# Bit of herping on Hinchinbrook Island



## tropicbreeze (Sep 27, 2012)

*Warning though, results were pretty slack!*

Just a few weeks ago I was on Hinchinbrook and decided to do a nightly walk around to see what was about. The results were quite disappointing, I usually find more in one night at my place than what I did in the 6 days on the island. Maybe not being used to that environment made a difference.

There were a lot of Lace Monitors around and these weren't overly timid. Seemed surprising seeing there were so many Cane Toads around. All the larger Goannas disappeared at my place as soon as the Toads turned up.

















That was it for reptile photos. 

The first frog I found, less than 2 cms long. Only one photo came out passable.





Nearby was another, about the same size. It was difficult going up along some of the creeks, with all the dense scrub and particularly the Calamus Palm vines.













On another night was this frog. A lot larger than the other two, about 40 mm.

















Other than the huge numbers of Cane Toads, especially around Zoe Bay, these were some of the other things of interest.

I believe a Lichen Huntsman, Pandercetes sp.





The 'ordinary' Huntsman





And these couple of Mudskippers, Periophthalamus sp. possibly.









It rained a lot while I was there. Made it uncomfortable, but then there were also good opportunities for special photos that only rainy weather brings.

Looking from the top of Nina Peak over Ramsay Bay on a good day (1st day).




up pic

Looking towards a cloud engulfed Mt Bowen from Nina Bay (2nd day and onwards)


----------



## jase75 (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm surprised you didn't find more. I spent 5 nights on Dunk Island which isn't to far away and found a bit. Not much in the way of lizards but found Brown Tree Snakes, Green Tree Snakes, Marsh Snakes and a 3 metre Scrub Python right outside our accommodation.


----------



## Chris (Sep 27, 2012)

Must be nice to see Lace Monitors in their natural habitat. Sure beats looking at them through my glass doored enclosure.


----------



## moosenoose (Sep 27, 2012)

hahaha I love the mudskippers! Craziest things ever! :lol:


----------



## froggyboy86 (Sep 27, 2012)

Nice finds, the frogs are Stony Creek Frogs (Litoria wilcoxi). I'd like to go to Hinchinbrook and photograph the new Microhylid from the island.


----------



## lizardman59 (Sep 27, 2012)

wow those are some nice laceys looking at the other photos im suprised u didnt find more but id still be happy with the laceys there beautiful monitors


----------



## tropicbreeze (Sep 28, 2012)

Jase75, Hinchinbrook is much bigger than Dunk, so 2 ways of looking at that. Should be more stuff on Hinchinbrook, but there's more island for it to conceal itself. The fact that it rained a lot after the first day and we kept moving through the weather, with wet heavy gear and backpacks didn't give a lot of time to take in the wildlife. It was during a break in the rain that I saw most Goannas, trying to warm up in whatever sun they could find.

CHRI5, I like all Goannas but was surprised that the island with so many Cane Toads still had a very large population. They mustn't be frog eaters.

VenomOOse, Mudskippers are amongst my favourites, especially amongst fish. The mangrove boardwalk at Cairns is a great place to watch them.

Froggyboy86, thanks for the ID on the frogs. Hinchinbrook is pretty easy to get to, weather not always the best but it's still beautiful. One thing about trying to find specific species, it's a big island with a lot of inaccessible hiding holes.

Lizardman59, I was pleased with the numbers of Lacy's although finding a lot more other wildlife would have been good.


----------



## RobynTRR (Sep 28, 2012)

Neat to see Laceys.


----------



## Shotta (Sep 28, 2012)

CHRI5 said:


> Must be nice to see Lace Monitors in their natural habitat. Sure beats looking at them through my glass doored enclosure.



woah what the hell is that thing!! is that an actual walking fish?
can you get them as pets??


----------



## Hazordous-Herps (Sep 28, 2012)

6Hajime6Saito6 said:


> woah what the hell is that thing!! is that an actual walking fish?
> can you get them as pets??


Are you talking about Mudskippers?


----------



## Chris (Sep 28, 2012)

6Hajime6Saito6 said:


> woah what the hell is that thing!!



What thing?


----------



## Shotta (Sep 28, 2012)

Hazordous-Herps said:


> Are you talking about Mudskippers?



yeah mudkippers can you get them as pets??


----------



## imported_Varanus (Sep 28, 2012)

tropicbreeze said:


> There were a lot of Lace Monitors around and these weren't overly timid. Seemed surprising seeing there were so many Cane Toads around. All the larger Goannas disappeared at my place as soon as the Toads turned up.



Are Lacies known Toad eaters, or by "larger monitors" are you referring to Panoptes, Mertens,etc?


----------



## Shotta (Sep 28, 2012)

CHRI5 said:


> What thing?



that land/fish thing..


----------



## Stuart (Sep 28, 2012)

6Hajime6Saito6 said:


> that land/fish thing..


In other parts of the world you can but I can imagine they are not that easy.


----------



## moloch05 (Sep 28, 2012)

Very nice. I would love to explore Hinchinbrook, someday. It really looks beautiful.

Regards,
David


----------



## jeska84 (Sep 28, 2012)

A few years ago I was visiting Hinchinbrook and I was walking along with my friend Cam, who is from Scotland. He was up ahead of me a bit and he saw a snake and started poking a stick at it, he was excited and was like "hey look, I found a snake" - I (cautiously) went to have a look and said "Cam... get back.... that's a death adder.."

Another story - a couple of months ago, my mate's English relatives were staying at her place.. a group of them were talking about spiders, and one of them said to the rest to come and look in the shed because there was a huntsman in there. They were all standing around looking at the spider and I went to have a look... shook my head... "no guys, that's a redback. Don't bloody touch it."


----------



## tropicbreeze (Sep 30, 2012)

Thanks for all the comments. I've spent ages watching the antics of Mudskippers, will probably spend a lot more before my time's up, LOL. Someone was going to try to breed one of the species that frequently inhabits freshwater. Don't know whether he succeeded or not. He's in Darwin.

Imported_Varanus, I don't know about Lacies but before I even saw the first Cane Toad at my place all my panoptes and mertensi vanished virtually overnight. Only had one regular gouldii around and it lasted only a bit longer.

Hinchinbrook is great for bushwalking, but the weather can be a bit iffy at times. And in certain places and at certain times the sandflies can be murder.


----------

