# Herping Finds :)



## richoman_3 (Jul 14, 2011)

on a typical winter Melbourne day (cold,rain,wind and a random 4 minutes of sunshine) i went out to one of my usual spots for a couple of hours 
i usually just find a heap of spotted marsh frogs and a couple of marbled geckos, but found some better stuff today  
sorry, pics arnt that good :|

Start with the Spotted Marsh frogs (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis) these guys are everywhere if you know where to look, but so hard to photograph!






Marbled Gecko (Christinus marmoratus)













2 blueys which i was suprised to find!
Mr.sleepy

















Mr.angry













And finally, find of the year, Little whip snake (Parasuta flagellum) i was SOOO happy to find this, spent 20 minutes looking at it, when i found it, it wouldnt stop moving, but soon it retreated into a curl and stopped









































Centipede (cormocephalus aurantiipes)





thats it , also found a Lerista bouganvilla but that got away


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## waruikazi (Jul 14, 2011)

Nice finds and pics!

That little whip is _Parasuta flagellum,_ not Suta.


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 14, 2011)

Awesome find with the "Suta" but don't you mean_ Parasuta_?(Edit: Looks like Waruikazi got there first.) . I must disagree with you on one thing, _Limnodynastes tasmaniensis _are one of my favourite ground frogs to photograph, in my opinion they always sit nice and look good with backgrounds that would make other frogs look ghastly... such as grass.


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## danjerus (Jul 14, 2011)

Nice finds Nick ... glad you had a better run than normal


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## richoman_3 (Jul 14, 2011)

thanks guys 
changed it Waruikazi , always thought it could be either?

@Geckphotographer: They are so quick for me, when i lift a rock/log there is usually 50 under that at a time and they just explode out and never sit still!, i did get some too though, but i never get any good pics :/


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## Smithers (Jul 14, 2011)

Good gets there Nick, Thanks for sharing


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 14, 2011)

Do you have sufficient flash setup with you camera to photograph at night? If so I would recommend you go out and find a few sitting around at night time which can be generally easy to do in the right places and try and get some photographs without disturbing them (which is the hard part). I really want to get a pic of one calling but they are so bloody easy to freak when sitting as far out in the water as they do at my house.


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## waruikazi (Jul 14, 2011)

richoman_3 said:


> thanks guys
> changed it Waruikazi , always thought it could be either?
> 
> @Geckphotographer: They are so quick for me, when i lift a rock/log there is usually 50 under that at a time and they just explode out and never sit still!, i did get some too though, but i never get any good pics :/



Similar genus' but pretty different too. All the Suta's have a coloured eye and eliptical pupil but the Parasuta all have black eyes... along with a lot of other differences.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 14, 2011)

GeckPhotographer said:


> Do you have sufficient flash setup with you camera to photograph at night? If so I would recommend you go out and find a few sitting around at night time which can be generally easy to do in the right places and try and get some photographs without disturbing them (which is the hard part). I really want to get a pic of one calling but they are so bloody easy to freak when sitting as far out in the water as they do at my house.



I only have a crappy digital camera :|, so it doesnt really give you much settings to choose from...
and also, i wouldnt be allowed to go out at night, A. Parents wouldnt let me, B. this spot is 40 mins away


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 14, 2011)

Oh well I can see you problem then, keep practicing with your photography I have seen some amazing pics off a crappy point and shoot. Your pics are not half bad either.


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## Wally (Jul 14, 2011)

Nice pics richoman. There is a bluey near my place that has taken residency under a footpath still showing it's head on the right days. Not sure if you handled the bluey or not but looks like a bit of mite crap around the head, always make sure you've cleaned yourself up before touching your own critters.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 14, 2011)

Wally76 said:


> Nice pics richoman. There is a bluey near my place that has taken residency under a footpath still showing it's head on the right days. Not sure if you handled the bluey or not but looks like a bit of mite crap around the head, always make sure you've cleaned yourself up before touching your own critters.



nah didnt handle it, it walked out onto the rocks trying to get some sun then went back under


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## snakeluvver (Jul 14, 2011)

I'm jealous, and I'm in Queensland!
Wait, I find pythons... never mind.
lol Well done pretty good for Melbourne!


