# Dash to the Marsh and Back



## GeckPhotographer (Mar 5, 2013)

So I was sitting around on a Monday night, it was the last week before Uni and I was contemplating how best to spend it herping before going back... As if in answer to my thoughts an email came through asking for immediate volunteers to leave the next day and spend 2 days doing vegetation surveys in central NSW. Knowing I could use this opportunity to herp I replied that I was keen. 

The next morning we drove out to the Macquarie Marsh, arrived after dark and did a short spot of frogging, it was dry, there was very little around but I did photograph this one Salmon-striped Frog. 



Limnodynastes salmini by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

For those that don't know the Salmon-striped Frog isn't actually given its scientific name for the stripes, but is named after a person, if anybody knows who this person is, please comment and tell me, I was trying to find out. 

The next day was full of veg surveys. I didn't take my camera on these surveys because this was 'work'. Fortunately we didn't see any brilliantly rare reptiles, just a brown and a bucket load of big Red-bellies. 

After surveys finished we relaxed back at the house for a while and I did some Garden Herping. Since first finding one of this species I've started turning them up commonly everywhere. Figures..... This is still the first I've seen with an original tail.



Lerista punctatovittata by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr



Lerista punctatovittata by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

After the others had had a few relaxing beers, dinner and the sun had set we all decided to cruise some roads and see what we could. 
After driving past 4 snakes that got off the road before we saw what they were (apparently casually saying "that was something" and continuing with the conversation is not the best way to alert people to seeing something on the road), we finally stopped at one of the snakes to find this Curl Snake, lots of herpetologists seem to hate these, being so common, boring brown and **** to pose. I on the other hand kinda like them, the colours are dull but still fairly nice and their method of 'escape' leaping away energetically is pretty cool. 



Suta suta by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr



Suta suta by Stephen Mahony, on 






Suta suta by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

The next day was more vegetation work, we finished up at about lunchtime which was fortunate as the heavens decided to open up, the rest of the day was light but constant rain. This was the most rain the area had had for a fair while and we took the most of the opportunity tracking down several species of burrowing frogs. 




Cyclorana cultripes by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr
There's some dis-consent about what sp. the above frog actually is, despite labelling it as cultripes I don't believe it is.  
(This individual is a juvenile)

Here's an adult from a different trip. 



Cyclorana cultripes by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

One of Australia's prettiest frogs. 



Notaden bennetti by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr



Notaden bennetti by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr



These guys are real cuties, probably my favourite burrowers. 


Neobatrachus sudelli by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr



Neobatrachus sudelli by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr



Neobatrachus sudelli by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr





On the way back to frogging from the house we found one snake that is usually very common in the area. This was the only one seen this trip. 



Denisonia devisi by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

The next day was spent driving home, this took 8hours and over that time and distance it did not once stop raining.


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## richoman_3 (Mar 5, 2013)

nice one!
the devis is cool!


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## GeckPhotographer (Mar 5, 2013)

Thanks man. 

The De' Vis are one of my favourite snake species. Great character.


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## froggyboy86 (Mar 5, 2013)

What do you think the frog is if it is not C. cultripes?


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## jordanmulder (Mar 7, 2013)

the bennetti and sudelli are adorable!!


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## r3ptilian (Mar 7, 2013)

froggyboy86 said:


> What do you think the frog is if it is not C. cultripes?



Could possibly be Platyplectrum ornatum..


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## GeckPhotographer (Mar 7, 2013)

> Could possibly be Platyplectrum ornatum..



No it's definitely a Cyclorana.

Many frog people have many disagreements regarding the taxonomy and distribution of Cyclorana.


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