Queensland herping trip (Australia) - fixed

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DavidG
Posts: 136
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 2:17 am

Queensland herping trip (Australia) - fixed

Post by DavidG »

It was cold. The weather also sucked.

But, this did not stop me from herping. We drove from Brisbane to St George to Injune to Blackwater to Eungella to Bowen to Cardwell to Mission Beach to Atherton and then finally to Cooktown. Essentially we drove from Southern QLD all the way up north to where the roads are still sealed. Why drive so much, to escape freezing cold nights and rain. Were we succesful? Nope. In Cooktown we were greeted by constant cyclonic gusts of wind. The best weather of the trip was in Bowen, Cardwell and Mission Beach. We even had some sun!

Herping was tough. So tough in fact, that there were even days without herps. Not that I expected to see a Woma or a king brown snake... But even the little brown skinks eluded me!!! Once these things don't even bother showing up you may just decide to book a return ticket home. However, with an awful lot of effort, I did eventually manage to find some really cool things! So here they are (None of the photo's are cropped because Nikon's ViewNX doesn't come with a cropping function; the essential tool for photo-editing):

The first photographed herp (I had seen two other skinks around Bollon area QLD, but no pics) of the trip was found in Carnarvon Gorge National Park. This extremely rare gecko was found underneath a small rock. As other Australian members will agree, this is not an animal you encounter everyday... Bynoe's gecko (i.e. Australia's most widespread and abundant gecko).

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DSC_0008 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

The second herp was a lot better. It was found also under a rock, this time by my mother. It was thye only elapid of the trip, and quiet possibly the worst picture of the whole trip. The thing wouldn't sit still for one moment and kept hiding under leafs. Eastern small-eyed snake.

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DSC_0012 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

I'm not posting the picture of a little carlia skink, because I'd have to crop it for anyone to see. If you are really THAT curious, just check my flickr :? .

This herp was found on the Blackdown tableland national park. A really special place, particularly when you have rain and fog which makes the forest quiet spooky. A skink (sorry, I'll edit to add name later).

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DSC_0042 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

I also found tonnes of these scorpions:

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DSC_0052 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

We then moved to Eungella; living up to its name which is an Aboriginal word for 'Land of the Clouds'. Sight was reduced to 5 meters. In the morning it was raining less and we went over to spot-a-platypus. We also walked in the forest. It began to rain again and we decided to leave Eungella behind. The forest here was beautiful and I would certainly enjoy coming back in the future with better weather.

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DSC_0077 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

These blokes were sheltering under the boardwalk (which extended above the river) nearby the platypus. Despite the fact that they are aquatic, even they couldn't stand the rain and cold any longer! There were about 4 of these Saw-shelled turtles (?)

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DSC_0080 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

Later that day we arrived in Bowen. Bowen had a nice coastal trail where I found these skinks (edit name in later).

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DSC_0091 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

We went to Cardwell. There were some nice falls around Cardwell (sorry, will figure out name for later!), where you could walk. Unfortunately, many trails were impassable due to the 2011 Cyclone that unfotunately destroyed not only much of the surrounding forest from Cardwell to Tully, but also caused a lot of damage to infrastructure and people.

I found these skinks in the forest near the falls. Red-throated litter skink.

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DSC_0106 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

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DSC_0114 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

I also found two of these guys,

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DSC_0128 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

One of these (unkown id)

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DSC_0131 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

And two local blokes (one which hid in a crevice). (Edit name in later)

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DSC_0144 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

Another red-throated litter skink.

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DSC_0158 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

We then went to mission beach! Thanks David, this is indeed a fantastic area to visit! I didn't see much herpwise, but it was definetely my favourite place of the entire trip. Me and my mom also spent a lot of time searching for the endangered Southern Cassowary. I believe there are 200 individuals or so remaining in QLD? We saw 3 of them! The first two were a couple, female and male. The second was found by the road side.

First after 3 hours of walking we ecountered this female.

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DSC_0227 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

It dissapeared into the forest. I changed my macro lens to a zoom lens. After about 20 meters we suddenly see the male. He wasn't very delighted and began to walk up to us. We walked away gently, making him aware of our presence, but not running and scaring/surprising him! For those who don't know, cassowarry can be dangerous. Their feet remind me of elephants but with large claws. They can attack by jumping with their two feet pointing forward. This would really suck (can very easily kill you).

Like from a jurassic park movie, this modern-age velociraptor came up to us.

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DSC_0246 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

On the way back I along the trail I ecountered my first ever qoanna (aussie monitor).

I think this is a sand monitor lizard? It was found in an area where i Had earlier seen many cane toads.....

