NSW camping/herping

[Harry89]

Hi all,

Despite the rain our little camping trip within Koreelah national park was wonderful over the weekend, and resulted in some surprise reptile/amphibian sightings. If anyone can identify the dorsal shed or any of the little critters, please do let me know. Some photos are a little out of focus, it was raining after all!

 

[Pythonguy1]

Interesting find.
The first skink photo is a Secretive Skink . Not sure about the last skink. Or the dorsal shed.
The third frog photo is a stony creek frog. The second one is a naked tree frog. Not sure about the first frog.

 

[Sdaji]

I'm also not sure of the first frog, it's a little blurry. Second skink is probably a Lerista, but I'd have to spend time looking through field guides to be sure or narrow it down to a species. The dorsal slough is from a water dragon.

Looks like you had a great trip

 

[Harry89]

Thanks guys!

We had a great time, camping in the rain is always more interesting and makes for fewer neighbours. Was awesome seeing water back in the creek and flowing with such force over the waterfall again too! We are yet to have a bad time staying there, it's always quiet, beautiful and a great place to just sit in nature surrounded by friendly wrens and old trees.

 

[Bluetongue1]

Given the body shape and the splayed positioning of the back legs, frog 1 looks like it could well be a Green Stream Frog Litoria phyllochroa. With respect to frog 2, the Naked Tree Fog (aka Desert Tree Frog) Litotra rubella has quite a blunt snout and tends to be dumpy in build. So it looks more like a Green-thighed Frog Litoria brevipalmata to me. @Harry89, did you happen to notice the colour of the groin and/or thighs perchance? These are often distinctively coloured and can provide a positive ID - L. brevipalmata is coloured bright blue to green in the groin and back of the thigh, while the groin of L. rubella is lemon yellow. Agree with frog 3 being Litoria wilcoxi.

The young fossorial skink is most probably an Eastern Three-toed Earless Skink Hemiergis talbingoensis. It is very similar to the Three-toed Skink Saiphos equalis, which occurs in the same area, but the latter lacks the lined patterning that can be seen on this lizard. There are other differences but you would need the animal in-hand to observe them. I ruled out Lerista as they have longer, straight sloping, sharper snouts and non-protruding eyes. They also tend to have a more robust body and tail build. Definitely agree with Sdaji on the slough though. @Josiah Rossic, Does “Secretive Skink” refer to Lampropholis delicata?

 

[Harry89]

Thanks @Bluetongue1, so I am sorry but I cannot offer any insight on the thigh colour, I was just pumped to see so much life in the area and was trying to not stand on anything in the process of taking photos. I wish I could remember.

Thanks all for the input, really awesome to know so many little guys lived in the area still after the long drought.

 

[nuttylizardguy]

Given the body shape and the splayed positioning of the back legs, frog 1 looks like it could well be a Green Stream Frog Litoria phyllochroa. With respect to frog 2, the Naked Tree Fog (aka Desert Tree Frog) Litotra rubella has quite a blunt snout and tends to be quiet dumpy in build. So it looks more like a Green-thighed Frog Litoria brevipalmata to me. @Harry89, did you happen to notice the colour of the groin and/or thighs perchance? These are often distinctively coloured and can provide a positive ID - L. brevipalmata is coloured bright blue to green in the groin and back of the thigh, while the groin of L. rubella is lemon yellow. Agree with frog 3 being Litoria wilcoxi.

The young fossorial skink is most probably an Eastern Three-toed Earless Skink Hemiergis talbingoensis. It is very similar to the Three-toed Skink Saiphos equalis, which occurs in the same area, but the latter lacks the lined patterning that can be seen on this lizard. There are other differences but you would need the animal in-hand to observe them. I ruled out Lerista as they have longer, straight sloping, sharper snouts and non-protruding eyes. They also tend to have a more robust body and tail build. Definitely agree with Sdaji on the slough though. @Josiah Rossic, Does “Secretive Skink” refer to Lampropholis delicata?

Definitely looks like a juvenile Lampropholis delicata to me , I have heaps of them living in my garden beds and under my house and in my garage and my retaining wall.

