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:
... fossilized worm tubes from a Silurian sea.
... village of Kalbarri:
Here are photos of the gorge carved by the Murchison River:
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.
Long-nosed Dragons (Amphibolurus longirostre) were occasionally sighted near water.
The most common lizard, especially on the bluffs above the ocean was the Spotted Military Dragon (Ctenophorus maculatus):
Dwarf Bearded Dragons (Pogona minor) were the most conspicuous in the late afternoon when the basked at the tops of shrubs:
Western Blue-tongue (Tiliqua occipitalis):
Cryptoblepharus sp.
Common Scaly-foots (Pygopus lepidopodus) at Kalbarri were striped. This one was unfortunately dead on the road.
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:
White-spotted Ground Geckos (Diplodactylus alboguttatus) were encountered a few times:
Western Stone Gecko (Diplodactylus granariensis). This one looked much like Eastern Stone Geckos from the Warrumbungles.
I found this enormus Smooth Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus laevis) on a clifftop near the ocean.
In November, I found a few Southern Shovel-nosed Snakes (Brachyurophis semifasciatus) on the road:
I found an adult Stimson's Python (Antaresia stimsoni) in November and a juvenile in February:
There still was a great variety of flowers to be seen in November:
... featherflowers (Verticordia sp.):
... clawflower
... others
Regards,
David
Here are a few shots of cliffs and rock formations from the coastal portion of Kalbarri:
... fossilized worm tubes from a Silurian sea.
... village of Kalbarri:
Here are photos of the gorge carved by the Murchison River:
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.
Long-nosed Dragons (Amphibolurus longirostre) were occasionally sighted near water.
The most common lizard, especially on the bluffs above the ocean was the Spotted Military Dragon (Ctenophorus maculatus):
Dwarf Bearded Dragons (Pogona minor) were the most conspicuous in the late afternoon when the basked at the tops of shrubs:
Western Blue-tongue (Tiliqua occipitalis):
Cryptoblepharus sp.
Common Scaly-foots (Pygopus lepidopodus) at Kalbarri were striped. This one was unfortunately dead on the road.
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:
White-spotted Ground Geckos (Diplodactylus alboguttatus) were encountered a few times:
Western Stone Gecko (Diplodactylus granariensis). This one looked much like Eastern Stone Geckos from the Warrumbungles.
I found this enormus Smooth Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus laevis) on a clifftop near the ocean.
In November, I found a few Southern Shovel-nosed Snakes (Brachyurophis semifasciatus) on the road:
I found an adult Stimson's Python (Antaresia stimsoni) in November and a juvenile in February:
There still was a great variety of flowers to be seen in November:
... featherflowers (Verticordia sp.):
... clawflower
... others
Regards,
David
