A few photos from recent herping trips

[reptilerob]

My wife (rett82) and i have been out a few times with the camera in the last week or so looking around for reptiles and other animals to photograph. Here are a few we have stumbled across.
Some of you may have already seen this one from another thread,

And here is a photoshopped, jazzed up you beaut version of the above photo!!lol

Here are a couple of photos of an eastern brown snake taken by my wife about 10 minutes after i took the above dragon photos.

Here is a blue tongue we found quite high in the high country basking in the sun on a 4x4 track last week. I took the first photo to show the markings, and my wife took the other two great shots.

Yesterday we found 2 fantastic places to go herping. Im hoping to get back over there this afternoon on my way to a fishing spot for the evening. I just hope the sun stays out and keep everything nice and warm.
In the short time we were there yesterday i found a few bearded dragons!!! I took these photos,

The reason i point out the photos that my wife took is because she is also a member of this site and a talented photographer, and i dont want to take any credit whatsoever for her great work.

Oh, i almost forgot, incase anybody is interested, here is a photo of a pair of wedgetailed eagles my wife took last week too.

 

[ryanharvey1993]

nice pics, would be great having beardies commonly around like that, in my immediate area they are very rare, have to drive like 50km for them to get commoner (is that a word?)

 

[Rainbow-Serpent]

Gorgeous shots!!

And no Ryan, I don't think that's a word.

 

[redbellybite]

Good job guys ...my pic taking is bad ...

 

[reptilerob]

Thanks everyone.
Ryan, i had only ever rarely seen beardies in my area. Probably only 1 or 2 in my entire life, until a couple of weeks ago. Last year was one of those one or two that i had seen, and then last week when my wife and i returned to that same spot we saw another one. On closer inspection there seems to be quite a healthy population of them in that area which is quite exciting to me.

 

[moloch05]

Great photos. I really like the blotched Bluetongue, a species we don't see posted very often.

Regards,
David

 

[Sock Puppet]

Great shots, I especially liked the Alpine Blotched Bluey.
Mind you, I might be a bit biased.....(he says, discreetly directing your attention to avatar pic)

 

[reptilerob]

Thanks David and Tonksy. I usually see quite a few of them blotched blue tongues over the summer months when im in the high country trout fishing.

I went back to my little herping spot yesterday on my way to one of my favourite fishing spots. It works out well, its only a short detour so i can kill 2 birds with 1 stone!!! Go herping for a couple of hours, then fishing for the rest of the afternoon.
I didnt see any snakes or bearded dragons yesterday afternoon. I did however see this magnificent looking goanna just sitting on the track on the way in!!! So i stopped the car and took this photo first, before he became startled and took off!! I should of used a higher apperture to get his head in focus, or focused further up his body, but i knew if i stuffed around with camera setting for too long he would take off!! I should of been more prepaired.

Immedietly after i took the above photo he cottoned on to me and his first reaction was to squat down low,

He moved into the long grass, so i walked up to where he was, and to my surprise he was just sitting motionless like a log using his colours and patterns to camoglauge himself!!

I was almost standing on him. I wanted to get a good close up photo of his head but he was motionless. I took this one, and themn leant down and gently touched his tail hoping he would turn around but instead he bolted at about 10000000 mile an hour into a pile of logs. LOL What a beautiful creature. We get heaps of them around here, especially in the heat of summer.

 

[Sock Puppet]

I think that's a Heath Monitor (Rosenberg's Monitor) Varanus Rosenbergi.
Nice find! I've only seen one once before up at Kuringai NP.

 

[reptilerob]

Thanks Tonksy. I google searched it, and according to the chart i found they dont exist in my area (wangaratta) but we saw another one about 20km away from there today and they sure do look like heath monitors!!!
I have a photo of a big one i took last year i will see if i can find it.

 

[reptilerob]

Here you go Tonksy. Here is one we found in the same area last summer. Only about 10 km away. Do you think its a heath monitor? I dont know a lot about them, but i know they are awesome!! I love the way this one is just sitting there relying solely on his camoflauge to disguise him!!!

 

[reptilerob]

And here is a baby one that my wife photographed today. Image quality isnt the best with this so i couldnt crop it much tighter. My wife took 2 or three quick photos, then decided to try and compose a good photo but the goanna bolted!!Lol

 

[Sock Puppet]

That big one up the tree is a lace monitor, looks like what they call "Bell's Line" with the broad banding, very nice, looks like army camo patterns haha.
Can't see that little one well enough to comment.