# Northern Territory Frogging 2010



## froggyboy86 (Jan 23, 2010)

Hi guys, 

Just some pics from my trek across the NT this past month looking for some frog species I haven't seen before. It was a fairly successful trip with 19 new ones in all - unfortunately I was a bit late following the rains in the desert so I missed out on most of the frogs of the arid zone. 

Days 1-3 were spent around the Darwin area from the CBD eastwards to Fogg Dam and westwards towards Adelaide River. Darwin was a nice city, bit short on decent customer service but overall a very enjoyable place to spend a few days. There is still a fair amount of wildlife around but not as much as I remember from the pre-toad days. Goanna's and quolls were conspicuous in their absence. 

View from the Esplanade at Darwin over the Arafura Sea.






First new species of the trip and one that would be the most commonly encountered
Giant Frog (Cyclorana australis)





There were lots of snakes on the roads mainly slatey greys and keelbacks. The keelbacks were common and often I would hear a poor frog screaming as a keelback devoured it. 





Cane Toads (Rhinella marina) were common across the top end and I was surprised how far into the inland of the NT they had penetrated. Unlike in Queensland I found the toads tended to prefer disturbed or polluted habitat leaving the more 'pristine' sites for the native frogs. 





The second new species of the trip was this rather worried looking Floodplain Toadlet (Uperoleia inundata).





A more attractive species and one that posed readily was the Northern Dwarf Tree Frog (Litoria bicolor). These were abundant across a wide range of habitats in the Top End. 





The Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) was seen around dwellings along with the larger Northern Dtella (Geyhra australis) and in the forests the Tree Dtella (Gehyra variegata) was common. 





A trip to the NT looking for wildlife is not complete without a visit to Fogg Dam. There are crocodiles at Fogg Dam which made approaching the waters edge risky and there were reports in the media of a large Saltwater Crocodile which continually evaded capture by the rangers. This place is famous for the immense number of Dahl's Frogs (Litoria dahli) which were everywhere. Also this is a good place for Water Pythons (Liasis mackloti) and there were many people cruising the dam wall at night looking for them. 





There were also lots of Marbled Marsh Frogs (Limnodynastes convexiusculus) honking away in shallows. These would have to be one of the most beautifully marked frogs in Australia. 





A lifer for me was the Javelin Frog (Litoria microbelos). I looked high and low for them last year in Cairns and was relieved to find them in good numbers across the floodplains. 





A common frog of the east coast and again across the NT was the Rocket Frog (Litoria nasuta)





And there were several large angry Olive Pythons (Liasis olivaceus) crossing the roads at night.





Heading westwards towards the township of Adelaide River there were large areas of inundated grasslands and rocky streams. 





During the day there were several small skinks running around. I think this is a species of Lampropholis.





And this a type of Crytoblepharus...





I was very excited to hear the whooping call of the Northern Spade Foot (Notaden melanoscaphus) however the frogs are not particularly photogenic when they deflate and get defensive. 





Also common in the grasslands was the Stonemason Toadlet (Uperoleia lithomoda) 





I'll upload some more photos once I have sorted through the thousands I took from Kakadu and heading towards the Red Centre. 

Aaron


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## babba007 (Jan 23, 2010)

Wow. Great photos. Very lucky to have seen all those froggies. The Northern Spade Foot is the ugliest thing I think I've ever seen !! Looks like Jabba The Hutt !


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## BenReyn (Jan 23, 2010)

Oh wow!
Looks like you had an awesome time!
Thanks for sharing.
Ben.


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## palmej (Jan 23, 2010)

haha that second last photo I think the frog looks so funny  or maybe thats just me.
great shots!


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## gecko-mad (Jan 23, 2010)

Awesome stuff mate, love the L.Bicolor.


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## Gecko75 (Jan 23, 2010)

nice stuff Aaron, shame about the quolls and goannas, have you got a list of reptiles you saw? by the way, that notadan is very ugly :lol: and your lamphropholis is some sort of carlia, scott eipper will know the ID ask him.


