# Tasmania finale



## moloch05 (May 29, 2008)

My work commitments in Tasmania have sadly come to a close. I have had a great time in the past year with frequent trips to Hobart. My wife often accompanied me and this has felt much like a working holiday. On occasion, I was able to take a break and we would hire a car and head to the wild country to see some of this beautiful island. Tasmania has some spectacular and pristine national parks.

I know that it may sound strange but seeing the snow skinks (_Niveoscincus_) was high on my list of things to do. The fact that the lizards have adapted to what seems to be a hostile environment to reptiles made them particularly interesting to me. Also, some of these required a fair amount of trekking and hunting to find. 

Six species of these cold-adapted skinks live on the main island of Tasmania. A seventh, the Pedra Branca Skink (_N. palfriymani_) lives on a small islet 26 km to the south of Tasmania and is the southernmost terrestrial vertebrate found in Australia. It must be one of the most southerly occurring reptiles in the world. Does anyone know how far south reptiles are found in Argentina/Chile?

It took many months and trips but I eventually found all of the accessible snow skinks. Some of these were a challenge to identify and I required the assistance from other knowledgeable sources. I think that the identities of the skinks in the following photos are correct.


*1. Metallic Skink (Niveoscincus metallicus)* was the most widespread and abundant member of the genus. I saw these skinks in habitats ranging from coastal heaths to the barren tops of some of the tallest mountains in Tasmania. This species also is found in the southeast of the mainland of Australia. 

Here are a few habitat shots where I observed Metallic Skinks:
... rocky headland of Cape Raoul, Tasman National Park.







... summit of Mt. Wellington (near Hobart)






...sun gaps in otherwise dense stands of Myrtle ("Antarctic") Beech Trees in Cradle Mountain National Park:






... rocky alpine areas such as along the Overland Track at Cradle Mountain National Park.






Metallic Skinks (_Niveoscincus metallicus_) were best recognized by the large paravertebral scales visible in some of these photos:






















*2. Tasmanian Tree Skinks (Niveoscincus pretiosus)* were also widely distributed. I found it to be hard to distinguish between this skink and the Metallic Skink since their colours and patterns were often the same. They differ in the size of the scales on the back. Tasmanian Tree Skinks have small scales whereas the Metallic Skinks had large paravertebral scales. These features were usually easier to see in photos then in the field.

... habitat: dry forest






Tasmania Tree Skink (Niveoscincus praetiosus)







*3. Ocellated Skink (Niveoscincus ocellatus) *was another widespread species that was abundant on coastal rocky headlands or on rocks within dry forest. I saw one on an upper slope of a mountain in Cradle Mountain National Park but this species was much more common at lower elevations.







... we found many Ocellated Skinks along the cliff tops of Cape Raoul in this photo:






Ocellated Skink (_Niveoscincus ocellatus_)






















*4. Southern Snow Skinks (Niveoscincus micorlepidotus)* were one of three species restricted to mountaintops. These skinks were usually seen basking on rocks at the summit or on the upper talus slopes of the mountains.

... habitat: Mt. Field National Park





... tarn shelf of Mt. Field National Park






... summit of Mt. Wellington where these skinks were particularly abundant:






... a few lived on the outcrops along the Overland Track at Cradle Mountain. They were replaced by another species, the Northern Snow Skink (_N. greeni_) on the upper crags of Cradle Mountain itself.






Southern Snow Skinks (_Niveoscincus microlepidotus_) 
















... communal basking on Mt. Wellington:






*5. Northern Snow Skink (Niveoscincus greeni)* was another alpine specialist restricted to a few mountain tops in northern Tasmania. I found this species only when I climbed to the summit of Cradle Mountain. These were easy skinks to recognize.

... habitat: upper slopes and summit of Cradle Mountain, Cradle Mountain National Park.
















Northern Snow Skink (_Niveoscincus greeni_)
... adult






... juvenile







*6. Mountain Skink (Niveoscincus orocryptis)* was the third alpine specialist. The species is currently known from a few mountaintops in southwestern Tasmania but I have heard that there are reports of this species from other more distant locations in Tasmania as well. It seems that the range of Mountain Skinks is not all that well known. I only found this species after repeatedly visiting Hartz Mountain National Park. The weather in the southwest of Tasmania is often bad and it took five visits to finally find a day that was clear and warm enough for the skinks to emerge.


... habitat: summit of Hartz Mountain, Hartz Mountain National Park











Mountain Skink (_Niveoscincus orocryptis_):












Finally, here is the only other species of snow skink to be found on the mainland of Australia. It is not found in Tasmania but I wanted to include it for comparison with the Tassie species.

_7. Niveoscincus coventryi_






... and its habitat at Lake Mountain, Victoria.






Regards,
David


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## herpie boy (May 29, 2008)

amazing work david.


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## Sidonia (May 29, 2008)

Wow I absolutely love the cliff side shots (especially the Cape Raoul one), dry forest shot and the last picture.
Makes me want to go see Tazzy.


