Victor Valley College Tropical Research Initiative
Herpetofauna of Timor-Leste
Phase IV

Fatucahi, Manufahi District

The evening we arrived Hinrich, Scott, Laca and I went herping in the convent grounds. We found three amphibians we expected to find and one that we didn't. The ubiquitous Asian black-spined toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) was present in large numbers on the ground while the Striped treefrog (Polypedates cf. leucomystax) was found sitting on the leaves and slender trunks and branches of short trees within the compound. Also on the ground we found a few Rice-paddy frogs (Fejervarya sp.) but what we had not expected to find was a Pumpkin frog (Kaloula cf. baleata). The short, stocky frogs are well known from the Indo-Malayan Archipelago but are not known from Timor. Although generally terrestrial we found more specimens (we found nine) sitting aloft on low trunks of trees than on the ground, possibly a reaction to competition from the toad. However, Scott found one toad sitting atop the compound wall so they climb too.

FROGS from FATUCAHI click on images to enlarge
Black-spined toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus note the characteristic black ridges and tubercles
Striped treefrog Polypedates cf. leucomystax
Rice paddy frog Fejervarya sp.
Pumpkin frog Kaloula cf. baleata

Prepping specimens (l-r) Zito, Hinrich, Kyle, Caitlin, Laca and Joanna

The Convent at Fatucahi also became our photographic studio and specimen prep lab during our stay in the area.

Father Cornelius also showed us a juvenile Reticulated python (Python reticulatus) which had been captured in the garden of a neighbouring building. Despite being kept in extremely unsanitary conditions in an old oil drum, the python was in good health, apart from abrasions to the top of its head from continual rubbing inside of its prison. From a bulge in its midsection we could see it had recently been fed a small rat.

In pre-ecdysis (coming up to shed its skin) the small snake was wary but docile. Eventually we convinced Father Cornelius to allow us to take it with us for release back into suitable southern coastal habitat.

Reticulated python Python reticulatus

The python was not the only snake record from the convent at Fatucahi. The brothers had killed a snake in the compound a couple of nights earlier and a search in the dark recovered its remains. It was clearly a colubrid but at this point in time we are unable to state which species, other than to say the patterning and scalation do not appear to match any known Timorese species. The remains have been fixed for further examination.