# A few from around the 'Gong (early Oct)



## moloch05 (Oct 5, 2009)

Here are a few photos from the last couple of weeks. It has been hard to get out much due to the strange weather. I had hoped to go on a number of walks on the long weekend but there was just too much rain. I did get out for a few hours this morning before the rain once again returned.

Red-bellied Black Snakes (_Pseudechis porphyriacus_) vary in the amount of red on the flanks. This one that I found today was beautiful and much brighter than most that I see.



















I found a single Marsh Snake (_Hemiaspis signata_).







This Eastern Small-eyed Snake (_Cryptophis nigrescens_) was about to shed. 







Lesueur's Velvet Geckos (_Oedura lesueurii_) are common in an area not far from the 'Gong.












I think that this is one of the Harelquin Bugs. It was brightly coloured but glossy and I could not take a good photo of it.








Swordgrass Browns are back again. This one looks like it recently emerged and the wings were in perfect condition.












This Australian Admiral was already quite tattered.






Bulldog Ants are huge! 






I found this Native Roach while it was sunning itself in a small shrub. Its shape made me think "trilobite".











I am not certain but I think that this was a Flat Worm. 






This Spiny Crayfish was carrying a load of what I assume to be coelenterates. They look like giant Hydra. Does anyone know what they are? 








Flowers -- I added a few more photos of spring flowers.

Calytrix -- they seem to have just commenced flowering in this area.






Fairies' Aprons -- these are quite strange little insectivorous plants. (Lentibulariacease)






...dusty Sun Orchids -- I took this photo a few days after an incredible red dust storm that hit eastern Australia a couple of weeks ago.







Pea. I really like this growth form. We have a number of species of yellow flowered peas where the flowers are clustered at the tip of the stems.








Misc flowers:






























































Regards,
David


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## serpenttongue (Oct 5, 2009)

I've never seen a RedBelly around Wollongong with a pale snout.


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## Snakelove (Oct 5, 2009)

ive never seen an ant that big =S. or is that just really close-up.


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## Bearded_Lady (Oct 5, 2009)

Wow the red on that red belly is amazing! So vibrant!


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## James..94 (Oct 5, 2009)

Great photos
That red belly is stunning


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## Acrochordus (Oct 5, 2009)

Sweet pic's David, talk about the weather i wonted to get out as much as possibly in two weeks of holidays but unfortunately it looks like that is not gonna happen, Nice Flora shoot's by the way.
Thanks Tim.


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## Snake Catcher Victoria (Oct 5, 2009)

Great pics David, the red belly is a stunner.
The cockroach sunning itself is quite a find.


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## Just_Joshin (Oct 5, 2009)

serpenttongue said:


> I've never seen a RedBelly around Wollongong with a pale snout.


 
You mean the brown spot Nick?? That's funny because ALL the ones i've found around wollongong have had the brown nose, haha. It's a feautre i love about the red belly. Such a weird colouration.

Also..... i have notice that RBB's tend to be very vibrant red around my area. Actually....all the vibrant ones i have seen have also had the brown nose?? Has this trend been seen by anyone else??

Here are a few examples of RBB's from Wollongong i've encountered. Hope you don't mind me adding the pics, David. Sorry some are crappy, the juvie and release ones were taken long before i knew how to operate a camera.

Each picture is a DIFFERENT, RBB, with the exception of the juvenile.


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## gecko-mad (Oct 5, 2009)

amazing animals out and about


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## Serpentes (Oct 5, 2009)

Awesome photos. I should get out around here more often myself


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## serpenttongue (Oct 5, 2009)

Just_Joshin said:


> You mean the brown spot Nick?? That's funny because ALL the ones i've found around wollongong have had the brown nose, haha.


 
Yeah, the brown spot. I've never seen it. every Red Belly I've seen in the Illawarra has always had a glossy black snout.


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## Serpentes (Oct 5, 2009)

I see both in the Illawarra, plenty with paling of the rotrum. Plus the biggest red belly I can even imagine, a few years back! Watched 2 redbellies mating last year below Brokers Nose, that was a first for me in the wild. I'll have to pay more attention to the rostral scale in the future though.


