Hi Friendscriber

Exams are over! I finally now have the time to catch up with all my work piling on. I've just got my bike painted, and with a new seat it looks pretty darn good.

The Sanctuary ABN-AMBRO Award money covered the costs.Have a look below

Secondly; just this week the Other India Bookstore has received Romulus Whitaker and Ashok Captain's book on Snakes of India. The book has some fabulous photographs; you have to see it to believe it. I am simply going around telling people that it is a book to die for!

At rupees 2700 it is pretty expensive though. If you'd like to order a copy drop me a mail at [email protected]
I might even be able to work a small discount for you.

I am also taking this opportunity to advertise my own two books; Free From School and The Call of the Snake . If you didn't know about them here's a small note

The first book is about my quitting school to travel around India . I learnt snake handling during this time at the Pune Snake Park and the Madras Crocodile Bank. Also studied spiders, worked on earthworms etc.

The second book is about my snake handling experiences in Goa . All my bizarre experiences along with information on snake myths, first aid etc are included in this book.

Again, should you choose to order one of them you could drop me a mail. The books are priced at 100 and 110 rupees. Free From School is almost sold out.

If you delay you will have to wait for the reprint. (which should be out shortly)

If you don't have the money then you can download Free From School   from my website for free!

Stay tuned also for a lot of nature trips I will be organizing the coming months. In coordination with other wildlife enthusiasts Nitin, Sweta, etc. I will be organizing birding trips, field trips to observe sea life, treks and hopefully even 'gettaway' biking tours!

I know we've missed reptiles in the last two issues, but by next issue I should have something back again on herps.

Rahul Alvares

Column>> Know your B i r d s

Watching this bird picking up crickets, locusts and small insects from ground is delight .

You can spot this bold little fella more on ground looking for food than in air . He is your common Hoopoe ( Upupa epops …scientific Gibberish) , very easy to identify due its zebra markings on wings and never to forget the crest …………which is fanned open when he is in aggressive mood. You will find these birds solitary or scattered in pairs .Feeds on insects caught on ground or pulled from underground……always busy doing his work ,has pleasant mellow hoo…po…po calls …mostly in breeding season More sightings are in meadows ,open country in winter .

I have spotted this bird in open spaces opposite Soccoro grampanchyat and near pomburpa ..on the way to Mayem lake

By Nitin Naik

My Contact Information:

Rahul Alvares, Almeida Vaddo, Parra, Bardez, Goa - 403510

Email: [email protected] [email protected] / [email protected]

Phone:

91-832-2278740 _______________ 0832-3115883

Also, visit my Website: www.geocities.com/rahulsnakesite

The Demon on Wheels!

I couldn't get a pretty young face with waxen voluptuous legs bursting 'out - a' bikini to pose, but I found someone better instead. Have a look, that's Yesu our house maid who was game enough to shake a leg!