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## dottyback (Jan 23, 2010)

would have been a great trip! thanks for sharing the great photographs!


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## xavarx7 (Jan 23, 2010)

nice pics


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## JasonL (Jan 23, 2010)

Looks a bit like Carlia gracilis to me.
and thats a water python striking at you, Olives arn't that angry


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## Acrochordus (Jan 23, 2010)

Top stuff, it looks like you hade some success i really like the _Notaden melanoscaphus, _nice photo's too.
Thanks Tim.


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## froggyboy86 (Jan 23, 2010)

*Kakadu National Park - Days 4-6*

Thanks for the comments everyone. Jason, I'm disappointed its not an olive. I initially thought it was a water python but it looked so green compared to the ones I saw in FNQ. 

Days 4-6 were spent in Kakadu National Park. Most of the park was closed due to flooding so I was limited to a certain area but it wasn't too bad because with the heavy rainfall frogs were abundant. Kakadu NP is divided into three broad geographic areas in my mind - the savannah, the wetlands and the escarpment. It is the escarpment areas of the park that interested me the most as there are a few frog species which are only found there. 

The western entry to Kakadu NP





Looking towards the Arnhemland from Jabiru. 





My first night in Kakadu was spent driving out towards Oenpelli in the escarpment country. Most roads were closed and difficult to navigate even with a 4x4. Unfortunately no Oenpelli Pythons but there were several new frogs for me. 

This is one I am not entirely sure of, the call sounded similar to that of the Jabiru Toadlet (Uperoleia arenicola) however it is a rarely encountered species and one that I don't have much knowledge or information on. It is possible it is a different form of Uperoleia inundata. 





On the roads there were lots of frogs one of which was being devoured by this snake. I'm not entirely sure whether it was a large Slatey Grey or a Northern Small-eyed Snake. 





Some frogs did manage to avoid being hit by cars or eaten by snakes... 

Northern Spadefoot (Notaden melanoscaphus)





Tornier's Frog (Litoria tornieri)





Long-footed Frog (Cyclorana longipes)





Climbing up rocks in pouring rain with camera gear was a challenge and the photos are not too great as I was battling the elements and the hordes of flying insects. 

I think this is an Arnhemland Dtella (Gehyra pamela)





Another species I encountered was the nicely marked Northern Spotted Rock Dtella (Gehyra nana)





However the gecko highlight for me was the Kimberley Knobtail (Nephrurus sheai). I couldn't quite get the eye in focus with all the moisture on the lens. 





The first escarpment frog I saw was the spectacular Carpenter Frog (Megistolotis lignarius). They are such a unique and fascinating species and I was glad I saw one. 





Copland's Rock Frog (Litoria coplandi)





Rockhole Frog (Litoria meiriana) 





Masked Rocket Frog (Litoria personata). This small species is restricted to the Arnhemland so it was a relief to find a group of males calling under a rock ledge. 





Wotjulum Frog (Litoria wotjulumensis). This is a large and powerful rocket frog which I didn't encounter that often in Kakadu. 





In a swamp at the base of the cliffs I heard a new call and found a Remote Froglet (Crinia remota) 





There are lots of reptiles in Kakadu it is just difficult for a novice like me to get any decent photos! Frilled-neck Lizards were common on the roads but I found them impossible to approach. The monitors seem to have been hit hard by the toads as we only saw one V. mertensi this trip. 

There were lots of smaller lizards however. Such as this Amphibolurus (I think...) spp. 





Crytoblepharus spp. 





And another:





I'd like to thank the park rangers and indigenous landholders who allowed me access to certain areas of the park and escarpment after dark. It wouldn't have been possible to find some of these frogs without their cooperation! 

Aaron


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## beatlloydy (Jan 23, 2010)

great photos...that first one of the Northern Spade Foot reminds me of the joke about the wide mouth frog (pretending he wasnt a wide mouth frog)


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## JasonL (Jan 25, 2010)

I guess you will be doing a talk at FATS, looks like you found a heap of critters... well done.


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## billiemay (Jan 25, 2010)

I love the photo of the northern spade foot. Makes me want to cuddle it and kiss it and sing it to sleep at night.