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## blakehose (Oct 5, 2009)

awesome pictures there mate! All i see around here is eastern browns, but im not complaining


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## $NaKe PiMp (Oct 6, 2009)

black snake i found here in NW sydney has a very brown nose and extends all the way back to past the eye and has very vibrant red upper ventrals also,


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## JasonL (Oct 6, 2009)

I can beat that Rob, I found the biggest one I have seen In a local southern Sydney park, an honest 6 footer and very thick, that had a brown tail!, about the last 4 inches of it, it was that big it's tail tip was about as pointy as my little finger and it looked like it had just faded with size and age.. I have seen this snake on numerous occations... it's very impessive.

Nice pics David... considing the weather has been all sort.


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## Sock Puppet (Oct 6, 2009)

Top pics David, were they taken in the RNP? Great macro work in the invertebrates.


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## moloch05 (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks, all, for the feedback. The red-belly was a brightly coloured individual.

Serpenttongue, I am always so busy with the technical aspects of taking photos that I have never really noticed the pale snout on some of the snakes. I will have to look back at my other pics from Wollongong.

Snakelove, it was hefty but I have seen bigger animals at Royal.

Baz, it has been wet and cool so I guess that is what brought out the roach. I have never before seen one in a shrub like that during the day.

Josh, thanks for the additional photos. It is good to see photos of other rbbs similar to the one that I photographed.



> Watched 2 redbellies mating last year below Brokers Nose



That would have been a fantastic sighting, Serpentes.


I would love to see a giant animal like the 6 footer, Jason!


Tonsky, the pics were not from Royal. Most were from the hills near the 'Gong and then a sandy area a little further to the north.

Also, on another forum, I found out about a couple of the odd animals in this post.





These are "Temnocephalans, a type of Platyhelminth flatworm that lives almost exclusively on crayfish".






"first worm-like animal may be a Nermertean". I looked these up on the web and ther Nermerteans are an obscure phylum of worms. I wonder how many people have heard of Nermerteans before?



Regards,
David


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## Just_Joshin (Oct 6, 2009)

moloch05 said:


> Thanks, all, for the feedback. The red-belly was a brightly coloured individual.
> 
> Serpenttongue, I am always so busy with the technical aspects of taking photos that I have never really noticed the pale snout on some of the snakes. I will have to look back at my other pics from Wollongong.
> 
> ...


 
David,

Do you mind if i email that worm picture to two of my univeristy lecturers?? One gives the lectures worms, playhelminths etc and the other is a leading Forensic anthropologist. They will likely be able to give me an answer...


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## JasonL (Oct 6, 2009)

here's a "flatworm" that are commonly found around my house... I remember finding the blue ones under potplants as a toddler (yes, I spent my days finding weird stuff in the garden as sson as I could walk) and it was these weird things that amazed me about nature.


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## moloch05 (Oct 7, 2009)

Josh, that is fine. When you find out about these, would you let me know, please?

Jason, I also like to look for these obscure creatures.

Regards,
David


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## Just_Joshin (Oct 7, 2009)

moloch05 said:


> Josh, that is fine. When you find out about these, would you let me know, please?
> 
> Jason, I also like to look for these obscure creatures.
> 
> ...


One of the lecturers has responded. She states that although her experience isn't with terrestrial platyhelminthes but it looks like a, _Bipalium kewense,_ a land planarian. She cannot see the head, however, so stated if the head is expanded and flattened (shaped like a half circle) then that is what it is.

I'm still awaiting the reply from the anthropologist.


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## fdusoulier (Oct 7, 2009)

Hi there!

Great pics! It is very nice to see that from France!

Just to give you my little contribution, the name of the true bug (actually a jewel bug) must be _Scutiphora pedicellata_ (Kirby, 1826).

Cheers,

François


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## moloch05 (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks, Josh.

I am familiar with planaria and don't think the worms is one of those. It did not have the flared head and also, when extended, the anterior end of the worm was thin and tubular.


Thanks, Francois. These forums are great since there are people who can help out with identifications from all around the world.

Regards,
David


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## froggyboy86 (Oct 7, 2009)

Nice shots David,

I don't think your Nemertean is a _Bipalium kewensae_, especially since its lacking the broad head. It is similar in form and shape to _Caenoplana coerulea_ however the colour and markings do not look like anything I have come across. Best bet would be to email the photos to the Australian Museum, they do ID's of most animals in Australia. 

Aaron


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## gecko-mad (Oct 7, 2009)

either way its a cool critter


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