# Trip to central western QLD, pt2



## moloch05 (Oct 15, 2009)

This post includes photos of the other animals that I encountered while travelling through the central western Queensland.

I always enjoy seeing these beautiful Yellow-spotted Monitors (_Varanus panoptes_). They often seem fearless and I can walk along with them without them running away. This one was initially on the road but then moved into a pasture. It would periodically stop and look at me while I followed and photographed it.























I also found another large individual that was savouring the delights of a lightly sun-roasted and aromatic kangaroo. I saw it tear off and consume large chunks of meat.






... these are big lizards:







I saw a few Gould's Monitors (_Varanus gouldii_) as well. They were more common on red soil with Mulga forest. This one had a lovely, long tail.












Spencer's Monitors (_Varanus spenceri_) are a grassland inhabiting species. I found 1 AOR and 4 DOR animals in the Winton area so I suppose that they must be a fairly common species. The AOR was seen on the shoulder of the road while I was driving at 110kph. I stopped and returned to where the monitor had been but could not find it. This was the habitat:






I think that it probably had plunged into one of the many cracks in the clay. 







Seeing DOR monitors is always sad but the death of a female like this was especially tragic:






... another DOR Spencer's:







Central Bearded Dragons (_Pogona vitticeps_) were a frequent sight on the trip. I saw more this year than ever before. I think that this may have been due to the temperatures that were not as high as when I usually head out west. I usually saw the dragons standing with their tails arched upwards and their heads held high.







If I stopped and approached a dragon, they would often attempt to blend with the surrounding plants and soil.

















If that was not effective, they would then threaten to bite:






The following dragon was very lucky. I stopped to take a photo but it just vanished. I did not see where it ran and could not find it. I gave up and began driving down the road until I heard a strange scratching sound coming from the engine cavity. I stopped, opened the hood and found the dragon clinging below the engine. After a bit of an effort, I managed to remove it to the shoulder of the road.












Bearded Dragons were common up in the Dajarra area on granite outcrops. Here is an adult and juvenile.












This little juvenile was in the Mulga country:







A new lizard to me was this Down's Bearded Dragon (_Pogona henrylawsoni_). Like the Spencer's Monitor, it is a grassland inhabiting species. I saw two in the Mitchell Grass Downs a little south of Winton.







Eyrean Earless Dragons (_Tympanocryptis tetraporophora_) were abundant in the Eyrean Basin west of Winton. I have seen a few near Windorah before but west of Winton, they seemed to be everywhere. These are such strange lizards that stand upright on the hind legs with their tail arched upward. They stand like this on anything that they can find that is slightly elevated. On this trip, I was never able to take a shot of one standing completely upright. They always dropped or sat when I stopped the car for a photo.







These little lizards would shelter in the cracking clay if pursued.







I assume that this was a male in its nuptial colours. 








Another new species to me was the Pebble Dragon (_Tympanocryptis cephalus_). As the name implies, they are pebble mimicking dragons and they blend well when on a gibber flat. I found two at night on the road, probably the only easy way to find these cryptic lizards.























The following lizard has me confused about its identity. It is a _Tympanocryptis_ but I found it a little west of Dubbo, NSW, and am not certain of the id. It may be a _T. tetraporiphora_ but it seems different to me and it lived in savannah grassland rather than on gibber flats where I normally see the species.












I was surprised to find only a single Ring-tailed Dragon (_Ctenophorus caudicinctus_) in the Eyrean Basin west of Winton. The habitat looked good but I could only find one lizard after lots of searching.







This is a juvenile Gilbert's Dragon (_Amphibolurus gilberti_). I also saw an adult on the road one evening.







Many species of _Ctenotus_ skinks were possible in the areas that I visited. In the end, I only saw a single lizard near Dajarra. It was sheltering beneath a piece of metal.

Leopard Ctenotus (_Ctenotus pantherinus_):












I only saw a single live Shingleback (_Tiliqua rugosa_) this year. It was near Bourke (NSW) and was walking along the shoulder of the road and plucking the flowers of a _Solanum_.






















I only found two live snakes on the trip. Both were Curl Snakes (_Suta suta_):






... this was the largest Curl snake that I have ever seen. It was on the move, wild and it simple was not safe to try and take a better shot.







