moloch05
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- Aug 26, 2006
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Greetings,
My family and I are back from a holiday to the wet tropics of Mission Beach, QLD. Mission Beach has long been our favourite family holiday location and it was great to have all of grown kids with us again ... almost like days long ago! This trip was part of a surprise 60th for my wife.
“Wet tropics” was an appropriate term for the area this year since it rained everyday and sometimes for the entire day. Photography was difficult due to the wet conditions so I don't have as many photos as I had hoped.
I will begin with a few habitat shots and then add arachnids and other interesting animals that I have observed on this trip.
Mission Beach
… view of Mission Beach and offshore islands from Bicton Hill. We climb this hill once or twice each day for exercise.
Dunk Island and the family group of islands:
... view of South Mission Beach area:
Murray Falls – about 45 minutes inland from Mission Beach
This Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) was on the same tree as one that I observed in Nov 2009. They are slow moving dragons and are easy to overlook.
Black-throated Rainbow-Skink (Carlia rostralis) – common at Murray Falls.
Closed-litter Rainbow-Skink (Carlia longipes) – common around our cabin in Mission Beach.
Red-throated Rainbow-Skink (Carlia rubrigularis) – these are the most abundant skink and possibly most abundant reptile here in the wet tropics.
Northern Bar-sided Skink (Eulamprus brachysoma) – I think that this lizard is this species although E. tenuis is a possibility.
Jungle Carpet Python (Morelia spilota) -- I saw two of these one wet night while night-driving for reptiles.
One night, my son and I found this large and nicely patterned Jungle Carpet Python that had just eaten. By the size, I would imagine that it had captured one of the many bandicoots of the area.
Scrub Python (Morelia kinghorni)
Mission Beach is probably the easiest place in the world to see Southern Cassowary. We’ve sighted these lovely birds almost daily. Despite their size, they can disappear easily when they step off the trail.
Bush Stone-Curlew with young.
This Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) was on the same tree as one that I observed in Nov 2009. They are slow moving dragons and are easy to overlook.
Snake-headed Gudgeon – These are one of the common freshwater fish of the area. These are males in breeding colours.
My family and I are back from a holiday to the wet tropics of Mission Beach, QLD. Mission Beach has long been our favourite family holiday location and it was great to have all of grown kids with us again ... almost like days long ago! This trip was part of a surprise 60th for my wife.
“Wet tropics” was an appropriate term for the area this year since it rained everyday and sometimes for the entire day. Photography was difficult due to the wet conditions so I don't have as many photos as I had hoped.
I will begin with a few habitat shots and then add arachnids and other interesting animals that I have observed on this trip.
Mission Beach
![missionbeachhabitat2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/d67/d672c0a24daa44c3919e41f411e462db.jpg)
![missionbeachhabitat4.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/9c0/9c0578a54cd1966a816499116b42a899.jpg)
![missionbeachhabitat7.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/377/377558746f092fc01f4e0ae7b60ee1a2.jpg)
… view of Mission Beach and offshore islands from Bicton Hill. We climb this hill once or twice each day for exercise.
![missionbeachhabitat10.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/70b/70b7d9e6646551b0bbd6df0a2e2aad03.jpg)
Dunk Island and the family group of islands:
![missionbeachhabitat6.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/bb9/bb9a3ca4220952590ca4ab3fec11b249.jpg)
... view of South Mission Beach area:
![missionbeachhabitat8.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/fa7/fa7ce4d5ba616ae5ec04061fd04bf4aa.jpg)
Murray Falls – about 45 minutes inland from Mission Beach
![murrayfalls1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/2e1/2e1153f7ef05f2314573580b1472003e.jpg)
![murrayfalls2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/81a/81acbbc537d482f2f562b1edde162040.jpg)
This Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) was on the same tree as one that I observed in Nov 2009. They are slow moving dragons and are easy to overlook.
![BoydsForestDragon1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/5aa/5aa892c77bfc1f76ee8f3093db7ba2fd.jpg)
![BoydsForestDragon2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/009/009d3ac20678915feffe734beb3ef7f8.jpg)
Black-throated Rainbow-Skink (Carlia rostralis) – common at Murray Falls.
![Carlianigro1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/cfb/cfb36c0e922a6ccef55003b565f6b125.jpg)
Closed-litter Rainbow-Skink (Carlia longipes) – common around our cabin in Mission Beach.
![Carlialongipes1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/b5d/b5d35a70326e66f758767f77b5c7e524.jpg)
Red-throated Rainbow-Skink (Carlia rubrigularis) – these are the most abundant skink and possibly most abundant reptile here in the wet tropics.
![Carliarubrigularis1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/b47/b475a7ab4e4b77e89e455500bd2b9360.jpg)
Northern Bar-sided Skink (Eulamprus brachysoma) – I think that this lizard is this species although E. tenuis is a possibility.
![eulamprus1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/3f1/3f177ddfb7d1999c99da026a4449a4d0.jpg)
Jungle Carpet Python (Morelia spilota) -- I saw two of these one wet night while night-driving for reptiles.
![JungleCarpet1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/18f/18f72c6ab09f9a973e07efc30ee8c3fd.jpg)
![JungleCarpet2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/179/179d6b52ffb87961fa2caf2385af94e7.jpg)
One night, my son and I found this large and nicely patterned Jungle Carpet Python that had just eaten. By the size, I would imagine that it had captured one of the many bandicoots of the area.
![JungleCarpet3.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/ee6/ee64c1efc0a7565ff2b3939ca092d5c2.jpg)
![JungleCarpet4.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/853/853fa85eff28a8029f2c3aaf52791bee.jpg)
Scrub Python (Morelia kinghorni)
![ScrubPython2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/a9b/a9b3e6032d5018140eba44b89761482e.jpg)
![ScrubPython1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/466/466a8d4569d2a7e524cc258fb55280bd.jpg)
Mission Beach is probably the easiest place in the world to see Southern Cassowary. We’ve sighted these lovely birds almost daily. Despite their size, they can disappear easily when they step off the trail.
![Cassowary1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/b78/b787d685c892b4bfefb12ee283b723a2.jpg)
![Cassowary4.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/224/224edf41df3974a1b698c9b16b06cbb4.jpg)
![Cassowary2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/890/8902e0d327091d97d9ba2b5a42f6e800.jpg)
Bush Stone-Curlew with young.
![BushThick-knee1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/991/9919e1bef6885e66d73579c1fe8c1a85.jpg)
This Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) was on the same tree as one that I observed in Nov 2009. They are slow moving dragons and are easy to overlook.
![BoydsForestDragon1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/5aa/5aa892c77bfc1f76ee8f3093db7ba2fd.jpg)
![BoydsForestDragon2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/009/009d3ac20678915feffe734beb3ef7f8.jpg)
Snake-headed Gudgeon – These are one of the common freshwater fish of the area. These are males in breeding colours.
![gudgeon1.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/850/850033fcf6c81dc388100f984ad5164c.jpg)
![gudgeon2.jpg](https://proxy.imagearchive.com/1f8/1f895388c51cca511a77064eee1321da.jpg)