Species in Focus: Nepenthes ampullaria

Species in Focus is a series of short posts about interesting species I’ve seen with tips on identification and where you can also see them. Today’s Species in focus is a fascinating tropical pitcher plant from South East Asia. Description: Nepenthes ampullaria like many plant species doesn’t really have a common name, although in Pitcher […]

Wolves and giant catfish: the wildlife of Chernobyl

I had wanted to visit the Chernobyl exclusion zone for a number of years, partly because it cried out to the dark tourist in me and partly because it has effectively become a 1000 square mile, accidental nature reserve. Wildlife in the exclusion zone includes wolves, bears, bison, beavers, wild boar, moose and the endangered […]

Herping in a war zone: searching for the Palestine Viper

The West Bank doesn’t rank high on most people’s lists of wildlife destinations but if you can get in (more on that later), it’s certainly an interesting place and home to one of my favourite snakes, the Palestine viper (Daboia palaestinae). This beautiful, heavy-bodied snake is responsible for a large proportion of snake bites in […]

Chasing Ghosts: searching for the Malayan tiger

“Wake up! And be quiet” hissed our guide. “Tiger!” I quietly climbed barefoot off the makeshift wooden platform I had been sleeping on and grabbed my torch. Unseen insects hummed and droned as I cast a feeble light over the undergrowth. Nick, our guide, whispered to me that he had seen the eyes of a […]

What kit to take for a jungle expedition?

The first time I went on a jungle expedition I packed way too much stuff. I also spent days stressing over what clothes, shoes, socks and underwear to take, so hopefully this list will help you with your kit choices. What you take will be partly determined by how remote and how long you are […]

Man Eating Snakes

There is no doubt that there are several snake species which are large enough to eat a human but how often does it occur? The internet abounds with false stories which make it difficult to separate fact from fiction. Out of the world’s largest snake species, four tend to crop up in the news more […]

Species in Focus: Sunda Island Pit Viper

Species in Focus is a series of short posts about interesting species I’ve seen with tips on identification and where you can also see them. Identification: The Sunda Island Pit Viper (Trimeresurus insularis) looks a lot like many of the other green pit vipers that are found across Asia and shares its range with the […]