# Kimberley Wildlife Surveys, once more with feeling



## Nephrurus (May 23, 2008)

Ahoi there folks, 

I've just been up in the far NW of WA partaking in some fauna surveys. Needless to say we turn up some fairly special looking creatures.

I've also just bought a new camera, so I took it up there with a view to learn how to use it. Unfortunately it still is somewhat baffling, but i kind of got the gist of towards the end. I was using a Nikon D70s with a 18-200mm VRlense and a Tamron 90mm Macro. 

Here's a few pics that I've uploaded already. There will be a few more later on. 

We try and target a specific habitat type when surveying, so I'll go into it a bit with each group of photos. 

As well as reptiles and frogs, I have an interest in birds as well, so a few pics of some interesting or attractive species will be posted. If you want to whinge about bird photos in a reptile forum, go back to the "my bearded hasn't pooed in three days" threads.






Blue wing Kookaburras are found in most of the open savannah habitats. Their call is atrocious. 





This young rugosa was found in a stream near one of our sites while i was looking at some long tailed finches. They get very very large with massive heads (probably from eaten alot of mussels/watersnails). 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/Nephrurus/Kimberley april_may 08/DSC_1001.jpg
Brown Falcons are one of the most common raptors. Black Kites and Brown Falcons usually turn up to areas that have been burnt (usually while the fire is raging) to catch any fleeing lizards, rodents or insects. 





_Ctenotus inornatus_ are found in most habitats and are the most common Ctenotus we turn up. Snake food. 





This spotted snake _Suta punctata_ turned up in one of our pitfall traps. We don't turn them up all that much. I think this may be due to them being very cryptic species. This one was in sandy soiled savannah-woodland with a dense understory. 






Bush Stone Curlew are a species that is common in the north, but rare in NSW. 





Long tailed finches are also common. 






This Northern Spadefoot _Notoden melanoscaphus_ was sitting on a meat ant nest, devouring meat ants that strayed from the safety of the hole. It was the middle of the night as well!







Wotjulum frogs are common along watercourses in basalt and sandstone country. They tend not to hide during the day and sit under a bit of low cover, leaping away into the stream when you come close. 





Crimson Finches are a beautiful species commonly seen close to water. 






_Oedura rhombifer_ is a fairly cryptic gecko species that is likely a bunch of separate species. 






Bar Breasted Honeyeaters are a commonly seen species in paperbark woodland. 






Sugar gliders are occasionally turned up spotlighting amongst flowering trees. This one is in a large grevillea. We've also had their hair found in quoll scat. 











Night tigers _Boiga irregularis_ were the most commonly found snake on this trip. Here are photos from two specimens we found out spotlighting. 











The difference between the male (upper) and female (lower) red backed button quail is particularly striking. These were also found spotlighting.






This is the only _Strophurus ciliaris_ we turned up. It was in a drier area of savannah on basalt soil.






This _Varanus scalaris_ posed beautifully. Pity i was trying to figure out the camera at the time. 





Northern Rosella. Very nice birds. 











Anyone want to attempt an ID on these dragons? Diporiphora is an absolute mess of a genus. A review of bilineata has apparently resulted on a whole heap of new species. Who knows how mant the rest of the existing species will be split into. 

More photos to come. 

-H


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## slacker (May 23, 2008)

Nice shots


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## hornet (May 23, 2008)

i think the Diphoriphora are D. albilabris albilabris and number 2 looks like bilineata. Great pics, thanks for sharing


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## Magpie (May 23, 2008)

Awesome stuff Henry, I never knew there was frogs that eat ants.
Love those boigas.


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## andyscott (May 23, 2008)

Great picks, Thanks for sharing.
Those 2 picks of the Night Tiger are fantastic 10/10.


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## NCHERPS (May 23, 2008)

Great captures Henry.
If those shots are you getting to grips with the camera, there's no hope for me! LOL!
Looking forward to seeing some more, including the birds 


Neil


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## Tim.Arm (May 23, 2008)

*Awsome pics thanks for sharin.*


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## Minka (May 23, 2008)

Great Pics Neph, those Boigas are outstanding. Beaut Falcon and Rosella too


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## Snake Catcher Victoria (May 23, 2008)

Great pics Henry, the spotted snake is a beautiful thing and the finches on the spiky plant is a very nice pic as well..


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## hornet (May 23, 2008)

ssssnakeman said:


> Great pics Henry, the spotted snake is a beautiful thing and the finches on the spiky plant is a very nice pic as well..



crimson finch on a pandanus palm, i believe thats about the only plant they use for nesting


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## Nephrurus (May 23, 2008)

Crimson Finches nest just about anywhere. Old homesteads, sheds etc, grass, shrubs. Check your field guide.


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## hornet (May 23, 2008)

i dont have a bird field guide but was always told they were normally found in pandanus


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## nathancl (May 23, 2008)

that scalaris is stunning 

was it the only varanid found? 

cheers
nathan


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## Snake Catcher Victoria (May 23, 2008)

I think its some sort of honey eater that call the pandanus home..
A blue throated possibly??
Im sure there are heaps of birds that make use of it , but there is one that wont nest anywhere else i think.