 

[Bluetongue1]

@Harrry89, It is always a pleasure to hear about others just enjoying the simple beauty of nature – something I spent most weekends of my childhood doing. There is also something special about the smell of the bush after it has rained, that used to fill my senses. A couple of reasons why I enjoyed reading your post. Thanks.
Our native critters are pretty resilient and have their various strategies for surviving the tough times. No doubt a percentage perished, but it can be surprising how many do survive. The rain will certainly help rejuvenate activity and life in the area.

 

[Sdaji]

Given the body shape and the splayed positioning of the back legs, frog 1 looks like it could well be a Green Stream Frog Litoria phyllochroa. With respect to frog 2, the Naked Tree Fog (aka Desert Tree Frog) Litotra rubella has quite a blunt snout and tends to be quiet dumpy in build. So it looks more like a Green-thighed Frog Litoria brevipalmata to me. @Harry89, did you happen to notice the colour of the groin and/or thighs perchance? These are often distinctively coloured and can provide a positive ID - L. brevipalmata is coloured bright blue to green in the groin and back of the thigh, while the groin of L. rubella is lemon yellow. Agree with frog 3 being Litoria wilcoxi.

The young fossorial skink is most probably an Eastern Three-toed Earless Skink Hemiergis talbingoensis. It is very similar to the Three-toed Skink Saiphos equalis, which occurs in the same area, but the latter lacks the lined patterning that can be seen on this lizard. There are other differences but you would need the animal in-hand to observe them. I ruled out Lerista as they have longer, straight sloping, sharper snouts and non-protruding eyes. They also tend to have a more robust body and tail build. Definitely agree with Sdaji on the slough though. @Josiah Rossic, Does “Secretive Skink” refer to Lampropholis delicata?

I was wondering if it might be a Hemiergis, and after reading your post I think you're on the money.

 

[Bluetongue1]

@nuttylizardguy, I’m with you on this one. There is not enough white flecking on the dorsal surface to match L. guichenoti. Although I am not familiar with L. amicula, which is found in the same area and apparently often misidentified as L. delicata, it would seem that the pale dorsolateral stripe atop the dark dorsolateral band of L. delicata is sufficient to distinguish between them.

Thanks John. Historically it was one of those similar looking species cases where the only differences given in descriptions were features one cannot observe readily in photographs. So through a combination of personal experience and research, I managed to come up with some more readily observable diagnostic features to recognise between the two species. So a bit of luck was involved there in getting something I happened to know.

 

[Pythonguy1]

@Josiah Rossic, Does “Secretive Skink” refer to Lampropholis delicata?

meant Lamphrolis amicula (secretive skink), but it probably is Lampropholis delicata (garden skink) the're more common in that area, however Lamphrolis amicula and Lampropholis delicata are similar species which is probably why I got them confused.
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With respect to frog 2, the Naked Tree Fog (aka Desert Tree Frog) Litotra rubella has quite a blunt snout and tends to be quiet dumpy in build. So it looks more like a Green-thighed Frog Litoria brevipalmata to me.

It probably is Litoria brevipalmata, its got the shape and the color. They are a rare species so nice find Harry89!

 

[Harry89]

Thanks knowledge bank! It was honestly just wonderful to spend a couple of days with no reception, crawling around the undergrowth by the top of a waterfall, nothing is as relaxing and healing as time spent in nature, I second your memories @Bluetongue1 and get out bush whenever I can to find some peace.

Thanks @Josiah Rossic, however it was pure luck that allowed us to see these little guys, so glad to know the lesser noted species are hanging in there too! They were all so cute!

 

[Pythonguy1]

Frog pic 2 is definitely Litoria brevipalmata, the stripe extends from the snout to the forelimb unlike Litotra rubella.

Thanks @Josiah Rossic, however it was pure luck that allowed us to see these little guys, so glad to know the lesser noted species are hanging in there too! They were all so cute!

One of my favorite species I often see is the southern orange-eyed treefrog.
.
I got some nice photos of this guy.