In the great central deciduous forests of Tadoba, while the large animals roam around freely to the delight of visitors, the smaller beings are often neglected and shier than their brethren. We want to change that. Here’s a guide to the various forms of wildlife around our resort in Tadoba that aren’t a tiger!
Microfauna is varied and comprises several categories. Unlike big game, you can get closer to smaller animals with the caveat being that you will have to be much more silent and careful when attempting to sight them. A naturalist from our resort in Tadoba will of course assist you with sightings but learning the law of the land is always a good practice.
Birds
Our feathered friends abound all over our resort in Tadoba and in the buffer zones thanks to the proliferation of agricultural land and forest produce. Tadoba is home to some 300 species of birds that both live here or visit in the winters. There are also some keystone birds of Tadoba like the Forest Owlet, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher and the Grey Headed Vulture. Apart from this, Tadoba also contains several birding hotspots that you can travel to: All roughly an hour’s drive from our resort in Tadoba! The Azargari Lake area is one such birding hotspot; the Irai River makes for a perfect morning birding session. Lastly, go on a chorus walk with our naturalists at Red Earth Tadoba in the early hours of the day!
Butterflies
No one really wonders about butterflies when we think of wildlife. But the truth is, butterflies (and indeed moths) are known as umbrella species within an ecosystem. These magnificent creatures can be found at almost every altitude on Earth. Butterflies and moths belong to a class of insects known as Lepidoptera, or scaly winged insects. They make up one of the biggest insect groups in the world!
In Tadoba, roughly 111 species of butterflies flutter about every day. This includes flagship species like the Blue Mormon, the state butterfly of Maharashtra. This massive swallowtail is one of India’s largest and can’t be missed flying past you with its dazzling shade of blue.
Moths are also a common occurrence and you might just spot an Owl Moth or a Tussar Silk Moth hanging around near light fixtures at our resort in Tadoba!
Reptiles
Tadoba harbors 35 species of reptiles! They prefer the undergrowth as opposed to open jungle, both for purposes of heat management and a safe haven. Some of the common snakes around our resort in Tadoba include Spectacled Cobras, Russell’s Vipers hiding in the undergrowth, Vine Snakes hiding among trees like their namesake, Rock Pythons that inspired the Kipling character of Kaa and many more. Monitor Lizards though not very common, are also an occurrence!
The presence of reptiles also means that one has to be slightly cautious around our resort in Tadoba owing to their nature of entering human-designed spaces. We must remember that we do share a home with the wild and as such receive visits from our reptile neighbours too at times!
Arachnids
Another class of “creepy” crawlie that you might just spot around your cottage or on game trails or cycling routes around our resort in Tadoba: Spiders and Scorpions! Neither are any level of creepy and are in fact excellent pest control solutions. Tadoba is home to species like Lynx Spiders, Jumping Spiders, Wolf Spiders and Giant Wood Spiders hanging out between trees on their massive webs. We also have a species of black scorpion that is not as dangerous as the Red Scorpion of the south but still packs a punch.
Small Mammals
Image Credits: Rejaul Karim
Along with the major mammals of Tadoba follow much smaller mammals in secrecy. Most of these are indeed nocturnal. A good example is the Small Indian Civet. Only coming to forage under the cover of darkness, we have seen this beautiful animal more often in camera trap images than in real life! Gerbils and field mice will dart across the roads at night, and you may just be extremely fortunate and witness a rare Honey Badger in the darkness.
Spotting Small Wildlife
As we’d mentioned before, it takes a great deal more patience and silence to spot small wildlife. Even with insects and spiders, one requires a good deal of silent walking so as to not disturb them, as our footsteps give our location away instantly! What also helps is wearing dull colored clothes; this is always a recommended practice whenever in any part of any jungle. Ask the naturalists at our resort in Tadoba for proper guidance when in the field!
