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Secrets of the Undergrowth: Reptile and Mammal Photography

byTushar TandelBased in Navi Mumbai; Travels to Gir, Jaisalmer, Western Ghats & Pune for shootsStarts from₹2,500 per sessionView full gallery

I trade the big cats for the little details. This gallery explores the hidden lives of reptiles, small mammals, and the tiny creatures that define the true character of our forests.

My first encounter with a Hump-nosed Pit Viper in the Western Ghats. After a rush of adrenaline, I captured this shot of the venomous snake coiled on a rock, its forked tongue tasting the air.

A Deccan Banded Gecko, caught in the rain during a night trail. This macro shot shows it using its tongue to wipe a water droplet from its eye, a truly intimate and amazing moment of animal behavior.

Meet the showstopper of the scrublands, the Fan-throated Lizard. This video shows the male's incredible courtship display as it flashes its colorful fan to attract a mate.

The Indian Giant Squirrel, with its vibrant maroon and cream coat, navigates the high branches of the forest. Its long, bushy tail makes it a spectacular sight in the Western Ghats.

When bad weather kept the birds away in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, I turned my lens to these playful monkeys. This video captures their social interactions and acrobatic antics in the trees.

A tiny Tree Shrew, often mistaken for a squirrel, pauses on a rock. These small, energetic mammals are always a delight to watch as they forage on the forest floor.

A Hump-nosed Pit Viper coiled on a rock, its tongue extended. The lush green background contrasts with the snake's earthy tones, highlighting this venomous predator.

An extreme macro shot of a Deccan Banded Gecko cleaning its eye. The detail is so fine you can see the texture of its tongue and the individual water droplets on its skin.

A female Fan-throated Lizard, more subtly colored than the male, perches on a rock in the Pune grasslands.

A wide shot of the male Fan-throated Lizard displaying, showing its small size in relation to its rocky perch.

About Secrets of the Undergrowth: Reptiles & Mammals

Wildlife photography at this scale is not about power; it is about stillness. I often spend hours in the dirt, waiting for a fan-throated lizard to display its colors or a gecko to emerge after rain. These shots require specific macro lighting techniques and a willingness to get low, which is why I prefer guiding sessions that teach you how to see the tiny, complex ecosystems that most hikers walk straight past.

Documenting biodiversity across the Western Ghats — Approved by the tribe
T

Tushar Tandel

Based in Navi Mumbai; Travels to Gir, Jaisalmer, Western Ghats & Pune for shootsStarts from ₹2,500 per session

I am Tushar, just a guy with a day job who spends his free time crawling in the mud to find the smallest creatures in the wild. I do not look for the biggest animals; I look for the ones that usually go unnoticed, because their stories are just as wild.

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