Spotted a lizard/Goanna/skink that i have never seen before in West Aussie in Madora bay...At first i thought it was another bobtail but it wasent...Colour was more of an olive green...Was as long as a bobtail although not as fat..Head was more slimmer and not triangular shape...It moved similiar to a snake although it had legs albeit very short and didnt have the fat tail like bobbys do....what really caught my attention and i only saw it for a second was the markings on its back directly (I Think) above its front legs....I can only describe as Like Japanese writing...No i hadent been drinking or nor do i take drugs.....Dont have photo as by time i pulled truck up it had vanished into scrub....
Goanna/lizard ID
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disintegratus
Very Well-Known Member
Can't help too much, but just on that comment alone, definitely not a shingleback!!
What colour were the markings?
Wrightpython
Well-Known Member
Keel back
corky
Not so new Member
common slender blue tongue?
Chanzey
Well-Known Member
B
Bluetongue1
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There is no doubt that the description of the legs and movement, coupled with the size, sounds like a Slender Bluetongue. However, C. branchialis (the species astutely chosen by Corky) is not known to occur that far south. C. celatus does occur in Madora Bay but it would be an unusually marked specimen if it was what you saw. The only other lizards of that size, do not have short legs, particularly the varanid and agamid species. None of the local Egernias, other than King’s Skink, attain the dimensions of a Bobtail. Cyclodomorphus have distinctly shiny and smooth scales, which you couldn’t miss if you were able to make out the markings on the dorsal surface. So my best guess would be C. celatus. It is an adept burrower and can quickly disappear into loose soil or leaf litter.
Blue
EDIT: My ERROR. C. celatus might occur in Madora - but it is doubtful now that I have checked more exact records. To date it has not been recorded south of the Swan River. So while they ar not uncommon where I livein the northern suburbs, they are found 100 km south, only to about 50 km south of here.
Blue
EDIT: My ERROR. C. celatus might occur in Madora - but it is doubtful now that I have checked more exact records. To date it has not been recorded south of the Swan River. So while they ar not uncommon where I livein the northern suburbs, they are found 100 km south, only to about 50 km south of here.
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It is my opinion that it is a branchialis. I was under the impression that celatus lack the blackish blotches on the side of the neck and does not have dark bold spots as seen in brachialis but in celtatus markings more enlongated like streaks. However I must admit I have had no experience with either species what so ever but I don't think distribution in this case should rule it out the possibility of it being a branchialis.
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damian83
Very Well-Known Member
beat me...Keel back
In my opinion it looks nothing like Western Bluetongue Tiliqua occipitalis bluetongue1 has one pictured as is profile picture they look completely different. Just remember reptiles distribution doesn't follow that of text books so if you are using only that to id a reptile I don't think that is very reliable.
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The OP does not have a pic of the reptile he is trying to ID so how can you say it looks nothing like it?
Reptile distribution is a good guide and considering C.branchialis is probably a good couple of hundred kms out I think it would be safe to rule it out, also considering the likelihood of a random person spotting one so far out of it's known distribution is nil.
It was not C. branchialis.
I would put money on it being T. occipitalis.
Reptile distribution is a good guide and considering C.branchialis is probably a good couple of hundred kms out I think it would be safe to rule it out, also considering the likelihood of a random person spotting one so far out of it's known distribution is nil.
It was not C. branchialis.
I would put money on it being T. occipitalis.
Tiliqua occipitalis is stockier, more triangular head, has bands on its back and rings on the tail and a yellow brown colour. Just thought I would let you know I visited a site which had this exact same photo and it said it was from Murchison, WA which seems to be in the general area where branchialis or at least not ages away.
I think distribution is a rough guide but not always totally accurate.
Here is the link: Image _MG_4567.jpg from the wildlife gallery
I think distribution is a rough guide but not always totally accurate.
Here is the link: Image _MG_4567.jpg from the wildlife gallery
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Jordo are you talking about the one corky posted a picture of because that doesn't look anything like a western Bluetongue that looks like a branchialis to me (can you even see the picture). I am not referring to the post frog4364 to that i agree that could be a occipitalis. I am referring to the photo corky posted which to me looks like a branchialis.
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P
-Peter
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Just remember he was driving past in a truck so I wouldn't be argueing finer details.
GeckPhotographer
Very Well-Known Member
He posted it specifically because IT IS a branchialis..................................................
More precisely he googled the name Cyclodomorphus branchialis, found a picture on the site of Thomas Rasmussen's photography, thought it illustrated C.branchialis well and copy pasted it here to illustrate what C.branchialis looks like to the original posted. While not everyone may know where he got it from, everyone else has used rational though and common sense to realize that's what he did.
(I apologize if it's actually your photo Corky, but it's certainly on that site)
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Madora bay is about 60kms south of Perth and about 10minutes south of where I'm sitting typing this response.
If there is another Madora bay then I apologise.
I haven't found C. celatus here and even in the Northern suburbs where they are more commonly found they are not easily come by.
The banding on T. occipitalis is sometimes broken and I could imagine somebody looking for a way in which to describe it may use chinese writing. I have never found a C. celatus that would even come close to that sort of description.
As I said the OP didn't give a photo and being quite familiar with the species in the Perth region and going by the assumption that the OP is in the same Madora Bay that is just down the road from me I think it likely he/she saw a Western Blue Tongue. T. occipitalis. Without a photo though I guess we will never be certain.
If there is another Madora bay then I apologise.
I haven't found C. celatus here and even in the Northern suburbs where they are more commonly found they are not easily come by.
The banding on T. occipitalis is sometimes broken and I could imagine somebody looking for a way in which to describe it may use chinese writing. I have never found a C. celatus that would even come close to that sort of description.
As I said the OP didn't give a photo and being quite familiar with the species in the Perth region and going by the assumption that the OP is in the same Madora Bay that is just down the road from me I think it likely he/she saw a Western Blue Tongue. T. occipitalis. Without a photo though I guess we will never be certain.
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