It makes perfect sense that Meghalaya’s name means “abode of clouds, it is after all the wettest place on Earth, with Cherrapunji and Mawsynram receiving over 11,700 mm of rain. The average visitor to this northeastern state is usually fascinated by the beauty of waterfalls, pristine rivers and root bridges, which have taken hundreds of years and many generations to build. With a forest cover of over 70 per cent, and vast and intricate cave systems, Meghalaya’s appeal is one of a kind. Its dense forests, spread across the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills, support a rich and diverse range of flora and fauna that is worth exploring.
A few years ago, I set off on a quest to explore some lesser-known areas of the state, and started documenting the wildlife, especially the reptilian and amphibian biodiversity I encountered. To this day, every time I return I find something new, something unique, which fascinates me and draws me back again and again. Although this is still a work in progress and will remain so for a long time, here are a few images that capture this fascinating habitat.
Meghalaya receives an unparalleled amount of rainfall and has some of the most magnificent waterfalls in India. The water flows through the rocky terrain to form innumerable small and some notably large waterfalls, often deep inside forests. Cover photo: Many species of snakes are found in Meghalaya. Due to both cultural trends and lack of awareness of their ecological importance, killing snakes is commonplace. During all my visits, I have rescued snakes from near human habitation and made images while releasing them in the wild.
Living root bridges are suspension bridges made by shaping and training live roots. These root bridges are seen across southern Meghalaya and are mostly made of the roots of the Indian rubber tree (Ficus elastica). The indigenous Khasis are known to have nurtured these bridges over generations, with some bridges reportedly hundreds of years old.
Pope’s pit viper (Trimeresurus popeiorum) is a venomous pit viper species found across Northeast India. Primarily nocturnal, the brilliantly coloured snake can be seen hanging from tree branches and creepers in densely forested areas, as it waits to ambush prey — mainly frogs, lizards, birds and rodents. Its venom is neurotoxic and potent enough to be harmful to humans. However, none of the pope’s pit vipers I encountered displayed any aggression. Another interesting characteristic of this species is that it is viviparous (gives birth to live young).
The red-necked keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus) is a venomous snake of the Colubridae family commonly found across the Northeast and northern West Bengal. A rear-fanged species, it has a greenish hue with red and yellow regions near the head. It is semi-aquatic and prefers areas near waterbodies so it can hunt fish and frogs. The species was thought to be non-venomous for a long time and it’s only recently been classified as venomous. It is the only species of snake in India which is both venomous and poisonous (it is believed capable of secreting poison from nuchal glands in the neck).
(Left) Jerdon's bubble-nest frog (Frankixalus jerdonii) is a canopy-dwelling species that was thought to be extinct for over a century and rediscovered in 2007 by a talented team of scientists led by Dr SD Biju, the frogman of India. This unique species feeds on vegetation, rather than insects and larvae. It lays fertilised eggs high above the ground, in a tree hollows filled with water. Once the tadpoles hatch, the female returns periodically to feed them her unfertilised eggs. (Right) The red-tailed bamboo pit viper (Trimeresurus erythrurus) is a venomous pit viper species found across the Northeast and eastern India. A semi-arboreal species, it can be observed in densely forested as well as fragmented forests near human habitation. Females of the species are much larger than males, and are viviparous, often giving birth before or at the onset of the monsoon. Like most pit-viper species they are ambush hunters, waiting patiently for prey to come to them rather than chasing it.
Cope’s Assam frog (Hydrophylax leptoglossa) is a medium-sized brown frog that lives close to a waterbodies in the forests of eastern and northeastern India, as well as in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. This common nocturnal frog is also called the long-tongued frog. Herpetologists are able to identify them easily by the distinctive call of the males.
Mawblang toads (Bufoides meghalayanus) are endemic to the Northeast, and are particularly seen in Mawblang, Meghalaya, five kilometres southeast of Cherrapunji and the Khasi Hills. They have traditionally occupied rocky crevices, near streams in the screw pine forests of the region, though extensive rock quarrying and exploitation of forests has disturbed their habitat. They are under 4 cm in size, and primarily dark brown in colour, with breeding males displaying yellow marbling on their lower flanks.
Wei sawdong is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in India. It is three-step fall with a turquoise pool underneath. This waterfall can be heard roaring from a long distance away. It takes almost 45 minutes on an almost a vertical climb down to reach the base. Though bathing in the pool is strictly banned, in recent years this waterfall has caught the attention of adventurous tourists visiting the state, and the formerly pristine area is now marred by plastic waste.
