# Seldom seen: A few herps from the Goldfields and Northern Wheatbelt.



## Nephrurus (Dec 12, 2012)

Hi all, 

Haven't posted for a fair while! 

May as well do another quick one then go quiet for a few months!

I drove out east for a few days to visit a mate who was staying in the Northern Wheatbelt. It was also a chance for me to have another crack at _Pseudechis butleri _ (needless to say: fail). 

Although I missed the butleri I did manage to get a few other critters while I was out and about. Included are some geckos that seldom feature in these threads because the habitat they prefer is god-forsaken and uninhabitable. 

Honestly, driving from the northern wheatbelt (admittedly in an area thats pretty intact) into the goldfields is like driving into Mordor. Suddenly the trees are stunted and theres rocks everywhere...

Anyway, as I said, there are some neat creatures that live out in those areas. 





untitled-9761 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr

_Oedura reticulata_ are more wheatbelt animals and I guess I was right at the edge of their range. Travel 50kms north and the large eucalypts they seem to prefer seem to disappear. A handsome species, a fair whack bigger than any leseuerii or rhombifer (to which it superficially resembles). 

In the goldfield region I hopped out of the car to wee just on dark and decided that, as I was standing in spinifex, to have a bit of a look around. 

BAM! Three of these in as many minutes: Jewelled Gecko _Strophurus elderi_ 




untitled-0125 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr




untitled-0110 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr




untitled-0117 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr



Further up the road I bought some fuel and then took a different road (dirt) stopping along the way to see what was moving about. 

Aside from the regular species (Diplo granariensis, Diplo pulcher, Rhyncho ornata) I found _Lucasium squarrosum_. 




untitled-0195 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr


And in about the same time as it took to find the Jewelled Geckos I picked up three _Nephrurus_. Two _N. wheeleri wheeleri_ and one _N. vertebralis_, all within about 10meters of each other. 




untitled-0139 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr




untitled-0141 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr




untitled-0150 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr




untitled-0165 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr

They always seem to be smiling....

I'd never seen the nominate race of wheeleri before, only the Pilbara _N. wheeleri cinctus_, so that was nice. 


Anyway, that was more or less the product of driving 5hours each way from Perth over a weekend (actually an extended weekend). 

The rest of the photos from the trip can be seen here: Goldfields and Northern Wheatbelt - a set on Flickr
There's a few pics of a Varanus tristis I caught, as well as some birds and stuff, but they dont' really count as "seldom seen". 


All the best, 

Henry Cook


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## Red-Ink (Dec 12, 2012)

Thanks Henry Cook.. love your pictorial work.


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## richoman_3 (Dec 12, 2012)

absolutely stunning finds and pics henry !
love the vertebralis and elderi, and that reticulata!


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## Stevo2 (Dec 12, 2012)

Nice Tristis  How big were they?


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## GeckoJosh (Dec 12, 2012)

Stunning pics Henry!
Hey I must be blind, I can't see what species the 1st gecko is?


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## Nephrurus (Dec 12, 2012)

You're right. It's an _Oedura reticulata_. I thought I'd given it the right title on Flickr. Clearly not. 

The tristis was medium sized i guess, about 30-40cm long.


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## Stevo2 (Dec 12, 2012)

Nephrurus said:


> You're right. It's an _Oedura reticulata_. I thought I'd given it the right title on Flickr. Clearly not.
> 
> The tristis was medium sized i guess, about 30-40cm long.



They always seem larger in photos! Thanks


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## eipper (Dec 12, 2012)

Hesperoedura reticulata nice shots Henry


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## GeckoJosh (Dec 12, 2012)

Nephrurus said:


> You're right. It's an _Oedura reticulata_. I thought I'd given it the right title on Flickr. Clearly not.
> 
> The tristis was medium sized i guess, about 30-40cm long.



Thanks Henry


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## Rickyp (Dec 12, 2012)

great finds and awesome photos


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## Gonemad (Dec 12, 2012)

They are great photos.


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## moloch05 (Dec 13, 2012)

Wonderful photos of some excellent animals, Henry. You certainly did well.

Regards,
David

- - - Updated - - -

Henry, that grasshopper on the flickr site was just incredible. I've never seen anything like it.


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## Mangy_Wombat (Dec 15, 2012)

Beautiful pictures. Some stunning animals in that lot.


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## Bushman (Dec 22, 2012)

It's good to see you posting again Henry. You've taken some great gecko shots there. I especially like the elderi back shot and the 'smiling' Nephrurus (turning it on especially for its namesake). 8)
Thanks for sharing these seldom seen treats with us.


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