You know it all too well. That ‘petrichor’ emanating from the grass outside your window when you wake up. That romantic feeling in the air, that only comes with the Monsoons. Most of the birds lay eggs just before monsoons. They know that, once the rain starts, they would get abundant nourishment for their small ones. Some common species such as bulbuls, cuckoos, robins, barbets, sparrows, and babblers are found all over India in this season. These birds, along with various other species, are a common sight as the skies darken with the coming rains. ‘The rains are here!’ You exult, as you waltz about your home, a spring in your step.
From amphibians like frogs to larger animals seeking shelter, the monsoon brings new life across ecosystems.
If you thought you were the only one excited by the arrival of the monsoon, think again. Remember how, as children, we would look for earthworms in the garden? Some of us avoided them, others held them in the palms of our hands! Those monsoon creatures are probably far more excited than us, to hear the pitter-patter of the rain.
If you’re a nature lover, you’re in for a treat here. With this article, get to know more about those mystical ‘Monsoon Creatures’, and find the answer to the question: ‘What might happen to the Wildlife during the Monsoon Season’? Further, you will see how the Wildlife during the Monsoon Season extends to more than just those ‘garden earthworms’! Read on, to find out more!
15 Awesome Monsoon Creatures: Decoding the Fascinating Wildlife During the Monsoon Season
The summer with its inexorable heat, is a thing of the past! The monsoon is here, and so are all the Monsoon Creatures that come along with it. Presenting all the Wildlife you need to look out for, during the Monsoon Season this year.
- Purple Frog
- Pied Cuckoo (Chataka)
- Earthworms
- The Malabar Pit Viper
- Turtles
- Hammer-Headed Worms
- Cicadas
- Fan-Throated Lizards
- The Giant African Snail
- Tiger Beetles
- Malabar Gliding Frog
- Pink Forest Crabs (Ghatiana Splendida)
The monsoons bring with them a sense of ‘mystique’, the kind a ‘Purple Frog’ does!
Characteristics: Apart from its purplish hue, it has a small head and pointed snouts. It appears outside its burrow only in the monsoons, to lay eggs.
Found in: The Western Ghats.
You’ve heard of the Pied Piper, what about the Pied ‘Cuckoo’?
Characteristics: The legend surrounding this bird is that it appears right before the onset of the monsoons, almost like a ‘Messenger of Rains’!
Found in: The northern regions of India.
These are best characterized by our love-hate relationship with them!
Characteristics: The earthworm absorbs oxygen through its skin, which is exactly why it loves the moist soil in the rains.
Found in: All over India.
You don’t want to get on the wrong side of this Monsoon Creature!
Characteristics: These slow-moving snakes usually return to the same resting spot. They come in all kinds of hues, from green to chocolate brown.
Found in: The Western Ghats.
If you thought seeing earthworms was exciting, imagine what will happen when you see a turtle?
Characteristics: Commonly known as Leith’s Softshell Turtles, these are most commonly found on river banks, when it starts to pour.
Found in: The Western Ghats.
If there are Hammerhead Sharks, why not Hammer-Head Worms?
Characteristics: Even though they belong to the ‘tapeworm’ family, these worms are not parasites. They are commonly found in wet soil, under logs and amidst vegetation.
Found in: Many parts of India.
You probably know these by the term ‘crickets’, and have forever been intrigued by the sounds they make to break the silence of the night!
Characteristics: Like the Pied Cuckoo, most cicada species seem to herald the onset of the monsoons in India.
Found in: All over India.
If you’re scared of lizards in general, you’re not going to be particularly pleased at the sight of this one!
Characteristics: Unlike the house lizard commonly found on home walls, this one’s a ‘ground-dwelling’ lizard. The ‘fan’ refers to the loose skin on their throats known as a ‘dewlap.’ Interestingly, it is used by the males to attract females!
Found In: Eastern India.
Contrary to its name, this snail is a common sight in India during the monsoon season.
Characteristics: Besides their giant size, what distinguishes this species of snails is the fact that most of them emerge at dusk, and feed through the night.
Found in: All over India.
If you wondered where the name ‘Tiger’ came from, it’s on account of the voracious appetite of this particular beetle!
Characteristics: The food of this beetle is primarily adult insects, and even larvae. They are brightly coloured, with hues like blue and orange.
Found in: Scattered across parts of India.
That Purple Frog, isn’t the only frog to proudly show themselves off this monsoon!
Characteristics: As the name suggests, these frogs can actually ‘glide’! That too, up to a distance of 12 meters, via the long skin that is found between their fingers.
Found in: The Western Ghats
Last but not the least, these crabs are found where you least expect them – in the mountains!
Characteristics: You are not the only one coming out to get wet in the rain. The Pink Crab is, too! Normally hiding behind crevices, they come out in the monsoon months to make merry.
Found in: The Western Ghats
Monsoon Creatures: What might happen to Wildlife During the Monsoon Season
For the most part, the rains are a boon to the aforementioned monsoon creatures, as they are to us! It’s only in times when the rains are especially intense, that there might be some changes in the behavior of these animals.
For instance, creatures like turtles and frogs might retreat to the lower levels of water in ponds or lakes. Even earthworms don’t prefer heavy rain, and so you might not see them all too much when there’s a storm at play.
As for other wildlife species, many of them find burrows to live in, so they can be protected from the rains. If there’s one thing about Nature that we know, it is this: ‘It will find a way’!
By now, you have a good idea about all the exotic ‘Monsoon Creatures’ out there. Like Indiana Jones, you’re probably ready to don your explorer’s hat as well, and set off to find these creatures. Oh, you’ll probably need a lesson in Mountain Climbing to be granted an encounter with the exotic Pink Crab. That being said, don’t forget to carry your raincoat!
We at EuroKids, are all for ‘discovery’! Use the guide we have compiled here, to look out for these animals if you ever do get a chance to venture into places like the Western Ghats. Or perhaps, merely while taking a walk around your neighborhood after it rains!