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## moosenoose (Jan 25, 2010)

Superb!!!!!


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## JasonL (Jan 25, 2010)

billiemay said:


> I love the photo of the northern spade foot. Makes me want to cuddle it and kiss it and sing it to sleep at night.



and hope it turn's into a Prince?


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## froggyboy86 (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks for the comments, 

Billiemay I'd be careful cuddling a Notaden - they squirt a lot of glue! I'd like to give a talk at FATS Jason but I wont be able to attend the next meeting cause of work. 

Days 7-10 were spent driving across the floodplains of the central NT. It was the most disappointing part of the trip as I saw no new species which surprised me considering the amount of water around but the great scenery in the area made up for it. 

Katherine Gorge in flood





Katherine wasn't particularly enjoyable to frog at night because of the drunken townspeople hurling abuse and the never ending cloud of flies around my headtorch. 

A nicely marked Long-footed Frog (Cyclorana longipes) 





A Northern Dwarf Tree Frog (Litoria bicolor)





A more placid Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus) 





A day walk around Katherine Gorge was torturous in 42 degree heat and not many animals were silly enough to be out and about apart from this small skink which I think is a Carlia spp. 





Driving south to the township of Daly Waters where I hoped to see the Daly Waters Frog (Cyclorana maculosa) however apart from an abundance of Green Tree Frogs, Giant Frogs and Cane Toads no other species were seen. 

I did spot in a bush near a creek what I think is a Stimson's Python (Antaresia stimsoni) Edit: Possibly a Children's Python (Antaresia childreni)





On the way to Tennant Creek we spotted a large Sand Monitor (Varanus gouldi) ambling off the road. It stood on its haunches for a few seconds and stared me down before running into the bushes. 





Tennant Creek is famous for the Devils Marbles and the Pebbles which line the Stuart Highway north and south of town. 





And it is set in the Barkly Tablelands which are allegedly home to a wide variety of herps and typically none of them were seen by me. 





The northern form of the Green Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) was common in creeks and ponds in the area along with the Giant Frog (Cyclorana australis) 





It wasn't a particularly eventful part of the trip and with more time and less distractions I probably could have found more. I'll have to stop being lazy and pull out my encyclopedia and ID some of the skinks but Ctenotus spp. give me a headache. 

Aaron


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## Gecko75 (Jan 25, 2010)

antaresia is childreni, goanna might be panoptes aswell, but you could be right. very nice shots once again, how did you find devils marbles, I was very disapointed with that place as there was a lot of graffiti when I went there.


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## froggyboy86 (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks Gecko75,

Devils Marbles was good, I didn't notice any grafiti and I walked a far way through the park. Maybe they have cleaned it up since you were there last (I do hope it was grafiti and not 1000 year old Aboriginal paintings  ) Hmm I did think it looked like panoptes but from memory it had a pale tail tip which I associate with gouldi but my recollection could be wrong. I have no idea with Antaresia spp. they all look the same to me - I was just going off distribution maps I have in my old book.

Cheers

Aaron


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## billiemay (Jan 25, 2010)

JasonL said:


> and hope it turn's into a Prince?



I was thinking more a chubby & ugly but cute baby. Hope that when I have children they have some of the characteristics that fat little ball.



froggyboy86 said:


> Billiemay I'd be careful cuddling a Notaden - they squirt a lot of glue!



Like the glue that holds families and relationships together... that kind of glue? The glue of love?

what kind of glue do they squirt? Would I get a rash? Could I lick it? Does it wash off? Could it be used to fix my shoe?


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## billiemay (Jan 25, 2010)

Is there a really good guide to Aussie frogs I could purchase anywhere or do you buy them by location?


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## Gecko75 (Jan 25, 2010)

nah it was graffiti, not aboriginal cave paintings lol, just the usual, example name was here in ???? they must have cleaned it, we didn't go that far into there. look foward to seeing more pictures.


