unsolved puzzle in winter

December, January being the winter months, I thought that I can go into hibernation. There will be no-more posting in the blog as it is mainly a reptile related blog. And everyone knows that reptiles go into hibernation in winter. Reptiles can not regulate their body heat, their body temperature changes with ambient temperature. So, when the ambient temperature drops in winter they had to find a warm place and stay inside. Otherwise they will die in cold. Hibernation is a state of dormancy during which reptiles slow down their metabolic rate so that they don’t have to eat for the whole period of hibernation.


There are some exceptions in this trend. I have seen some particular snakes to remain active in winter time also. They are less active than the warmer time but they are still active. The snakes are Rat Snake and Checkered Keelback. The first one is a land snake and the second one is a water snake. Both are common snakes of this area. The common lizard found in our area i.e. Common Garden Lizard also remains active. Single garden lizard basking morning sunlight on a garden fence or at the end of a small brunch is a common sight. One other common household lizard i.e. Northern House Gecko stays active too. They seem to gather around lights in less number though. But I didn’t found any amphibian to stay active in this time.


But this year my observation seems to tell a different story altogether. I have first located a Common Bronzeback busking in sunlight in the morning on a brick wall. A few days later I saw a Common Toad to be out for the night’s hunt at around 10pm. Within a week, I got some information about killing of 4 Indian Cobra in a nearby paddy-field while the snakes were basking in the morning. Then I saw a Russell’s Viper to sun bask on a small bush beside a railtrack. I found an Indian Bullfrog that day evening. Literally it was out for hunting, frogs don’t wander around. The following days showed me Common Toads a few times again. Oneday when I was returning home at night around 9:30 pm, I found a fresh roadkill Olive Keelback snake. Generally I find them at the location in the rainy season, not in winter time. And the most crazy of them all happened just a few days ago. I found a few Skittering Frogs were calling for mating in a small water body. And they are still calling for the past few days.


The reptile and amphibian species that I have mentioned here are the main species around here. Their activity shows us what in general all the species are doing in here. Without any confusion we can draw a decision that the reptiles and amphibians of this area obviously have not gone to hibernation. It may be the change of weather or the pollution and all that which is creating this change. But what is the reason behind the mating call of the frogs?? There was no rain for the past 2 months and I have not heard mating calls from any other water bodies. So, what is causing the frogs of this particular water body to call for breeding??