone which I will never forget!

#malcolmspitviper #trimeresurusmalcolmi #asianlanceheads #trimeresurus #pitvipers #crotalinae #vipers #viperidae #snakes #serpentes #squamates #squamata #reptiles #reptilia #savethefrogs #ums #kinabalupark #ranau #sabah #malaysia #rainforest #forestry #canon200dii #canonasia #naturephotography #wildlifephotography taken in Kinabalu Park by @boiiiiiga

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5

2 years ago

King Cobras, or Hamadryads, are listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List, and are on CITES Appendix II, making them part of the RTE (Rare, Threatened and Endangered) species here in Sarawak. However, despite their infamous status, many people are still highly misinformed about, and unfortunately kill, these beautiful animals. They don't deserve any more protection than other snakes here, but King Cobras are something special. They are the longest venomous snake on the planet, and though their venom is no more powerful than most other cobras, their sheer size gives them a venom yield per bite that's larger than probably any other snake. This individual naturally hooded up to face me, a reminder of its ability to kill me in 15 minutes. However, something else was happening; it stared at me, right into my soul. You never come out quite the same after looking deep into the eyes of a King, because they have this human-like stare, calculative and wary. It made me wonder why anybody would want to hurt or kill these animals, they're not monsters. Sure, they're freaky for being snake-eaters, and of course, their neurotoxic bite gives even me the shudders...but they are like humans in their own way. King Cobras are the only snakes in the world that build a nest for their eggs, guarding them until they hatch like any good mother would. This individual was also far from being as cantankerous as many other snakes I've handled, and let's face it, anyone would feel threatened if they were awoken in the middle of a night and being held by their tail. They don't even SOUND like any other snake, as they hiss at such a low frequency that it resembles a deep, near-human voice. They don't deserve to suffer at the hands of man's deforestation and misjudgement, as they are an important part of our world, too.
First vids by @dlfnaaaa.aa
Shot with Canon EOS 200D II, EF-S 18-55 mm lens.
#kingcobra #hamadryad #ophiophagushannah #cobra #snakes #reptiles #herping #animals #wildlife #canon #photography #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #rimbawan #forest #rainforest #sarawak #malaysia taken in UPM Bintulu Campus by @boiiiiiga

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11

3 years ago

Better late than never, celebrating the common Island Wolf snake, 𝘓𝘺𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴, a day after World Snake Day.
SWIPE ⬅️
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#worldsnakeday🐍 #wolfsnake #snakephotography #snakesofborneo #gayaislandresort taken in Gaya Island Resort by @boiiiiiga

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0

8 days ago

Happy World Snake Day everyone, to celebrate, I'm finally back on posting here! While taking a break was great, I missed getting to write about all the fun stories and neat experiences I have had. So as a soft comeback, let's start small with one of the smaller snakes I find at my typical @kioherp spot!

We begin in November last year, when I decided to just have a short, recreational herp with my brother @jonkhloh at my lowland spot. From experience, I have always known that daytime herping in Borneo can be extremely tough, but this area was one of the biggest exceptions as it is home to possibly the highest population of one of the most underrated snakes on the island. To prove my point, it took all of five minutes to find this one, a young Sabah Keelback!

With a maximum length of less than two feet, these small snakes hunt tadpoles along white water habitats, and are easily seen in the area by looking through cracks in between large boulders and rocks. And while not dazzling with bright colours, I can never get over their beautiful olive greens and adorable white faces! Coming around to look for these snakes during the day are for sure a great way to pass the time while waiting for nightfall to come through for proper herping in the area.

#sabahkeelback #hebiusflavifrons #sabah #malaysia #herping taken in Kota Kinabalu by @boiiiiiga

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1

9 days ago

Eyebrows on point.

SWIPE ⬅️

The Sabah eyebrow lizard, 𝘗𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴, a small, cryptic agamid lizard endemic to the island of Borneo in the high montane rainforests of Sabah. It is easily recognized by the prominent, triangular scales projecting over its eyes

A lifer species for me on a trip up the highlands with @boiiiiiga, these eyebrow lizards have a very well defined face, always love taking real close up shots of them! Amazing species.
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#sabaheyebrowlizard #borneowildlife #borneoreptile #macrophotography #wildlifephotography by @boiiiiiga

97

2

14 days ago

Grumpy lil fella probably cause he's built like a potato. Cute potato though.

