Good herping spots

[BredliFreak]

Hi all,

This upcoming holidays Dad and I have around 2 weeks to ourselves, and being keen herpers thought we could go somewhere good to herp. What is a good area to go herping that wouldn't take too long to stay at i.e less than 2 weeks but not just a couple of days.

 

[BrownHash]

I always feel that the best way is to decide on what you want to find, and then look for places that these are likely to occur.

You can use things like "The Atlas of Living Australia" to find where certain specues have been recorded.

Are you planning on Camping? If you are then National inal Parks are always an easy place to start.

 

[BredliFreak]

Cheers mate. Not looking for specific spots, just areas (e.g Pilbara) that people would think would be suitable for that time period, and find interesting.

 

[ronhalling]

I remember when i was much younger going herping at Crookwell which is about 100ks west of Goulburn and was amazed at the amount of species we saw, the sheep farmers around that area and out to Binda don't mind you camping as long as you do the right thing and ask first AND DON'T HAVE FIREARMS, you could do worse. ....................Ron

 

[BredliFreak]

Sounds cool Ron! What species did you see?

 

[CrazyNut]

Nelson, its along the Glenelg river up near the SA border (bout a 5hr driver from Tullamarine) plenty of camping grounds up there. I have nearly tripped over a manajery of differnt lizards from small skinks to decent sized dragons (not water dragons but simillar not sure what they are). Also plenty of elapids, once I went to check my fishing rod and nearly stepped on a large brown snake. There other wildlife too, one of the two most exciting was a potoroo (unsure of what sp) and a water rat (Hydromys chysogaster). There are also birds, fish, turtles, amphibians and an almost endless amount of cool arthropods (not to mention the eastern greys and wallabies). If you can get there, awesome place! Got a boat and there are caves which can be explored (at your own risk) along the river cliffs.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't why the letering went so small, sorry about that.

 

[NickGeee]

I'd personally drive west into the more arid country, like broken hill or Mungo, plenty of stuff around there!

 

[Herpo]

I often go to Goulburn River National Park, about an hour from Mudgee. I've seen heaps of birdlife (Eastern Rosella's, Friarbirds, Honeyeaters) and some beautiful bells phase and normal lace monitors, whom a very bold. I remember when my dad taught me to skip stones there, I was looking for all the flat stones I could carry. Then I found a huge one. Well it was an Eastern Long Necked Turtle, something I didn't find out until it stuck it's neck out to see what was going on. Good thing it did or it would've ended up thown.

Seeing as you have displayed an intrest in inverts, I have seen a huge array of arthropods there. Boxer Bark Mantids and Ground Mantid. Common Garden Katydids, Black Rock Scorpions, centipedes. Everything.

 

[ronhalling]

Sounds cool Ron! What species did you see?

It's probably better saying what didn't we see, several different types of Goanna's (not being a lizard person i can't identify Sp) lots of diff beardies, Skinks, Blueys, Shingle backs, and other lizards i could not identify, Brown snakes of every size and color, Red Belly's, Tigers, and i swear i seen a copperhead but it left the scene too quick for me to get a good look, and around some of the larger dams with good trees around we seen a few BTS's, it is also an Ornithologists wet dream around the dams as well. We went in mid Autumn when it was not too hot but still hot enough for plenty of wild life. ..............Ron