G'day Chris,
>>I'm using Cogger's humongous book/paperweight for the bulk of my identifications. It doesn't even list the two Amphibolurus species you mentioned, nor the S. roperi. Do you have a reference I can pursue in that respect?
Depending on what edition of Cogger you have, the dragons are probably listed as Lophognathus longirostris and Lophognathus gilberti - not Amphibolurus.
>>>>The skink is Carlia amax
>>
>>Doesn't look like the picture in Cogger, but if that's the prevalent ground skink in Kakadu, I'll take your word for it.
Can't help you with this one, I'd need a much better photo.
>>>>Your "Varanus panoptes looks more like Varanus mertensi
>>
>>I admit that the coloration is not what I would've expected from panoptes, but the habitat and location was WAY off for it to be mertensi.
It's Varanus panoptes mate!
>> and I one shot of the "Varanus scalaris"..looks more like Varanus tristis orientalis.
>>
>>Well, that one I am really undecided on!
Personally I don't really think it's possible to be certain given the quality of the photographs, although when it comes to monitors I trust John Fowlers judgement. It certainly does look a bit like V.tristis orientalis though as Scott suggests.
Cheers
David Williams
Australian Herpetology ONLINE
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David Williams
PNG Snake Venom Research Project
PO Box 168
Port Moresby, NCD, PNG.
