Recently I had a bit of time off work so decided to go for a herp trip in an area I'd never been before and try and get some photos of species that I hadn't yet seen. The Pilbara in Western Australia was the destination. We drove from the east coast of Queensland to the West coast of Western Australia and back... we saw a fair bit on the drive over and back but I'll leave most of them out and focus on the destination.
So here's some photos of some of the stuff we saw whilst over there...
Ring-tailed Dragon Ctenophorus caudincinctus
Northern Spiny-tail Gecko Strophurus ciliaris
North-western Shovel-nose Snake Brachyurophis approximans
Juvenile Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
Pilbara Death Adder Acanthophis wellsi
Rosen's Snake Suta fasciata
Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
Some Pilbara landscape
Pygmy Python Antaresia perthensis
Western Brown Snake Pseudonaja mengdeni
Central Netted Dragon Ctenophorus nuchalis
Landscape heading towards Exmouth
Perentie Varanus giganteus
Exmouth area
Western Spiny-tailed Gecko Strophurus strophurus
Western Smooth Knob-tail Gecko Nephrurus levis occidentalis
Marbled Velvet Gecko Oedura marmorata
Pygmy Python Antaresia perthensis
Western Shield Spiny-tail Gecko Strophurus wellingtonae
Karijini National Park scenery
Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
Marbled Velvet Gecko Oedura marmorata attempting to eat a Desert Cave Gecko Heteronotia spelea
Pilbara Olive Python Liasis olivaceus barroni
Pilbara Death Adder Acanthophis wellsi
Hatchling Pygmy Python Antaresia perthensis
Eastern Pilbara spiny-tailed Skink Egernia epsisolus
Southern Phasmid Gecko Strophurus jeanae
Spider
Leopard Ctenotus Ctenotus pantherinus
Pygmy Bearded Dragon Pogona minor
Pilbara Rock Monitor Varanus pilbarensis
Black-headed Python Aspidites melanocephalus
And a few from the Southern Kimberley area...
Centralian Blue-tongue Tiliqua multifasciata
Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
King's Dtella Gehyra koira
Northern Prickly Knob-tail Gecko Nephrurus sheai
Cheers.
The Pilbara, Western Australia
Moderator: Scott Waters
- John Martin
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Stunning animals, and stunning photography. I love the Pilbara!
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Beautiful photos. Now we need the post of the stuff on the trip there. Remember, many of us are vicariously herping Australia through these posts!
All the pythons, death adders, geckos, etc., are great, but this photo is my favorite of the post -
First of all, that road has to get any herper's heart rate up, but beyond that it shows something we don't get to see here in North America. A long stretch of desert road with sand dunes on either side with no:
- houses in view
- vehicles in view
- footprints on the dunes
- ATV or bike tracks on the dunes
- plastic bags or other trash in the bushes
There are still some magical places left on the planet. Oz has a lot of them. Of course having an average population density of just under 3 people per square kilometer helps (the US has 32 people per square kilometer). Of course, it could be worse - India has 386 people in the same square kilometer!
All the pythons, death adders, geckos, etc., are great, but this photo is my favorite of the post -
First of all, that road has to get any herper's heart rate up, but beyond that it shows something we don't get to see here in North America. A long stretch of desert road with sand dunes on either side with no:
- houses in view
- vehicles in view
- footprints on the dunes
- ATV or bike tracks on the dunes
- plastic bags or other trash in the bushes
There are still some magical places left on the planet. Oz has a lot of them. Of course having an average population density of just under 3 people per square kilometer helps (the US has 32 people per square kilometer). Of course, it could be worse - India has 386 people in the same square kilometer!
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
I agree...fantastic photos of some awesome animals!!! Outstanding!!! Gotta LOVE those death adders...
- Chad M. Lane
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Fantastic post, enjoyed the V. pilbarensis!
Thanks,
Chad
Thanks,
Chad
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Thanks guy! Appreciate it.
As requested here's a few photos from the trip over and back home...
Sand Monitor Varanus gouldii
Blacksoil Whip Snake Demansia rimicola
Pygmy Mulga Monitor Varanus gilleni
Northern Spiny-tail Gecko Strophurus ciliaris
Sand-plain Gecko Lucasium stenodactylum
Desert Spadefoot Notaden nichollsi
Children's Python Antaresia childreni
Mertens Water Monitor Varanus mertensi
Swamplands Lashtail Dragon Amphibolurus temporalis
Fogg Dam
Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes at Fogg Dam
Northern Spiny-tail Monitor Varanus primordius
Hatchling Children's Python Antaresia childreni
Olive Python Liasis olivaceus
Orange-naped Snake Furina ornata
Victoria River
Ridge-tailed Monitor Varanus acanthurus
Dingo
Hatchling Bynoe's Gecko Heteronotia binoei
Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes
Emu
Storm
Clouded Gecko Amalosia jarcovae
Rock dwelling Rough-throated Leaf-tail Gecko Saltuarius salebrosus
Ringed Thin-tailed Gecko Phyllurus caudiannulatus
Rainforest tree dwelling Rough-throated Leaf-tail Gecko Saltuarius salebrosus
As requested here's a few photos from the trip over and back home...
