I’ve just returned from a trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria, north of Mount Isa. I think the highlights were the olive pythons (we found two) and Cryptoblepharus zoticus (Cryptoblepharus is my favourite skink genus), plus the bats.
Species marked with an asterisk (*) are ones which I hadn’t before seen in the wild.
Common tree snake (Dendrelaphis punctulatus)
Common tree snake (Dendrelaphis punctulatus)
Common tree snake (Dendrelaphis punctulatus)
Keelback (Tropidonophis mairii)
Keelback (Tropidonophis mairii)
Olive python (Liasis olivaceus)*
Olive python (Liasis olivaceus)*
Olive python (Liasis olivaceus)*
Black-headed python (Aspidites melanocephalus)
Black-headed python (Aspidites melanocephalus)
Children’s python (Antaresia childreni)
Children’s python (Antaresia childreni)
Demansia quaesitor*
Lesser black whipsnake (Demansia vestigiata)
Lesser black whipsnake (Demansia vestigiata)
Pale-striped ground gecko (Lucasium immaculatum)*
Bynoe’s gecko (Heteronotia binoei)
Robust dtella (Gehyra robusta)*
Northern dtella (Gehyra australis)
Northern dtella (Gehyra australis)
Zigzag velvet gecko (Oedura rhombifer)*
Zigzag velvet gecko (Oedura rhombifer)*
Bar-shouldered ctenotus (Ctenotus inornatus)*
Bar-shouldered ctenotus (Ctenotus inornatus)*
Stripe-headed finesnout ctenotus (Ctenotus striaticeps)*
Leopard skink (Ctenotus pantherinus)
Leopard skink (Ctenotus pantherinus)
Straight-browed ctenotus (Ctenotus spaldingi)*
Gravelly-soil ctenotus (Ctenotus lateralis)*
Gravelly-soil ctenotus (Ctenotus lateralis)*
Northern bar-lipped skink (Glaphyromorphus isolepis)
Northern soil-crevice skink (Proablepharus tenuis)*
Common dwarf skink (Menetia greyii)
Metalic snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus metallicus)*
Agile snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus zoticus)*
Two-spined rainbox skink (Carlia amax)
Sharp-snouted delma (Delma nasuta)*
Sharp-snouted delma (Delma nasuta)*
Burton’s legless lizard (Lialis burtonis)
Ring-tailed dragon (Ctenophorus caudicinctus)
Amphibolurus temporalis
Gilbert’s dragon (Amphibolurus gilberti)*
Yellow-sided two-line dragon (Diporiphora magna)*
Yellow-sided two-line dragon (Diporiphora magna)*
Mertens’ water monitor (Varanus mertensi)*
Mertens’ water monitor (Varanus mertensi)*
Mertens’ water monitor (Varanus mertensi)*
Mertens’ water monitor (Varanus mertensi)*
Litoria inermis
Cyclorana australis
Watjulum frog (Litoria watjulumensis)
Roth’s tree frog (Litoria rothii)
Ornate burrowing frog (Platyplectrum ornatum)
Stonemason toadlet (Uperoleia lithomoda)*
Northern spadefoot toad (Notaden melanoscaphus)*
Northern spadefoot toad (Notaden melanoscaphus)*
Northern spadefoot toad (Notaden melanoscaphus)*
Northern spadefoot toad (Notaden melanoscaphus)*
Northern spadefoot toad (Notaden melanoscaphus)*
The small black tubercle on the metatarsal gives this species its common name and species name.
Common rock-rat (Zysomys argurus)*
Large-footed myotis (Myotis adversus)*
Gould’s wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii)
Orange leafnosed-bat (Rhinonicteris aurantius)*
Dusky leafnosed-bat (Hipposideros ater)*
Sandstone escarpment
Sandstone gorge
Lots of great pics but the one with the monitor in the water with its arm on the rock really grabbed me. It looks very reptilian.
“I may look relaxed but I’ve got my eye on you. Can I eat you or can you eat me?”
I love the extreme closeup of the olive python. That’s awesome. Your site has the best pictures.
Bats bats bats ^_^
For one of my third year university illustration projects I am working on a small pamphlet-field guide of micro bats of our local (Newcastle/Hunter) region. The number of photos and reference images are very limited and I was hoping you might be willing to let me look at some of your other bat photos to help me clarify details that are lost on the skins and preserved specimens I will be studying at the Australia museum. I hope to get access to rehabilitated or deceased bats through friends in WIRES but am trying to set my mist-nets as wide as possible to gather resources to draw the most accurate images I can for identification purposes.
Look forward to hearing back from you
Tallulah
Cool collection of pictures.