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## Danda_Reptilia (Jun 3, 2008)

Awsome pics...but then again I am biased.......lmao....... 

The Gorge walk during summer is also a great place to spot skinks....plenty of white's skinks (Egernia whitii) and the occasional mountain dragon (Tympanocryptis diemensis).

Surprising you didn't show any pics of tiger snakes from around Cradle Mountain area or weren't you looking for any?

Over all, Tassie is a great place to visit for herping, even if we are still in the draconian dark ages for reptiles.


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## moloch05 (Jun 3, 2008)

Thanks, all.

Danda,
Where is "The Gorge" walk? I was sorry to miss tigers at Cradle Mountain. Where do you find them there? Are they out in the button grass or near the lakes? I am hoping to return with friends in February next year for a holiday and would like to try and find these snakes. I only saw White-lipped Snakes at Cradle Mtn.

Regards,
David


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## Whisper2 (Jun 3, 2008)

the Gorge is like a few minutes drive from the center of launceston. amazing walk, peacocks everywhere! beautiful place to spend a day. 
if you get a chance go hiking up some of the mountains over looking Collinsvale (half hour out of Hobart) and there are lakes 2 -3 m deep and clear as glass. and the herps you come across are great!
shame you have finished your work there. small place compared to some but so much to do out doors!


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## redbellybite (Jun 3, 2008)

wow tassie looks amazing i should really make a effort to go there but i am a wimp when it comes to the cold so for all you tassies out there for a banana bender like me when is your hottest part of the year ? like i am talking about 30c plus days ..............would consider 28c but nothing colder as i like to hibernate in the cold months.......


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## moloch05 (Jun 3, 2008)

Thanks for the info, Whisper. Next year, I hope to return for a holiday. The Collinsville site sounds good.

Redbelly,
The weather here seems to be highly erratic. In Feb, there was snow on top of Mt. Wellington. I also went there in March when the temp hit about 30C so it varies a great deal in a short period of time.

Here are a few more plant shots from Tassie. I love these cushion plants and was surprised to read that not only are there multiple species, but that these are members of three different plant families. 





















Mountain Rocket -- the seeds of this plant were beautiful. It seems strange but it is a member of Proteaceae (banksia, grevillea, hakea, ...)






Pandani, a giant member of Epacridaceae (heath)






It is cold here in the winter so the natives have thick fur. I think that this is a mum and joey Bennett's Wallaby (race of Red-necked Wallaby)






Regards,
David


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## Danda_Reptilia (Jun 3, 2008)

The "Gorge" is better known as "Cataract Gorge" and as posted is only 2 minutes from Launceston CBD.

Tigers are found all over Cradle Mountain but more concentrated near the dam walls. Not surprising you found Whitelips up there, if patient enough, they are seen everywhere. 

Being such a strange state, the whitelips and copperheads have been seen still moving around up there when the ground is covered in snow.

As for the hotter times to visit and go herping, I receive the majority of calls about errant snakes during January - March. As State coordinator of Reptile Rescue Inc I keep logs of the callouts throughout the state and try and note the areas where higher concentration of snakes occur.

As posted, the weather can be very erratic down here, but because of the different humidity, we can have weather that is lower in degrees than mainland states but just as hot. (hope that makes sense)

I welcome anyone to visit down here and go herping, and if wanted, contact myself to see about best areas to go or even arrange a herping trip around some of the better locations.

Cheers

Darron


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## Tim.Arm (Jun 3, 2008)

*Awsome shoots there David.*


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## tooninoz (Jun 5, 2008)

As usual, great thread Moloch. Inspirational stuff.



Danda_Reptilia said:


> As posted, the weather can be very erratic down here, but because of the different humidity, we can have weather that is lower in degrees than mainland states but just as hot. (hope that makes sense)
> 
> I welcome anyone to visit down here and go herping, and if wanted, contact myself to see about best areas to go or even arrange a herping trip around some of the better locations.
> 
> ...



Darron, I spent 9mths in Nabowla (via Scottsdale) many years ago at an aunts property and remember the tigers and platypus and creeks filled with crays...and the bizarre weather! What you say does make sense - wake up with a jumper, 12pm without a tee (and sweating), frozen toes at 6pm... good spot mate.


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## cement (Jun 5, 2008)

I've been there once back in 89 for a sydney to hobart. The place is fantastic, so fresh and clean and cold. I loved it. Great photos mate.


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## moloch05 (Jun 6, 2008)

Thanks, all. 

Here are a few more pics from the Pinnacles walk at Mt. Wellington during my final week in Tasmania. This walk is only about a 15 minute drive from Hobart.












... view over Hobart












As, usual, a hard skink for me to recognize. I think that this is a Tasmanian Tree Skink due to the scales of uniform size but I am not certain.
















Green Rosella, a Tassie endemic:






Black Currawong, another Tassie endemic. Their calls are beautiful and one of the characteristic sounds of the wild, mountainous country.






a large and very brown race (or split) of the White-browed Scrubwren


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