Sand Monitor Varanus gouldii
Blacksoil Whip Snake Demansia rimicola
Pygmy Mulga Monitor Varanus gilleni
Northern Spiny-tail Gecko Strophurus ciliaris
Sand-plain Gecko Lucasium stenodactylum
Desert Spadefoot Notaden nichollsi
Children's Python Antaresia childreni
Mertens Water Monitor Varanus mertensi
Swamplands Lashtail Dragon Amphibolurus temporalis
Fogg Dam
Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes at Fogg Dam
Northern Spiny-tail Monitor Varanus primordius
Hatchling Children's Python Antaresia childreni
Olive Python Liasis olivaceus
Orange-naped Snake Furina ornata
Victoria River
Ridge-tailed Monitor Varanus acanthurus
Dingo
Hatchling Bynoe's Gecko Heteronotia binoei
Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes
Emu
Storm
Clouded Gecko Amalosia jarcovae
Rock dwelling Rough-throated Leaf-tail Gecko Saltuarius salebrosus
Ringed Thin-tailed Gecko Phyllurus caudiannulatus
Rainforest tree dwelling Rough-throated Leaf-tail Gecko Saltuarius salebrosus
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Absolutely Awesome! I can never get tired of these amazing Australia posts and the great photography along with em. I absolutely love the variations of geckos and the pythons are unreal.
One question that always gets me is the size of the pythons. Some I can tell seem like hatchlings and others seem huge but each could be either without something to compare it too. What are the ranges of sizes of the pythons in this post?
Thanks for such an entertaining post, Oz is a dream of mine.
Neil M
One question that always gets me is the size of the pythons. Some I can tell seem like hatchlings and others seem huge but each could be either without something to compare it too. What are the ranges of sizes of the pythons in this post?
Thanks for such an entertaining post, Oz is a dream of mine.
Neil M
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Thanks mate. That's a good question, it's hard to tell size from photos!... all the Antaresia species are fairly small pythons, adult Stimsons and Children's max out at about 80cm to 1metre which is about the size of those in the post. Pygmy Pythons are small snakes, the adults in this post wouldn't be any bigger than 50cm. The Black-headed Python was around the 2.5m mark, the Pilbara Olive Python was close to the same size. The regular Olive Python was only about 1.5m. Hope that helps a bit.Neil M wrote:Absolutely Awesome! I can never get tired of these amazing Australia posts and the great photography along with em. I absolutely love the variations of geckos and the pythons are unreal.
One question that always gets me is the size of the pythons. Some I can tell seem like hatchlings and others seem huge but each could be either without something to compare it too. What are the ranges of sizes of the pythons in this post?
Thanks for such an entertaining post, Oz is a dream of mine.
Neil M
- Fieldnotes
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Amazing post with amazing pictures.. thanks for sharing
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
This is so epic I can't even describe it. Now I need to book a trip to the Pilbara someday. You might be getting a message from me down the road when I'm planning this trip out if I can ever squeeze it in. Thanks for the narrative and insane photos. Those Death Adders are so sick as are all the geckos. I really need to go somewhere I can just see monitors cruising around like that too.
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Oh yeah...how long of a trip was this? Is this over 1-2 weeks or more like 1 month? You certainly saw a ton of stuff.
- chris drake
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Outstanding post! I will make it there before i die! Love seeing all the Aussie geckos.
Chris
Chris
- Mike VanValen
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Amazing post...not much else to say, but, the addition of the Perentie and Mertens really top it off nicely. How easy/difficult is it to approach the monitors? I know the Perentie is very alert and quick to flee.
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
We spend a week in the Pilbara, but the drive over there took a bit over a week and the drive home was the same.Rothdigga wrote:Oh yeah...how long of a trip was this? Is this over 1-2 weeks or more like 1 month? You certainly saw a ton of stuff.
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
With the really big monitors you can get reasonably close to them without them fleeing, they tend to stand their ground and act tough. That Perentie was huge and let me get within a metre of it. The Merten's are quick to flee, usually diving into the water as soon as they feel threatened. The smaller monitors usually disappear before you even see them, or will sit with just their heads sticking out of a tree hollow/rocks and duck in as soon as they think you can see them.Mike VanValen wrote:Amazing post...not much else to say, but, the addition of the Perentie and Mertens really top it off nicely. How easy/difficult is it to approach the monitors? I know the Perentie is very alert and quick to flee.
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Fantastic post. I feel like I want to go back through it slower just to take a long look at everything again.
Were the majority of these herps found road-cruising, or with other techniques? And day or night?
Were the majority of these herps found road-cruising, or with other techniques? And day or night?
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Freaking awesome man. I love those aussie pythons and the gecko diversity.
- mrichardson
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
The above posts say it all... AWESOME! I really need to go back to Oz soon. Last time I was fresh out of university and had no money.
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Stunning, amazing, beautiful.
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Thanks mate! I'd say about 50% of the snakes were found road cruising, mostly at night. The rest were found walking suitable habitat. The other herps were all mostly found on foot or spotted off the edge of the road whilst driving from destination to destination.jonathan wrote:Fantastic post. I feel like I want to go back through it slower just to take a long look at everything again.
Were the majority of these herps found road-cruising, or with other techniques? And day or night?
Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
Incredible, your photography is outstanding! The photography combined with the exotic herps and locations makes this one a post to remember!
- Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia
What everyone said.