ok lets see how we go with this one...

[eipper]

ok so lets see how we go with this one. I already know what it is but this group can be troublesome especially without locations...so its from Australia. What is it and more importantly why????

ok now secondly, there are a few on this site (that don't need to be named) that are more than apt when it comes to id....for those instead of posting what it is in the thread shoot the answer in a pm and I will confirm or discard it and save the answer coming up in the first hour or so to give people a chance to work through the id rather than saying its a ....+1 etc

I can provide a few of these testers if you like but feel free to add one once the id of the critter is confirmed (in this initial case by me).

Hopefully this will provide so intelligent discussion (so unless it actually is a Tropidonophis lets refrain from saying its a false clarence river snake aka kb)

Cheers,
Scott

 

[Chanzey]

Pic didn't work.

 

[eipper]

Cheers fixed

 

[-Peter]

Would I be right in thinking its an existing species that has been placed in a new genus?

 

[eipper]

Hi Peter,

At this moment it is in a genus that it has been in for quite a few years. However in my opinion as well as others it is a better fit in another genus. Just so everyone knows one person has got it via pm.

Cheers
scott

 

[-Peter]

I cant make out the toes to well, anyone else get a count on them?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Well I know the Genus but not sure how to tell the species from photos other than general appearance, (I mean It's hard to 'poke' a skink in the eye in a picture), from appearance alone I'd go with the only species I'm familiar with, but I can't be sure of that it would be more like a 'semi-educated' guess. I'm more curious to find out what that gecko is, I really have no idea on that.

 

[eipper]

Allrighty....we a few have got it correct it is currently....Menetia timlowi, but Lygisaurus timlowi might be a better fit. Tail shape, toe counts, barring on the lips, lower eyelid etc are all good indicators.

Without naming anyone there was some "interesting" thoughts as to which species it was. I found this interesting because made me start to wonder about the processes people work within to identify an animal.

Onward anyway onto the next critter, this time rather than pm me the answer lets put it into the thread but rather than just saying it must be XXXX explain why it must be XXXXX and not YYYY

 

[clopo]

Ill have a crack at them. The first is a colubrid due to the loreal scale, i am pretty sure it is a Northern Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis calligastra). This is due to the white upper lip and the yellow/white belly with dark flecks.

Im not to sure on the second one, but i am going to have a guess and say an Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus), this is due to the eye colour and pupil shape, the sandy colouration with no real pattern and the scales surrounding the nostril (1st labial, rostral and 3 nasal scales).

Finally all i can say is the final one is a Crinia sp. due to the toes being cylindrical and no visible tubercles. Its to difficult to split them just on colour/pattern.

 

[vicherps]

Could the the frog be Crinia tinnula. Although ventral colouration and call could tell you exactly.

- - - Updated - - -

Gecko could be a Gehyra dubia or australis.

 

[clopo]

My first thought when i saw the photo was Gehyra, however they always have some type of pattern visible. Surely someone can come up with some better reasons to support or challenge my choices.

 

[vicherps]

Gehyra can have little patterning although the dubia sp can be quite patterned but others are not. The snout is a bit flatter in Hemidactylus (around the rostral area) but if there was a full shot showing the tail and body and some shots of the lamellae then I would be able to make a more accurate id.

 

[eipper]

Update the snake is from Townsville, the gecko from Mt Isa and the frog from Evans Head NSW

 

[vicherps]

In that case I think the gecko is a Gehyra australis or some other Gehyra sp, frog Crinia tinnula and the snake is a Dendrelaphis calligastra due to the head shape, very slender shape. Did the snake have a distinct dark stripe from the snout to past the eye?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I'm going to have to say I think the snake is D.punculata, head shape doesn't seem any longer, skinnier or more pointed than CT's I've seen, yellow on its belly is strongest in the anterior region, it does not appear to have a dark stripe from snout-forebody, it just seems to go from light coloured to black in colour. The dark colouring on the ventrals might point to D.calligastra but I've never heard of them ruling out a D.punctulata either.

 

[vicherps]

I'm going to have to say I think the snake is D.punculata, head shape doesn't seem any longer, skinnier or more pointed than CT's I've seen, yellow on its belly is strongest in the anterior region, it does not appear to have a dark stripe from snout-forebody, it just seems to go from light coloured to black in colour. The dark colouring on the ventrals might point to D.calligastra but I've never heard of them ruling out a D.punctulata either.

let's see what eipper says it is. As for the dark streak which seems to be present I suggest you have a look at this link to see a close up of one Dendrelaphis calligaster (Northern Tree Snake) - JCU
which borders from the dark to the lighter part. Some specimens have yellow colouring where the light (being the yellow part in some individuals) meets the dark as instead of the white colour. The belly colouring as clopo was talking about doesn't help with IDing the 2 species at least I thought so. Anyway hopefully eipper comments to say what he thinks they are.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I think you should look at the link.

 

[vicherps]

http://wettrt.customers.hosting-too...s/Images/animals/snakes/northernTreeSnake.jpg
can you see the fine dark streak above the white area? Come on seriously it seems fairly obvious there is one.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I can see it, that's kind of my point.

- - - Updated - - -

Maybe it's only cause I'm 'cheating' and looking at a much larger copy of the pic http://www.flickr.com/photos/scott_eipper/8059019706/sizes/k/in/photostream/

 

[vicherps]

Nah that's not cheating haha. But even in that pic I can see what looks like a thick line edging the top area of the supralabials.