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DSC_0254 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

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DSC_0257 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

I also saw more saw-shelled turtles (yea, no pun intended)

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DSC_0259 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

The Hulk was inside my bathroom that evening, (I moved him out and put it on a plant)

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DSC_0291 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

The next destination was atherton. On our day of arrival we went to the beautiful crater lake of lake barrine. I was very fortunate to step out of the car, walk about 100 meters and see this beast crawling across the pavement at the tea house in front of me. Taking pictures was difficult. After I found the snake, there were suddenly about 100 onlookers also with cameras. Now I realize this must have not just sucked for me (Couldn't get decent pics at first despite finding the snake), but also for the p/or snake. The snake crawled on into a large tree fern, away from the crowds. I think this is Morelia Spilota Cheynei (Jungle carpet python). It was about 2 meters long and very gentle.

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DSC_0299 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

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DSC_0303 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

The next day my mom foud my target species for me. The prickly-forest skink. These little monkeys were smaller than i expected. She found one, then another one. Then a little later I ecountered another one after getting stung on my shin by a stinging tree. These dangerous trees can potentially kill people (or so I have read), but really they aren't that bad. It stung yea, I felt a little nauseous yea, but really it felt no worse then a couple of bee stings to me... I don't know what all the fuzz is about lol! I actually think stinging nettles in europe hurt worse!

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DSC_0351 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

In Cooktown Ikenountered a few more herps. One very large (for carlia terms) litter skink species (maybe around 10 cm total length) with a very orangey back if I recall correctly (sorry no pics). I also saw this skink which i cannot id, but i think its a black tailed bar-lipped skink? It was one of my favourite finds, I loved it's sand swimming behaviour, how cool is it to see it swim through sand like some kind of eel through mud?!!!

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DSC_0378 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

Note the regenerated tail

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DSC_0380 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

Last year in Katherine I ecountered Junior. This year? I found big hoss. This beast (easily 45 cm) came crawling out of the MANGROVES?!?!?! near the Cooktown Botanical Gardens. I wonder, do these guys bite when they are handled?

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DSC_0403 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

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DSC_0402 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

The one and only croc found during the trip! This saltie was found on the north arm of the endeavour river whilst spotting from a bridge (on the rd from cooktown to hopevale).

This first image was taken at a zoom of 55mm (I.e. it was farther away than the lens shows it to be)

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DSC_0426 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

Image two was taken at 200mm zoom.

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DSC_0422 by Repos & Amphibos, on Flickr

On the last night in Cooktown i found a house gecko; not worth posting.

We then drove to Cairns, flew back to Brisbane and then from Brisbane flew back to Cairns. It's funny to note that in the plane to Singapore I was sitting next to three players from: The Australia Women's Olympic Water Polo Team lol! What are the odds?

Either way, I hope you enjoyed the post! I will add names later for some species! Sorry again about none of the pics being cropped!

Cheers,

David G
User avatar
jordo
Posts: 93
Joined: July 15th, 2010, 5:48 am
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Re: Queensland herping trip (Australia) - fixed

Post by jordo »

Excellent shots, very well lite.
Are you able to count the toes of the unknown skink if you zoom in? It looks like a Lampropholis species but can't be sure.
The goanna is Varanus panoptes.
Burtons are one of the least likely lizards to bite in my experience.
User avatar
moloch
Posts: 561
Joined: June 16th, 2010, 1:26 pm

Re: Queensland herping trip (Australia) - fixed

Post by moloch »

Lovely photos, David. Too bad that the weather was not kind to you. If you could make the same trip in November, you would see so much more.

I am glad that you enjoyed Mission Beach. I've travelled to many places in Australia and think that area to be about the best. It was sad last year when the cyclone smashed through this lovely coastal region. It probably will take 10 years or so before it looks really good again. It was good that you saw the Cassowaries. They are fantastic birds, don't you think? Once at Lacey Creek, I was flat on the ground and photographing a little Saproscincus skink. I heard heavy footsteps approaching but the bird remained hidden a few meters off the trail. When it was near but still hidden, it gave its deep, rumbling growl-like call. It definitely made me think of dinosaurs!

You did well with the small skinks.

Regards,
David
Egernia
Posts: 11
Joined: October 12th, 2010, 3:04 pm

Re: Queensland herping trip (Australia) - fixed

Post by Egernia »

Nice post! Do you know what species of skink that is in the crevice? I'm fairly certain it is a Eulamprus sp. but I've never seen one with that dark of a color pattern on it before. Maybe it's a juvenile? I love the cassowarry shots. I'm going to guess that your large Carlia with red on them from Cooktown where Carlia longipes just because I saw about 30 in about four hours, while I was there in 2010. Thanks for posting.

Richard
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