I found this DOR Black-headed Python (_Aspidites melanocephalus_) on the road near Muttaburra.






... this was the nearby habitat where the python had lived:






Regards,
David


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## dano85 (Oct 15, 2009)

nice pics mate!


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## froggyboy86 (Oct 15, 2009)

Great photos David, nice shots of the monitors. Did you happen to see any frogs out that way? 

Aaron


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## serpenttongue (Oct 15, 2009)

Nice panoptes. Shame about the gravid spenceri.


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## richoman_3 (Oct 15, 2009)

wow great photos they look really good ... man all u people on this site really know some good places to find lizards ive never found a live lizard ( over 10 cm haha )


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## Serpentes (Oct 15, 2009)

Wow, you take such immaculate shots. Sounds like you've got a good eye for the critters too! Those T. cephalus are a rare find. Only ever found one myself, 300 km south-east of Mt Isa. Two is unreal.


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## justbrad (Oct 15, 2009)

Every bit as awessum as part 1! great work, cheers, Brad.


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## richoman_3 (Oct 15, 2009)

oh wait i found a wild blue tongue once apart from that its little skinks like white's and ground skinks keep up the good work


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## JasonL (Oct 15, 2009)

One of your best threads yet, though the DOR Spencers pics make me feel sick, important to show how many things are killed on the roads though...


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## moloch05 (Oct 16, 2009)

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback.

Aaron, I did not see frogs but heard a few around a couple of ponds near Aramac. Otherwise, it was dry and there was no frog activity at all.

Serpentes, Did you ever find Hosmer's Skinks or Spiny-tailed Monitors near Mt. Isa? I was hoping for both near Dajarra but only saw a single, large monitor (.5 secs) on granite before it vanished. I think that it was V. tristis.

Jason, the carnage was incredible in places. Fortunately, there weren't too many dead herps but there were huge numbers of dead kangaroos, wallabies, feral goats, pigs, emus and even cattle. I guess that the big road trains don't or can't stop for anything.


Here are a few additional monitor photos:

habitat of the Gould's Monitor:






Gould's Monitor:







Yellow-spotted Monitor: When it first moved off the road, I began whistling and the monitor stopped and sat up to see what was making the racket.












Regards,
David


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## Sock Puppet (Oct 16, 2009)

Ripper monitor shots David! Love the yellow spotted, they look fantastic


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## Acrochordus (Oct 16, 2009)

Great captures especially the monitors, now thats what i wanted to see some of the lizard species, looking forward for all the other herps you are gonna be finding while having 12 weeks off.
Thanks Tim.


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## RCW74 (Oct 16, 2009)

Just fantastic shots!! Great to see these poular animals in their natural environment.
Makes me wish I'd had my camera years ago near Parkes in western NSW - must have seen a dozen or more Shinglebacks by the side of the road (plus a few deadites :cry. Most of the living ones didn't like being moved from the roadside though....needless to say I drove around the numerous copulating monitors without trying to shoo them away!!


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## Jarden (Oct 17, 2009)

woww awesome finds dude  congrats wd


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## nepherus88 (Oct 17, 2009)

*Tympanocryptus sp. ID*

Hi Dave,

Your unidentified Tympanocryptis sp. looks very much to me like a Tympanocryptis pinguicolla. If you read the description from here it fits very well( http://www.environment.gov.au/biodi...less-dragon/pubs/grassland-earless-dragon.pdf ). I think the only confusion species that needs to be definitely ruled out is T. lineata.

If this were T. pinguicolla this would be a very significant discovery as the species is nationally listed and occurs in three satilite populations in Vic, NSW and QLD. This record would be several hundred km any other locations known.

Is anyone able to confirm the identity of this dragon?

Cheers,

Nathan Waugh
Western Australia


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## moloch05 (Oct 17, 2009)

Thanks for the info, Nathan. I will send the photo to the museum to see what they say. I am hoping that you are correct since the animal seemed different to me from the other Tympanocryptis that I have encountered.

Regards,
David


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## moloch05 (Oct 17, 2009)

Nathan,

Here are a few more pics of the lizard:
















Regards,
David


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