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## Renenet (Jul 14, 2011)

snakeluvver said:


> Well done pretty good for Melbourne!



In winter! I'm impressed. Where were you looking, Richoman?


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## PeppersGirl (Jul 14, 2011)

Some great finds there!  Yes where were you, I'm never that lucky lol


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## jordanmulder (Jul 14, 2011)

great finds!


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## Damiieen (Jul 14, 2011)

Nice pics Nick,

Lovin the frog


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## Treknotechelaps (Jul 14, 2011)

Good pics mate , at least you found a few sp., been out a few times this winter and have had a bit of success. Sometimes you can go somewhere and not find hardly anything except for a few garden skinks or 'Elf' skinks (Anepischetosia).

I was stoked when I found my first Little Whip Snake too (many years ago though), something different to the more conspicuous species you get around Melbourne, will never forget the smell they emit when being handled, you can't get it off your hands until you really scrub them
And will never forget the day when one bit me on the finger :x, didnt think too much of it until about an hour later when i became dizzy and threw up, the bite area was itchy for about a week.


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## dihsmaj (Jul 14, 2011)

Wow! I didn't know you could find these species in Melbourne.

I wonder what I'm doing wrong, I haven't found a single reptile, amphibian, or even arachnid/centipede.


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## Wally (Jul 14, 2011)

Snakeluvver3 said:


> Wow! I didn't know you could find these species in Melbourne.
> 
> I wonder what I'm doing wrong, I haven't found a single reptile, amphibian, or even arachnid/centipede.



Walking around with your eyes closed perhaps?


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## dihsmaj (Jul 14, 2011)

Haha
I've looked around a lake, not found a single thing. Literally.
Except for some tadpoles haha


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## Wally (Jul 14, 2011)

Keep looking. You'd be surprised where you find things sometimes.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 15, 2011)

Elapo said:


> Good pics mate , at least you found a few sp., been out a few times this winter and have had a bit of success. Sometimes you can go somewhere and not find hardly anything except for a few garden skinks or 'Elf' skinks (Anepischetosia).
> 
> I was stoked when I found my first Little Whip Snake too (many years ago though), something different to the more conspicuous species you get around Melbourne, will never forget the smell they emit when being handled, you can't get it off your hands until you really scrub them
> And will never forget the day when one bit me on the finger :x, didnt think too much of it until about an hour later when i became dizzy and threw up, the bite area was itchy for about a week.



yeah i was so happy to find it, its actually the only snake ive seen in melbourne  (2nd species ive seen ever - other was keelback on Fraser Island)
im trying to find tiger snakes and white lip snakes now, but apparantly white lips numbers have dropped alot because of poaching i was told 
lucky when i handled it, it didnt release a smell on me: :shock:, when i lifted the rock and found it, it kept trying to escape but it sooned calmed down and just rolled into a ball - i think they do this when they are scared?


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 15, 2011)

Please don't think I am trying to attack you or anything but as since flipping rocks is illegal and handling native wildlife is illegal, probably best to keep it off a forum that specifically has in its site rules not to talk about doing anything illegal or condone illicit activity? I mean I totally understand where you are coming from and all just pointing it out.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 15, 2011)

GeckPhotographer said:


> Please don't think I am trying to attack you or anything but as since flipping rocks is illegal



umm, since when? (ill delete these posts after i know why :S )


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## waruikazi (Jul 15, 2011)

Don't bother mate, no one will get upya. 

Taking pictures without a permit is illegal too, but no one will ever get in trouble for it.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 15, 2011)

haha ok... just never heard of lifting rocks being illegal :S - for national parks i think that applies?


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## JordanG (Jul 15, 2011)

taking pictures without a permit is illegal?
that's just ridiculous everyone should be able to take pictures of our native wildlife without having it being illegal activity.


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 15, 2011)

Well I could spend ages digging up actual documentation and telling you my interpretation of it, but since ages ago before I was born. It does sort of depend where you are doing it but generally any council or public land it is a form of vandalism or habitat destruction. If you are in a State Forest or National Park it is straight out no murk illegal. It is somewhat open to interpretation and I know the RDU legal speil interprets this part differently, just pointing out it is better to be on the safe side of murky laws. (If you were flipping on private land with the owners consent it is fine). 
The handling reptiles part is just straight out illegal and you can probably just google that yourself or as I say read the RDU legal speil.

