Author Archives: Stewart Macdonald

I did lots of fieldwork in the second half of 2012, but most of it involved catching a select few little brown skinks. I still managed to track down a variety of interesting beasts (not all reptilian), some of which … Continue reading →

Some pics from a week on Orpheus Island, north-east of Townsville. Coastal carpet python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli)

The wet season in the tropical north brings out the frogs in droves, and the wet seasons at the start and end of 2012 were no exceptions. Townsville is situated close to a number of interesting and diverse habitats, ranging … Continue reading →

As we drove back from our utter failure of a trip to the semi-arid zone, we were dejected. And wet. Very wet. Stopping in at White Mountain National Park to take a break, my cunning Swedish companion made the entire … Continue reading →

What better way to celebrate the Australia Day long weekend than by getting out into the heart of this dry, dusty land and harassing some critters?!? My Swedish companion and I packed up the car on Friday and headed west. … Continue reading →

I got an email Saturday morning telling me that a rare bat species (Saccolaimus saccolaimus) had just been seen near Cairns. That’s a mere 4.5 hour drive from home, so I jumped in the car and planned to be at … Continue reading →

From the Brigalow Belt, we headed north-east and spent a final night in a rocky jump-up west of Winton. Gibber earless dragon (Tympanocryptis intima). They crouch among the pebbles, hoping that you don’t see them. Didn’t work on me.

After Main Range, we headed to the Brigalow Belt. I’ve spent a fair bit of time in the the brigalow belt, so I was unlikely to see much new stuff. There was, however, one species found in the area that … Continue reading →