AUSTRALIA TRIP REPORT PAGE 6 of 7
Dates: September 18-28, 2004
Location: Central-Eastern Queensland, Australia
September 26, 2004
Today was a travel day, we were heading South to Brisbane to meet some more friends & relatives and to visit the Australia Zoo. We didn’t get as early of a start as we wanted to so we decided to stay about 60 miles north of Brisbane. Happened to be near a National Park called Glasshouse Mountains, we stayed in a town called Beerbarrum. Of course I liked it because as soon as it got dark these guys were all over the sides of the motel we were staying in:
Robust Velvet Gecko - Oedura robusta
Robust Velvet Gecko - Oedura robusta
I convinced my wife that since it was our last night in the wilderness that I should at least take a quick night drive in the general area, for the sake of science! Well, reluctantly we took off after of course a nice dinner in town to parts unknown. It was after 9:00 when we took off and it was cool, probably barely 70. The Cane Toads were out in force again but we did manage to find a couple of other interesting animals. The first one was this beauty.
Emerald Spotted Treefrog - Litoria peronii
These guys I had seen in Poona National Park as well but I wasn’t able to photo or ID them. They jump farther than any living creature should be capable of doing. The could literally jump all the way across the road in one leap and they tended to bounce back and forth like a super ball. I was fortunate to get one shot of these aptly named Rocket Frogs!
Striped Rocket Frog - Litoria nasuta
The last herp of the trip was sadly another DOR but one I thought was worth posting. This is a Pink-tongued Skink, freshly killed by a car in front of me, total length is a little over 14” FYI…
Pink-tongued Skink - Cyclodomorphus gerrardii
The next two days were spent in Brisbane we saw a large Carpet Python that had been slaughtered on the roadway, it looked to be at least 8’ or so but there was too much traffic to stop. Other than the occasional Wall Skink there wasn’t much to note there other than it’s a pretty nice city as was everywhere we went down under.
Totals for the trip (Herps – all lifers except the Green Sea Turtle):
Bufo marinus - Cane Toad) - TMTC
Chelodina longicollis – (Eastern Snake-headed Turtle) - 10
Chelonia mydas - (Green Sea Turtle) - 5
Chlamydosaurus kingii – (Frilled Lizard) - 2
Cryptoblepharus virgatus – (Wall Skink) - TMTC
Ctenotus taeniolatus – (Copper-tailed Skink) - 1
Cyclodomorphus gerrardii – (Pink-tongued Skink) 1 (dor)
Dendrelaphis punctulata – (Common Tree Snake) - 1
Diplodactylus vittata – (Eastern Stone Gecko) - 10
Diporiphora australis – (Eastern Two Lined Dragon) - 1
Egernia frerei – (Major Skink) - 4
Gehyra dubia – (Dtella House Gecko) - 3
Lialis burtonis – (Burton's Snake Lizard) – 1 (dor)
Limnodynastes ornatus – (Ornate Burrowing-Frog) - 1
Litoria caerulea – (Green or “White’s” Treefrog) - 10
Litoria nasuta – (Striped Rocketfrog) - 4
Litoria peronii – (Emerald-spotted Treefrog) - 1
Morelia spilota – (Carpet Python) – 2 (dor)
Oedura robusta – (Robust Velvet Gecko) - 8
Physignathus lesuerii - Eastern Water Dragon - 10
Pogona barbata – (Bearded Dragon) - 4
Pseudechis porphyricacus – (Red-bellied Black Snake) (1 dor)
Pseudonaja textiles – (Eastern Brown Snake) - 1
Saproscincus rosei – (Orange-tailed shade-skink) - 1
Tropidonophis mairii – (Keelback Water Snake) - 1
Varanus varius – (Lace Monitor) – 4
Thanks for looking, hope you didn’t mind the long report!!!!
Brad
P.S. The next post is strictly non-herp highlights FYI…
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- Thanks! - Brad Weinert -