As I say not trying to be nasty, it's just something to avoid mention of in places like this, especially when you are openly admitting to do it searching for reptiles. In fact I go out of my way as you might notice in my earlier thread, to make it obvious I am not catching animals and not flipping rocks. (Please feel free to flip rubish.)

Taking pictures is absolutely fine in most places as long as you are not "disturbing or causing distress to the animal". But now that you say it you do need a permit if you are doing it for commercial reasons in a National Park.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 15, 2011)

yeah i know handling is illegal... but if you put the rock back in its place how is that vandalising... its like doing graffiti then cleaning it up?


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 15, 2011)

All I am saying is in a society where moving a snake off a road is illegal but chopping its head off is fine, you are far better staying as much as possible where nobody can possibly interpret you as doing anything wrong. If you are putting rocks back and cleaning up after yourself it is great and you are doing the right thing, nobody is likely to get annoyed about it, but just to be on the safe side. No reason really to delete the posts, leave it here so other people get the message that it is better to be on the safe side. (You have no idea how many scientists I meet that rage about the field trips that things like SOFAR or FATS do and keep warning that there will be a crackdown.)


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## richoman_3 (Jul 15, 2011)

well lets hope they dont have a crack down 

heres another photo of a frog, not that good but still


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## Renenet (Jul 15, 2011)

waruikazi said:


> Taking pictures without a permit is illegal too.



What, really? Not having a go at you, Waruikazi, it would just be ridiculous if true.



GeckPhotographer said:


> Taking pictures is absolutely fine in most places as long as you are not "disturbing or causing distress to the animal". But now that you say it you do need a permit if you are doing it for commercial reasons in a National Park.



That sounds more sensible.


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## Treknotechelaps (Jul 17, 2011)

richoman_3 said:


> im trying to find tiger snakes and white lip snakes now, but apparantly white lips numbers have dropped alot because of poaching i was told



Tigers are pretty common around Melbourne, but the white-lips have become more uncommon in recent years due to removal of cover such as rocks and logs, increase in the numbers of cats and illegal collecting. I used to see alot of White-lips in the 90s but attempts to locate them around Melbourne recently have failed :|. Their more common around the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, used to see alot around the lower parts of the Dandenongs. 
Would love to find a green-coloured white-lip, only seen grey, brown and reddish coloured ones.



richoman_3 said:


> lucky when i handled it, it didnt release a smell on me: :shock:, when i lifted the rock and found it, it kept trying to escape but it sooned calmed down and just rolled into a ball - i think they do this when they are scared?



Lucky for u, not sure if the smell is as bad as Blind Snakes tho...
Pretty hard snakes to photograph sometimes as they thrash themselves about and that's where they get their name 'Little Whip Snake' from, and, yeh, they curl themselves up into a 'ball' and hide their head when threatened.


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## nirofett (Jul 17, 2011)

nice finds! 
i live in melbourne, i was wondering whereabouts you found these guys? ive been living here for ages and having found much, but i haven't really been out looking, i want to find some good places to look in melbourne? 

cheers nilesh


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## richoman_3 (Jul 19, 2011)

Elapo said:


> I used to see alot of White-lips in the 90s but attempts to locate them around Melbourne recently have failed :|. Their more common around the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, used to see alot around the lower parts of the Dandenongs.
> Would love to find a green-coloured white-lip, only seen grey, brown and reddish coloured ones.
> 
> Pretty hard snakes to photograph sometimes as they thrash themselves about and that's where they get their name 'Little Whip Snake' from, and, yeh, they curl themselves up into a 'ball' and hide their head when threatened.



i am going to the dandenongs in summer for a herp, cant wait 

perfect description of their behaviour!!!

Heres a few pics from Today,

More frogs

















An old Friend









A new friend !













a slater eating spider?