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## Nephrurus (May 23, 2008)

More photos just uploaded. 

Those two dragons were _Diporiphora albilabris_ and _D. magna_ in that order. 





This one is _D. lallilae_. Found in sandstone close to water courses. 





This crested hawk or Pacific Baza let us come right up underneath it.





This young _Limnodynastes lignarius_ hopped into camp with two others. I fluke a shot of it opening it's mouth (they were catching insects). I've tried to lighten it up a bit without a great deal of success. 






This Northern Brown Bandicoot spent 4 nights eating all the bait out of my Elliot traps til it was finally cought on the 4th night. 






_Menetia sp._ are fiddley. To distinguish between the two species in the Kimberley region you need to examine the supracilliarie scales. You really need a microscope. 






This _Varanus acanthurus_ was turned up under neath a log in the middle of some grassland (nearby some sandstone heaps). 






_Cryptoblepharus megastictus_ will probably be slpit into several species. They are buggars to photograph, and this was the best i got. Unfortunately it's on a log instead of the usual rock. 






This Childrens python _Antaresia childreni_ demonstrated why i don't often catch snakes by defecating all over itself when i picked it up. 






_Litoria splendida_ are often found in large areas of dissected sandstone.






A first for me was this Burtons Legless Lizard _Lialis burtoni_. I've seen plenty of captives and dead ones but never turned up a live one. It posed for me as well!






Here is one of the pools near our campsite. There were snapping tortoise swimming around in there, as well as some large fish. I went fishing and in about 2 minutes pulled out one of these... (see below). 






I think it's a black bream. I should check my fish ID book. 






Last but not least, a large Black Headed Python _Aspidites melanocephalus_ with a bulge indicating a recent large meal. 
More photos to follow.

All the best, 

-H


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## Daniel_Penrith (May 23, 2008)

woah that bhp is huge......great pics!! Love the night tigers...makes me wanna buy one even more now!!


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## Magpie (May 23, 2008)

Sooty Grunter, sometimes called a black bream, but not in WA


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## Chris.j (May 23, 2008)

Great pics there Henry.


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## mrmikk (May 23, 2008)

Some of the best wildlife photos !


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## hazzard (May 23, 2008)

Oh but wild BHP's are never large or fat, must be an escaped captive!

Marvellous photos again mate, wow the colours on that boiga, the tamron pics look good, impressed with the lens?


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## mattmc (May 23, 2008)

henry....doing your self proud with that new camera .....great pics but you can only get better ....looks like you had a supurb time....
Cheers mate
Matt


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## michelleryan (May 23, 2008)

Awsome pics. Thanks for the turtle pic!


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## JasonL (May 23, 2008)

Gee, with all those bird pics at the start I thought you may of been turning weird on us... too long in the bush.... but you came good at the end, great pics.


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## skakavacjakovac (May 23, 2008)

Wounderfull Examples!! you must have had a ball there!! jelous!!


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## Shannon (May 23, 2008)

Fantastic post - thanks for sharing!


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## Troy 1000 (May 24, 2008)

Great shots,
You obviously had a great time


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## smacdonald (May 24, 2008)

Nice haul. Where in the Kimberley were you?

Stewart


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## Nephrurus (May 24, 2008)

reptilesDownUnder said:


> Nice haul. Where in the Kimberley were you?
> 
> Stewart



In the far north west, north of Mitchell Plateau. 

-H


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## smacdonald (May 24, 2008)

Nephrurus said:


> Cryptoblepharus megastictus will probably be slpit into several species. They are buggars to photograph, and this was the best i got. Unfortunately it's on a log instead of the usual rock.



If you keyed that out to _Cryptoblepharus megastictus_, then it probably is _C. megastictus_. The other _Cryptoblepharus_ in the area is _C. ruber_, but I think that would have keyed out to _C. plagiocephalus_. This info is based on Paul Horner's review of the genus last year.


Stewart


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## Nephrurus (May 24, 2008)

I haven't seen the review yet. I should try and hunt it down. 

-H


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## moloch05 (May 25, 2008)

Henry,

What an experience! The Kimberley would be a wonderful place to explore. You found a lots of interesting species. I enjoyed another pic of a Notaden. 

You did well with the new camera and lenses -- very nice shots.


Regards,
David


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## urodacus_au (May 25, 2008)

Awesome mate, you got the hang of the tamron pretty bloody quick by the looks of things  Thats a nice puncata, good colour and condition.

Love the waterhole shot, angled light brings out the colours so well.
Cheers
Jordan


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## Australis (May 27, 2008)

Hey Henry,

The _Suta punctata_ is damn nice.

That goanna shot just looks weird, the weirdest in-situ shot ive ever seen :|

Cheers,
Matt


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## Emzie (May 27, 2008)

wow very nice pics


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## jordo (May 27, 2008)

Not bad at all 
Love the Boiga tongue shot, good to see some of the birds you get up there as well.


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