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moloch05

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Kalbarri National Park is well worth a visit. This scenic park is roughly an 8 hour drive north of Perth. The main habitat of the park consists of arid shrubland that is a mass of colour in the spring. The park protects a beautiful gorge carved by the Murchison River. The coastal section of the park is also spectacular with strange rock formations. I visited the park with my son in November, 2005, and then again with a friend in February, 2007. On both visits, we camped in a caravan park in the little coastal village of Kalbarri.

Here are a few shots of cliffs and rock formations from the coastal portion of Kalbarri:
habitat1.jpg


habitat2.jpg



... fossilized worm tubes from a Silurian sea.
wormtubes1.jpg



... village of Kalbarri:
habitat7.jpg



Here are photos of the gorge carved by the Murchison River:
habitat3.jpg


habitat5.jpg


habitat4.jpg


habitat6.jpg



The reptilian highlight to me was finding this Moloch on the road. It moved with an odd rocking-gait, a bit like an African Chameleon.
moloch1.jpg


moloch2.jpg



Long-nosed Dragons (Amphibolurus longirostre) were occasionally sighted near water.
longnosedDragon2.jpg



The most common lizard, especially on the bluffs above the ocean was the Spotted Military Dragon (Ctenophorus maculatus):
spottedMilitary5.jpg


Spotted2.jpg




Dwarf Bearded Dragons (Pogona minor) were the most conspicuous in the late afternoon when the basked at the tops of shrubs:
Dwarf2.jpg


Dwarf1.jpg



Western Blue-tongue (Tiliqua occipitalis):
WesternBlueTongue3.jpg


WesternBlueTongue1.jpg



Cryptoblepharus sp.
cryptoblepharus1.jpg



Common Scaly-foots (Pygopus lepidopodus) at Kalbarri were striped. This one was unfortunately dead on the road.
scalyfoot1.jpg



Both Soft Spiny-tailed Geckos (Strophurus spinigerus) and Western Spiny-tailed Geckos (S. strophurus) were common on the roads at night. Here is a S. spinigerus with its incredible eyes:
spinigerus1.jpg



White-spotted Ground Geckos (Diplodactylus alboguttatus) were encountered a few times:
white-spotted1.jpg


white-spotted2.jpg



Western Stone Gecko (Diplodactylus granariensis). This one looked much like Eastern Stone Geckos from the Warrumbungles.
westernStone1.jpg



I found this enormus Smooth Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus laevis) on a clifftop near the ocean.
knob-tailed3.jpg


knob-tailed4.jpg



In November, I found a few Southern Shovel-nosed Snakes (Brachyurophis semifasciatus) on the road:
girdled2.jpg


girdled1.jpg



I found an adult Stimson's Python (Antaresia stimsoni) in November and a juvenile in February:
stimsons2.jpg


stimsons1.jpg




There still was a great variety of flowers to be seen in November:
... featherflowers (Verticordia sp.):
verticordia1.jpg


verticordia2.jpg


... clawflower
flower3.jpg


... others
flower2.jpg


flower1.jpg


flower4.jpg



Regards,
David
 
Thanks for taking the time to post david...fantastic!
I love the WA flora, just missed it when I went over....its a challenge to grow it here in Sydney but I'm giving it a go.
 
Blowin away once again Dave. Fantastic work mate. Top herp pic's. Love the Military Dragon. Not only do they have top shelf herps in WA but some of the most attractive flora on the continent. Love the flora shots.
 
Great pics, I can't wait to get out that way!
 
the scenery is breathtaking, thanks for the pics
 
Thank you as usual for the pics, do you get much time at home as always seem to be travelling ?
 
Thanks, everyone, for the comments.

Matt,
The Stimsons was very uncooperative and I was not able to get any full body shots. It was constantly on the move. I have pics of another from Exmouth that I will post before long.

Warren,
I usually spend 3-4 weeks out on trips each year. Sometimes it is with family but sometimes alone or with friends.


Regards,
David
 
Great pics!!! I would love to visit W.A. and especially this area cause the landscape is just gorgeous.
 
You certainly make the most of your holidays, i envy you, im a slacker !!! Apprecaite all your pics
 
Nice photos David. Moloch seem to be particularly common around Kalbarri, i remember seeing them there regularly as a kid. Havent been for a long time, looks like another trip is on the cards.

Jordan
 
Absolutely stunning flora and fauna over there, great pics David.

That bluey almost looks as if it has a skull and crossbones pattern over the black lateral stripes on its back, or is it just me?? :D
 
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