Victor Valley College Tropical Research Initiative
Herpetofauna of Timor-Leste
Phase IV
Suai, Covalima District
Castelo Fonteira Hotel on the eastern outskirts of Suai, Covalima District
The Castelo Fronteira Hotel is located on the eastern side of Suai and we found a convenient restaurant less than 1 km back into town.
Caitlin coming out of the front of
Castelo Frontier Hotel, Suai
Our troopies parked at the Castelo Fronteira, our rooms to the left
The convenient Eastern Dragon Restaurant in Suai, air-con, great meals and a few beers
Hinrich and Caitlin set up the prepping lab on the verandah outside the rooms while Mark established the photographic Cubelite set in one of the bedrooms where escaping reptiles could be more easily recaptured.
The 'token limey' author photographing specimens
Lab work on the verandah (clockwise from back): Zito, Laca, Luis, Caitlin, Paul, Hinrich & Joanna
The Jets went out and recorded the calls of the Rice paddy frogs (Fejervarya sp.) behind the hotel and, as usual, there were Common house geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) on the premises. Emrald tree skinks (Lamprolepis cf. smaragdina) and Timor flying lizards (Draco timoriensis) were also found in trees around the hotel.
Rice-paddy frog
Fejervarya sp.
Common house gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
Green phase Emerald tree skink
Lamprolepis cf. smaragdina
Brown phase Emerald tree skink
Lamprolepis cf. smaragdina
In the evening Hinrich and his 'lab team' completed the specimen prepping while Mark, Robert, Scott, Kyle and David went out to some rice paddies to search for Dog-faced watersnakes (Cerberus rynchops), which we recorded from similar habitats on the north coast, but only more Rice-paddy frogs were found.
