# Cracow - social capital of Queensland



## smacdonald (Dec 21, 2008)

Recently I was dragged out to Cracow to help Jonno from Educational Reptile Displays with a venomous snake handling course for the Cracow Gold Mine. We stayed at the Cracow Pub, owned by Fred Brophy.




A green tree frog (_Litoria caerulea_) found in a post out the back of the Cracow Pub.

The first night we went out driving was quite unproductive. We drove about 120km in the first night, only managing to find one spotted python (_Antaresia maculosa_) about 1km out of town.





As there was nothing much on the road we went to the local tip to have a poke around. We found a Bynoe's gecko (_Heteronotia binoei_) and some frogs.




Stoney creek frog (_Litoria wilcoxi_) found near a creek.




Spotted marsh frog (_Limnodynastes tasmaniensis_) found at the local dump.

We went back to the pub, where Jonno found a Burton's legless lizard (_Lialis burtonis_) at the back stairs.









We conducted the course during the day, and went critter hunting at night. We both wanted to find rough-throated leaf-tailed geckos (_Saltuarius salebrosus_, so we were keeping our eyes out for suitable hbitat. We saw a rocky outcrop just over the road from the mine site. We thought it looked like good gecko habitat. We were right.







Rough-throated leaf-tailed gecko (_Saltuarius salebrosus_). Their very effective camouflage makes photographing them quite difficult. It also makes seeing them quite difficult. Luckily I had Jonno and his eagle eyes with me. We (and by 'we' I mean 'Jonno') found five leaf tails on a single rock face.




Rough-throated leaf-tailed gecko (_Saltuarius salebrosus_). They wave their tails when they feel threatened. Like all geckos, they can drop, and subsequently regrow, their tail.




Rough-throated leaf-tailed gecko (_Saltuarius salebrosus_). He's licking the eye on the other side of his head.




Front view of a rough-throated leaf-tailed gecko (_Saltuarius salebrosus_).




A thick-tailed gecko (_Underwoodisaurus milii_) found on a rocky outcrop.

On our last night we went out driving again. We found a pink-tongued skink (_Cyclodomorphus gerrardii_) in a very dry area. Pink tongues are normally found in moist environments. Obviously no one told this guy that...





We then stopped at a bridge to have a look on the wooden structure. We found a couple of geckos.




Dubious dtella (_Gehyra dubia_) found on a wooden bridge.




Southern spotted velvet gecko (_Oedura tryoni_) found running around on a wooden bridge.

We packed up on Saturday and drove back to Brisbane. I've decided that I'm going to get a job in a mine. Workers get free, unlimited food. Including ice cream. Unlimited ice cream. I was in heaven.


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## Luke1 (Dec 21, 2008)

HAHA, love the tree frog and burtons! they are sweet!
good find!
well done looks like you had abit of fun!


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## Vat69 (Dec 21, 2008)

reptilesDownUnder said:


> Unlimited ice cream.



And suddenly the nice herp pics don't matter. Where do I sign up? No, seriously.


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## bump73 (Dec 21, 2008)

Mate, awesome pics, especially the ones of the Saltuarius 

Ben


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## Jonno from ERD (Dec 21, 2008)

I seriously have not seen someone eat as much as Stewart did. I felt incredibly unmanly by not being able to compete with his appetite. Luckily my reptile spotting ability is far better than my eating ability or handbrake-turn ability!


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## smacdonald (Dec 21, 2008)

I've just found out that the Cracow Pub is haunted. And here I was thinking it was just Jonno slipping into my bed at night.

Stewart


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## Jonno from ERD (Dec 21, 2008)

Ah, that was me mate. I kicked the ghost out. I was lonely.


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## ryanharvey1993 (Dec 22, 2008)

awsome shots, I really wish I had more herpers around. love your sense of humor stewart, always laugh at the comments, look foward to pics from future trips


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## Brigsy (Dec 22, 2008)

You guys did well, I have seen a verry large B.H.P out there but not a great deal more not that i have time to look. Next time head out too Nathan george, not far from town.


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## smacdonald (Dec 24, 2008)

Hi Ryan,

Make sure you let me know if you're ever up in Brisbane. I'll show you some of the good spots around here. I've still got a few pics from a recent trip that I'm yet to post. I don't think anything exciting is happening on Thursday so maybe I'll get some spare time then to sort them out.

Brigsy: Last time I was in the area I found a live black-headed python and three (big) road-killed ones. That area is around the south-eastern limit of their range, but they're obviously not uncommon.


Stewart


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## redbellybite (Dec 24, 2008)

reptilesDownUnder said:


> I've just found out that the Cracow Pub is haunted. And here I was thinking it was just Jonno slipping into my bed at night.
> 
> Stewart


 well that explains that photo of Jonno looking very disturbed in a pyscotic way ........he was possssssssesed...........:evil::evil::evil:.........great pics otherwise .......


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## geckoman1985 (Dec 24, 2008)

nice pic of the leaf tailed geckos i live not far from there and would not mind going out there to look for some leaf tailed geckos myself


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## Pike01 (Dec 24, 2008)

Have they got a petrol station there yet?I had to get some petrol from the mine as I planned on filling up there.....bad mistake.


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## spongebob (Dec 24, 2008)

Legless at the pub? Could have fallen down those stairs.


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## smacdonald (Dec 24, 2008)

pike1 said:


> Have they got a petrol station there yet?I had to get some petrol from the mine as I planned on filling up there.....bad mistake.



Nope, still no petrol station. I'm sure the mine would love having people going in to fill up their cars!


Stewart


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## nathancl (Dec 24, 2008)

both theodore and eidsvold have petrol stations. 

Nice leafies
Nathan


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## LullabyLizard (Dec 24, 2008)

Great shots


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## kupper (Dec 24, 2008)

That burtons legless is awesome !!! great shot


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