Not as successful today but found an awesome new spot there (where i found the other bluey) and cant wait to check it out!, im sure in summer it will be pouring with snakes 
also the geckos were to fast for pics this time lol


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## Wally (Jul 19, 2011)

Nice. If you want to head over to the western suburbs when it warms up shoot us a pm and I'll let you know a couple of good spots, one in particular with a good amount of whips, tigers and a very healthy population of cunninghams.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 19, 2011)

Wally76 said:


> Nice. If you want to head over to the western suburbs when it warms up shoot us a pm and I'll let you know a couple of good spots, one in particular with a good amount of whips, tigers and a very healthy population of cunninghams.



that sounds sweet 
my dad said he will drive me to some good spots this summer (good to see i dragged him in!) so im getting ready for a good summer


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## Snowman (Jul 19, 2011)

Keep it up. I'd like to see evidence of a 14 year old actually getting fined for lifting up rocks and carefully putting them back. Regardless of what the laws are. Better to see a young man off the couch and away from the playstation IMO. great pictures too. Youre developing quite talent there. No pun intended.


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## snakeluvver (Jul 20, 2011)

Still havent seen a wild bluey :|


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## richoman_3 (Jul 20, 2011)

Snowman said:


> Keep it up. I'd like to see evidence of a 14 year old actually getting fined for lifting up rocks and carefully putting them back. Regardless of what the laws are. Better to see a young man off the couch and away from the playstation IMO. great pictures too. Youre developing quite talent there. No pun intended.



exactly,
i dont own a playstation, so the bush is like my playstation  .. too bad i live in Melbourne :lol:
so when im out of it and in good bushland i love it more than anything,
and yeah, alot of people say ive got a talent in photography, i just need a better camera than this point and shoot 
thanks


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 20, 2011)

Your photography is good, if you want to improve it and get experience with a DSLR I think you should be looking at your friends and family friends and seeing if any of them have a good quality camera they could show you around and let you get practice on. This will both let you know what kind of camera brand you prefer and give you a lot of experience for if you do get a good quality camera.


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## richoman_3 (Jul 20, 2011)

GeckPhotographer said:


> Your photography is good, if you want to improve it and get experience with a DSLR I think you should be looking at your friends and family friends and seeing if any of them have a good quality camera they could show you around and let you get practice on. This will both let you know what kind of camera brand you prefer and give you a lot of experience for if you do get a good quality camera.



i wish someone i knew had a good camera 
my Nan is going overseas (where they are apparantly cheaper?) before xmas and she said i need to pick one for her to buy for me 
so im trying to get ideas for one around $400, i might post a thread on Ausphotography later this month to try and see what to get, if anyone has any ideas id love to hear!


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## GeckPhotographer (Jul 20, 2011)

Canon EOS 1100D, usually about 700$ which I realize is more than you said but..... I was not aware good quality cameras were cheaper overseas but what would I know.


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## Elapidae1 (Jul 20, 2011)

Problem is with being responsible and placing rocks back carefully is that in many places people often haven't been as carefull as you might have been and if sprung you could be blamed for every upturned rock that wasn't your doing.

Keep doing what your doing but be discreet about it and where your doing it and only share your herping spots with people you are sure will conduct their activities ethically.


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## Jeannine (Jul 21, 2011)

richoman_3 said:


> exactly,
> i dont own a playstation, so the bush is like my playstation  .. too bad i live in Melbourne :lol:
> so when im out of it and in good bushland i love it more than anything,
> and yeah, alot of people say ive got a talent in photography, i just need a better camera than this point and shoot
> thanks




*howdy, sorry to butt in but if you want to take that next step up and use a SLR but like me dont know anything about setting up the ISO, etc then might i suggest you look at getting what i have just bought which is the Panasonic (Lumix) DCM-G2W it has a wonderful button called the IA (Intelligence Auto) this button does everything for you till you learn to manual set everything

its a bit xxx ($1,279.95) but well worth it but im not sure of your budget? do you have a camera/photo shop where your friends with the owners? my local shop did me a long layby and i just DD a set amount to them each fortnight and it has a twins lens kit, well the one i got did

it has a moveable touch screen you can use instead of the viewfinder, i picked it up last week and naturally havent had a frigging chance to get out and take photos due to cold crappy weather *:lol: *isnt that always the way huh

anyway here is a link to the Panasonic site to have a look for yourself and good pictures, well done and im sure once you have seen it you might recognise it from the tv ad

DMC-G2, Lumix Digital Camera, HD Movie camera, Best digital cameras, Camera reviews
*


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## richoman_3 (Jul 21, 2011)

thanks for that guys, will check them out !


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