SWIPE ⬅️

The Balu sticky frog, 𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴, a tiny, elusive amphibian micro-endemic to the high-elevation montane forests of Crocker range in Sabah, Northern Borneo. It is a stocky very well camouflaged leaf-litter dweller famous for emitting a single high-pitched whistle and secreting a thick, sticky white slime when threatened.

I've seen this frog up high elevations many times, and I guess it's time to post it after several shots of it. I found most of it with the usual @boiiiiiga on our trips up Crocker range.
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#balustickyfrog #macrophotography #borneowildlife #frogphotography #frogsofinstagram🐸 by @boiiiiiga

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15 days ago

Painted by the forest, hidden in plain sight.

SWIPE ⬅️

The White-spotted cat snake, 𝘉𝘰𝘪𝘨𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘪, a long, slender, mildly venomous rear-fanged snake found in forests of Southeast Asia. They're exceptionally slender and can grow up to lengths of about 2 meters. Like most cat snakes, they possess a huge eyes with cat-like pupils.

My lifer species spotted by guide at @luparainforest with @boiiiiiga. Another slow night, but better a snake than no snake especially a lifer snake. I was definitely surprised with how long such a slender snake can get, and I think this wasn't anywhere close to being full size.
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#boigadrapiezii #catsnake #borneowildlife #snakesofborneo #wildlifephotography taken in Lupa Masa by @boiiiiiga

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1

a month ago

Built to disappear, designed to glide.

SWIPE ⬅️

The Kuhl's flying gecko, 𝘎𝘦𝘬𝘬𝘰 𝘬𝘶𝘩𝘭𝘪, a medium sized gecko found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They leap and glide between trees using their specialised skin flaps, webbed feet and a flattened tail to control their descent. These features, added to their colours make them a very well camouflaged on tree barks, making them blend in almost seamlessly.

Finally, managed to photograph one, thanks to @boiiiiiga. I've seen them several times but this particular individual was especially dark and with very good pattern definitions. Truly an incredible species to see in the wild.
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#kuhlsflyinggecko #gekkokuhli #borneowildlife #reptilesofborneo #macrophotography taken in Kionsom, Sabah, Malaysia by @boiiiiiga

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0

a month ago

Riverside resident, toxic tenant.

SWIPE ⬅️

The Poisonous rock frog, 𝘖𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘪, a frog found in clear and fast flowing streams of Southeast Asia. As their name suggests, their skin contains granular glands that secrete poisonous, noxious peptides. While not as deadly as the South American poison dart frogs, handling them can cause significant skin irritation in humans.

I found this fella nice and properly sat on a tree branch by the river, had to take a shot and it didn't move an inch. A striking riverside frog, a good consolation to the night.
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#lupamasa #poisonousrockfrog #odorranahosii #frogsofinstagram🐸 #frogphotography taken in Lupa Masa by @boiiiiiga

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0

a month ago

Built for the water.

SWIPE ⬅️

The Sabah keelback, 𝘏𝘦𝘣𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘴, a small non-venomous water snake endemic to Borneo. They are found in small clear water streams of primary and secondary rainforests. Their diet consists of exclusively amphibians, in which they eat frogs, tadpoles and including their eggs.

We managed find 2 of them on our afternoon trip to the waterfalls with @boiiiiiga spotting them. They are known to be easier to spot in the afternoon especially when the sun rays are hitting the rocks. They're quick snakes usually only peering their heads out of the rock crevices when there's enough sunshine. While I've seen them, photographing a freshly shed juvenile was pretty cool!
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#hebiusflavifrons #sabahkeelback #snakesofborneo #snakephotography #borneowildlife taken in Kionsom, Sabah, Malaysia by @boiiiiiga

119

3

a month ago

Perched and unbothered.

SWIPE ⬅️

The File-eared tree frog, 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴, an arboreal amphibian endemic to Borneo. They are easily identifiable through their prominent, serrated bony crests behind its eyes.

You can always find these fellas on a particular tree, usually they'll be quite a few of them on branches right over a pond. Seen them quite a few times, figured they deserve some spotlights as well since this individual is sorts posing for me.
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#fileearedtreefrog #polypedatesotilophus #frogsofinstagram🐸 #frogphotography #borneowildlife taken in Lupa Masa by @boiiiiiga

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1

2 months ago