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Nephrurus

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Ahoi there folks,

I've just been up in the far NW of WA partaking in some fauna surveys. Needless to say we turn up some fairly special looking creatures.

I've also just bought a new camera, so I took it up there with a view to learn how to use it. Unfortunately it still is somewhat baffling, but i kind of got the gist of towards the end. I was using a Nikon D70s with a 18-200mm VRlense and a Tamron 90mm Macro.

Here's a few pics that I've uploaded already. There will be a few more later on.

We try and target a specific habitat type when surveying, so I'll go into it a bit with each group of photos.

As well as reptiles and frogs, I have an interest in birds as well, so a few pics of some interesting or attractive species will be posted. If you want to whinge about bird photos in a reptile forum, go back to the "my bearded hasn't pooed in three days" threads.

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Blue wing Kookaburras are found in most of the open savannah habitats. Their call is atrocious.

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This young rugosa was found in a stream near one of our sites while i was looking at some long tailed finches. They get very very large with massive heads (probably from eaten alot of mussels/watersnails).

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Brown Falcons are one of the most common raptors. Black Kites and Brown Falcons usually turn up to areas that have been burnt (usually while the fire is raging) to catch any fleeing lizards, rodents or insects.

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Ctenotus inornatus are found in most habitats and are the most common Ctenotus we turn up. Snake food.

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This spotted snake Suta punctata turned up in one of our pitfall traps. We don't turn them up all that much. I think this may be due to them being very cryptic species. This one was in sandy soiled savannah-woodland with a dense understory.

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Bush Stone Curlew are a species that is common in the north, but rare in NSW.

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Long tailed finches are also common.

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This Northern Spadefoot Notoden melanoscaphus was sitting on a meat ant nest, devouring meat ants that strayed from the safety of the hole. It was the middle of the night as well!


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Wotjulum frogs are common along watercourses in basalt and sandstone country. They tend not to hide during the day and sit under a bit of low cover, leaping away into the stream when you come close.

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Crimson Finches are a beautiful species commonly seen close to water.

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Oedura rhombifer is a fairly cryptic gecko species that is likely a bunch of separate species.

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Bar Breasted Honeyeaters are a commonly seen species in paperbark woodland.

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Sugar gliders are occasionally turned up spotlighting amongst flowering trees. This one is in a large grevillea. We've also had their hair found in quoll scat.

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Night tigers Boiga irregularis were the most commonly found snake on this trip. Here are photos from two specimens we found out spotlighting.

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The difference between the male (upper) and female (lower) red backed button quail is particularly striking. These were also found spotlighting.

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This is the only Strophurus ciliaris we turned up. It was in a drier area of savannah on basalt soil.

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This Varanus scalaris posed beautifully. Pity i was trying to figure out the camera at the time.

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Northern Rosella. Very nice birds.

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Anyone want to attempt an ID on these dragons? Diporiphora is an absolute mess of a genus. A review of bilineata has apparently resulted on a whole heap of new species. Who knows how mant the rest of the existing species will be split into.

More photos to come.

-H
 
i think the Diphoriphora are D. albilabris albilabris and number 2 looks like bilineata. Great pics, thanks for sharing
 
Awesome stuff Henry, I never knew there was frogs that eat ants.
Love those boigas.
 
Great picks, Thanks for sharing.
Those 2 picks of the Night Tiger are fantastic 10/10.
 
Great captures Henry.
If those shots are you getting to grips with the camera, there's no hope for me! LOL!
Looking forward to seeing some more, including the birds ;)


Neil
 
Great Pics Neph, those Boigas are outstanding. Beaut Falcon and Rosella too
 
Great pics Henry, the spotted snake is a beautiful thing and the finches on the spiky plant is a very nice pic as well..

crimson finch on a pandanus palm, i believe thats about the only plant they use for nesting
 
Crimson Finches nest just about anywhere. Old homesteads, sheds etc, grass, shrubs. Check your field guide.
 
i dont have a bird field guide but was always told they were normally found in pandanus
 
that scalaris is stunning

was it the only varanid found?

cheers
nathan
 
I think its some sort of honey eater that call the pandanus home..
A blue throated possibly??
Im sure there are heaps of birds that make use of it , but there is one that wont nest anywhere else i think.
 
More photos just uploaded.

Those two dragons were Diporiphora albilabris and D. magna in that order.

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This one is D. lallilae. Found in sandstone close to water courses.

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This crested hawk or Pacific Baza let us come right up underneath it.

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This young Limnodynastes lignarius hopped into camp with two others. I fluke a shot of it opening it's mouth (they were catching insects). I've tried to lighten it up a bit without a great deal of success.

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This Northern Brown Bandicoot spent 4 nights eating all the bait out of my Elliot traps til it was finally cought on the 4th night.

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Menetia sp. are fiddley. To distinguish between the two species in the Kimberley region you need to examine the supracilliarie scales. You really need a microscope.

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This Varanus acanthurus was turned up under neath a log in the middle of some grassland (nearby some sandstone heaps).

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Cryptoblepharus megastictus will probably be slpit into several species. They are buggars to photograph, and this was the best i got. Unfortunately it's on a log instead of the usual rock.

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This Childrens python Antaresia childreni demonstrated why i don't often catch snakes by defecating all over itself when i picked it up.

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Litoria splendida are often found in large areas of dissected sandstone.

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A first for me was this Burtons Legless Lizard Lialis burtoni. I've seen plenty of captives and dead ones but never turned up a live one. It posed for me as well!

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Here is one of the pools near our campsite. There were snapping tortoise swimming around in there, as well as some large fish. I went fishing and in about 2 minutes pulled out one of these... (see below).

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I think it's a black bream. I should check my fish ID book.

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Last but not least, a large Black Headed Python Aspidites melanocephalus with a bulge indicating a recent large meal.
More photos to follow.

All the best,

-H
 
Sooty Grunter, sometimes called a black bream, but not in WA
 
Oh but wild BHP's are never large or fat, must be an escaped captive!

Marvellous photos again mate, wow the colours on that boiga, the tamron pics look good, impressed with the lens?
 
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