Taal water snakes and Bohol bats on 'Born to be Wild'

BORN TO BE WILD

“Water Snake Lake” and “Bats”

February 13, 2013 

The water snake is in the spotlight for the lunar New Year, and in Lake Taal, not just one but three kinds of water snakes were recorded centuries ago.  Doc Nielsen Donato and his team attempt to document on video whether these three snakes– the duhol matapang, the duhol basahan and the walo-walo –are still present in Taal.  On his first attempt, Doc Nielsen sees a file snake or the duhol basahan.  The duhol basahan is not venomous, and Doc Nielsen sees a group of them being tagged and released back into the lake by researcher Vhon Garcia, who is only the fourth in the world on record to study these snakes.

Although one of the most popular lakes in the country, there are still many mysteries beneath Taal’s waters that ought to be discovered.  After seeing the file snake, next on Doc Nielsen’s list is the endemic Taal water snake or duhol matapang.  As its local name suggests, this water snake is potent with venom.  On his second day, Doc Nielsen is surprised by what he saw was fishermen’s by-catch—not one but seven heads of water snakes.  Could the venomous Taal water snake be here?They are considered beings of the dark and symbolize Dracula in stories.  But while bats may not be everyone’s favorite animal, Doc Ferds Recio meets a team of bat biologists studying them in Bohol.  Bats may be associated with disease like rabies, but studies show that only 0.01 percent of bats are rabies carriers. And while they are also sometimes seen as pests, bats in fact eat insects that may overpopulate and destroy crops.  Upon closer inspection, Doc Ferds sees not only their fascinating ways, but also why experts say that a world without bats is a very dark one indeed.

Don’t miss this Wednesday’s episode of Born to be Wild, after Saksi.