moloch05
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This has been a good year so far for finding reptiles in Wollongong. Overall, the weather has been cool and fairly wet, but there have been enough warm days mixed in to bring out the snakes and lizards.
Here are a few shots of Wollongong and the surrounding areas where I search. Wollongong is a long, narrow city that is squeezed between the South Pacific Ocean to the east and an escarpment to the west. Wet eucalyptus forest is the dominant habitat type in the hills with patches of sub-tropical rainforest growing in some of the protected gullies.
… looking north towards Royal National Park. Although not visible in this photo, the towers of Sydney can be seen on a clear day.
… Wollongong.
… escarpment a little south of Wollongong.
There are old and overgrown tracks along much of the escarpment. Many of these were built decades ago to extract Red Cedar (tall tree right of centre). There were once many giants of this species in the area but most were harvested for timber long ago.
An abandoned house … with lots of tin and other debris. There is always something of interest here.
A creek ... habitat of Eastern Water Skinks (Eulamprus quoyii), Weasel Skinks (Saproscincus mustelinus), Grass Skinks (Lampropholis delicata), Eastern Water Dragons (Physignathus lesueurii) and Red-bellied Blacksnakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus).
My best find this year was this enormous Diamond Python (Morelia spilota). It was about 2m in length and heavy-bodied. I was surprised to find it warming itself on the road in an area of wet eucalyptus forest late one afternoon. I unfortunately only see these beautiful snakes once or twice a year.
A couple of years ago, I found a site with tin and other rubbish in the hills in habitat like this:
This has proved to be the only reliable place where I can find snakes near Wollongong. Eastern Small-eyed Snakes (Cyrtophis nigrescens) are by far the most often encountered species. Sometimes, I see several beneath the same sheet.
Once disturbed, they usually race into abandoned ant nests.
This one was about to shed.
A pleasant surprise this year was this nice Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) that has taken up residence beneath one of the sheets. It is quite a surprise to lift a sheet and see one of these. This one is fairly large for a Tiger and is a little less than a meter in length and heavy-bodied. Here are a few photos of it from various visits and lighting conditions.
… here is a series that shows the progression of defensive behaviour from first discovery to “leave me alone!”.
... yesterday:
I have only seen a single Marsh Snake (Hemiaspis signata) so far this year. These are wary little guys and this one shot off after a single photo.
A surprise yesterday was this baby Red-bellied Blacksnake (Pseudechis porphyriacus). I see adults from time-to-time but this was the first baby that I have encountered. Adults usually race away when I lift the tin, but this little one did not know what to do. It would fan its neck and crawl towards me but then turn and crawl back to the tin. It was quick so hard to photograph.
Northern She-oak Skinks (Cyclodomorphus michaeli) are relatives of the blue-tongues. I have seen two this year but have only managed photos of this one. This individual mimicked a snake in the same manner as Common Scaly-foots (Pygopus lepidopodus). It would rear and slowly flick its tongue.
… the ventral surface was nicely marked:
I also have seen Eastern Blue-tongue (Tiliqua scincoides) a few times. This big adult was responsive.
... a younger animal:
Small skinks are the abundant reptiles in the hills. Here is one of the nice and very glossy Three-toed Skinks (Saiphos equalis).
Weasel Skinks (Saproscincus mustelinus) are members of the genus of “Shade Skinks”. True to their name, they usually bask in complete shade.
Grass Skinks (Lampropholis delicata) are common in the hills. I believe that this was a communal nest site of these skinks. The nest was beneath a brick within a damp area of the forest.
Regards,
David
Here are a few shots of Wollongong and the surrounding areas where I search. Wollongong is a long, narrow city that is squeezed between the South Pacific Ocean to the east and an escarpment to the west. Wet eucalyptus forest is the dominant habitat type in the hills with patches of sub-tropical rainforest growing in some of the protected gullies.
… looking north towards Royal National Park. Although not visible in this photo, the towers of Sydney can be seen on a clear day.
… Wollongong.
… escarpment a little south of Wollongong.
There are old and overgrown tracks along much of the escarpment. Many of these were built decades ago to extract Red Cedar (tall tree right of centre). There were once many giants of this species in the area but most were harvested for timber long ago.
An abandoned house … with lots of tin and other debris. There is always something of interest here.
A creek ... habitat of Eastern Water Skinks (Eulamprus quoyii), Weasel Skinks (Saproscincus mustelinus), Grass Skinks (Lampropholis delicata), Eastern Water Dragons (Physignathus lesueurii) and Red-bellied Blacksnakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus).
My best find this year was this enormous Diamond Python (Morelia spilota). It was about 2m in length and heavy-bodied. I was surprised to find it warming itself on the road in an area of wet eucalyptus forest late one afternoon. I unfortunately only see these beautiful snakes once or twice a year.
A couple of years ago, I found a site with tin and other rubbish in the hills in habitat like this:
This has proved to be the only reliable place where I can find snakes near Wollongong. Eastern Small-eyed Snakes (Cyrtophis nigrescens) are by far the most often encountered species. Sometimes, I see several beneath the same sheet.
Once disturbed, they usually race into abandoned ant nests.
This one was about to shed.
A pleasant surprise this year was this nice Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) that has taken up residence beneath one of the sheets. It is quite a surprise to lift a sheet and see one of these. This one is fairly large for a Tiger and is a little less than a meter in length and heavy-bodied. Here are a few photos of it from various visits and lighting conditions.
… here is a series that shows the progression of defensive behaviour from first discovery to “leave me alone!”.
... yesterday:
I have only seen a single Marsh Snake (Hemiaspis signata) so far this year. These are wary little guys and this one shot off after a single photo.
A surprise yesterday was this baby Red-bellied Blacksnake (Pseudechis porphyriacus). I see adults from time-to-time but this was the first baby that I have encountered. Adults usually race away when I lift the tin, but this little one did not know what to do. It would fan its neck and crawl towards me but then turn and crawl back to the tin. It was quick so hard to photograph.
Northern She-oak Skinks (Cyclodomorphus michaeli) are relatives of the blue-tongues. I have seen two this year but have only managed photos of this one. This individual mimicked a snake in the same manner as Common Scaly-foots (Pygopus lepidopodus). It would rear and slowly flick its tongue.
… the ventral surface was nicely marked:
I also have seen Eastern Blue-tongue (Tiliqua scincoides) a few times. This big adult was responsive.
... a younger animal:
Small skinks are the abundant reptiles in the hills. Here is one of the nice and very glossy Three-toed Skinks (Saiphos equalis).
Weasel Skinks (Saproscincus mustelinus) are members of the genus of “Shade Skinks”. True to their name, they usually bask in complete shade.
Grass Skinks (Lampropholis delicata) are common in the hills. I believe that this was a communal nest site of these skinks. The nest was beneath a brick within a damp area of the forest.
Regards,
David