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## $NaKe PiMp (Jan 25, 2010)

for snake enthusiasts we still love our froggys,im a closet frog nerd


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## froggyboy86 (Jan 25, 2010)

I agree, more frog enthusiasts need to come out of the closet - they need all the help they can get!

Billiemay - the best book is A Field Guide to Australian Frogs by Barker, Grigg and Tyler but it can be hard to get a hold of these days. There is a new book out by Tyler and Knight but I don't think it is that useful to anyone because the information and drawings are very poor. 

The last few days of my trip across the NT were spent in the "Red Centre" from Alice Springs to Uluru. It was a beautiful sight to see the desert in full bloom after recent rains and the dunes were cloaked in green. 

I spent two nights in Alice Springs and I was really impressed. It is a vibrant and modern city on the edge of the desert and I was expecting something a lot less welcoming. Alice Springs is built around the Macdonnell Ranges which are a series of mountains stretching east to west across the desert and form a small refuge for a variety of unique plants and animals. 

Simpsons Gap in the West Macdonnell Ranges






The West Macdonnells held an amazing amount of frogs, a lot more than I expected. The first new species I encountered was the Spencer's Burrowing Frog (Platypectrum spenceri). This is the inland form of the more well known Ornate Burrowing Frog (Platypectrum ornatum). 





Another frog which occurs in the West Macdonnells and across much of arid inland Australia is the Main's Burrowing Frog (Cyclorana maini). These are nicely marked moderately large frogs which emerge after rain to breed. 





However the froggy highlight for me was the West Macdonnell endemic, the Centralian Tree Frog (Litoria gilleni). These are large and attractively spotted species which eke out an existence in rocky gorges. 










Whilst photographing the tadpoles of the above species I was shocked to turn around and see a large Mulga Snake (Pseudechis australis) slithering past. This snake was very docile and curled up amongst some shrubs whilst I took more photos of the tadpoles.





The other common frog of the inland is the Desert Tree Frog (Litoria rubella) and these were abundant around any waterbody in the vicinity of Alice Springs





Driving south towards Uluru the landscape changes to rolling red dunes and sand hills and dry salt lakes. Lake Amadeus is in the distance of this shot. 





The petrol stations in the Northern Territory often carry this disclaimer on their bowsers





Uluru/Ayer's Rock at sunset. A truly amazing sight and a lot different seeing it in the flesh than on a postcard. 





Kata Tjuta (or the Olgas) unflatteringly referred to as Uluru's ugly sister however I found these rock formations fascinating. 





Sand Monitors (Varanus gouldi) were common on the roads and along tracks.





It was fun watching a juvenile monitor wrestle with a small moth at the hotel





Skinks and dragons are common in the area but I found them difficult to approach. I only saw one DOR Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus) and no Perentie (Varanus giganteus). I did photograph this skink which I think is Ctenotus dux from the Olgas. 





Aaron


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## moosenoose (Jan 26, 2010)

I'm hoping, instead of a 40th birthday party this year, that I'm taken somewhere into the Territory!!  I truly love seeing images like this!


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## timportas (Jan 26, 2010)

Great photos of some fantastic species!


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## thals (Jan 26, 2010)

Amazing shots, NT's a great place to visit - the vast array of scenery and wildlife is spectacular! Very much enjoyed all pics, that olive's a classic - nothing I like better than a snake with attitude


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## Slats (Mar 15, 2010)

And you didnt even give me a PM when you came into Katherine!!!
Theres a couple of large swamp/ dams in the surrounding 200 k's that i think you would be rather interested in.
We dont have stimsoni here only childreni.

Next time give us a yell haha


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## froggyboy86 (Mar 15, 2010)

Slats said:


> And you didnt even give me a PM when you came into Katherine!!!
> Theres a couple of large swamp/ dams in the surrounding 200 k's that i think you would be rather interested in.
> We dont have stimsoni here only childreni.
> 
> Next time give us a yell haha


 
Thanks for that, I didn't know that there were any forum members in Katherine! Would have been handy to get some local knowledge, I'll be definately heading back up to the NT in the next few years, still have 8 species of frog there I havent seen.


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