# Reptiles and Amphibians of the mid north coast



## Gecko75 (Jan 23, 2010)

Just thought I would post a few herping pics, don't want to leave anyone out that doesn't use the other forums. you now know who I am if you already didn't, enjoy. these are the species I have managed to photograph.

*Agamidae * 
_ Amphibolurus muricatus_ Jacky Lizard 
These lizards are very common here on the Mid North coast, I often encounter them basking on stumps and dead trees, this one pictured was found under a few boards of asbestos, it was a very young animal and tiny, I mostly come accross adults of this species.





_ Hypsilurus spinipes_ Southern Angle-headed Dragon 
This dragon is relitivly common in the right habitat, they like littoral rainforest and wet scleropyll forest, I have only encounted them at 3 locations, they camoflage very well on trees, I have seen them about a metre off the ground on the trunks of small thin trees, though I have also seen them on the road basking.




_ Pogona barbata_ Bearded Dragon 
On the mid north coast this lizard is very common, it puffs out its throat in defence, I do not often see them in my immidiate area this was one of the only ones I have found, it was spotted basking on a log next to a fence post, when spotted it moved around to the other side of the log out of site.




*Boidae * 
_ Morelia spilota_ Carpet & Diamond Pythons 
I do not often find these pythons, but one night I was lucky enough to see 3 crossing dirt roads in a nice patch of rainforest, I have seen a few of these snakes in our shed at home, where they curl up in all the firewood. they can grow up to 3 metres, though the largest I have seen have been around 2 metres.




*Elapidae * 
_ Cacophis krefftii_ Southern Dwarf Crowned Snake 
This snake is very small and I do not encounter them very often, probably due to there size, they are stricly nocturnal and I have seen them on the roads on hot nights and also while walking in the bush on foot. the largest I have seen of these snakes was about a foot. these snakes are harmless and don't attempt to bite.




_ Cacophis squamulosus_ Golden-crowned Snake 
These snakes are often seen on cool nights, I have only seen about 3 of them they don't mind colder conditions, I have found them crossing roads in various habitats. they are usually around a foot and a half long. these snakes are harmless and don't attempt to bite.




_ Cryptophis nigrescens_ Eastern Small-eyed Snake 
This is by far the most common snake on the mid north coast, I see atleast 75 of these snakes a year, mostly under tin, though I see atleast 1 on night drives crossing roads, one night I found 8 of these snakes on a busy road. These snakes can grow up to around 2 foot, they are capable of inflicting a fatal bite.




_Demansia psammophis_ Yellow-faced Whip Snake 
These snakes are diurnal and very fast, I often find them under tin in coastal heathland, I have also seen them active though most of the time they escape. they also bite if handled, I have experienced this a number of times, it just stings a little, I have never had a bad reaction. they can grow up to around 2 and a half foot




_Hemiaspis signata _Black-bellied Swamp Snake 
another common snake in any swampy or forested area, I often find these under tin, though I have seen them active on warm nights, cold nights, cloudy days etc, they mainly feed on frogs so they are usually nearby to where the frogs are found. they are mildy venomous the same as a yellow faced whip snake I have been bitten a number of times, usually with little or no effects but once I had my hand swell up and my fingers and arm go kinda numb, they grow to about 2 foot.




_Hoplocephalus stephensii_ Stephens' Banded Snake 
This elusive snake is a threatened species in NSW, I have been looking for them for a while with no success, I found my first one the other night on a busy road, they are dangerously venomous and could probably cause a fatality, though he wasn't really interested in biting, mostly just putting his head up in a defensive posture. these are found in heavily forested areas, by they they shelter in tree hollows, rock crevices, caves, and under bark and similar places. they are capable of inflicting a fatal bite, this guy was about 3 foot long, probably a large adult.




_Pseudechis porphyriacus_ Red-bellied Black Snake 
These are a common snake, I find them often near a large swamp in some coastal heathland, I can never get pictures as they are a very shy snake and usually go into long grass or down holes before I can get pictures, but this guy was found under an old sign laying on the ground, I found him by night, was very happy with it, it was nice and docile though it did puff its throat out at times. this snake is dangerously venomous and is capable of inflicting a fatal bite, they grow up to around 2 metres.




_Tropidechis carinatus_ Rough-scaled Snake 
These snakes are not to common in my area, I have found only one live one, it was seen crossing the road on a warm night, they have a reputuation for being aggresive though the one I found showed no signs of aggresion, they are a dangerously venomous snake and are capable of causing fatality, they can grow up to about a metre long




*Gekkonidae * 
_ Saltuarius moritzi_ Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko 
These geckos are very common in heavily forested rainforest habitat, I often see them on trees by night and have also encountered them on tracks, they do not seem to mind cool nights or rain, I have seen them in various conditions.




*Pygopodidae *
_Pygopus lepidopodus_ Common Scaly-foot 
common scaly-foots seem to be common in heathland habitat, I have seen a few live ones and a road kill in the past months, they are seen by night on the roads, but I have also seen them on a cloudy day in a late afternoon crossing a track in some swamp heathland habitat.




*Scincidae * 
_ Calyptotis ruficauda_ Red-tailed Calyptotis 
this small rainforest skink is occasionally encountered under bits of wood and tin




_ Ctenotus robustus _Robust Ctenotus 
These skinks are found in most dry areas, they are very fast and most of the time I am unable to get pictures, this one was found the other night at 12pm 100m from my house, I couldn't sleep so I decided to look for a few frogs and snakes, I found him in a hole filled with water next to the road, he wouldn't have been able to get out, I thought he was dead but when I got him out he seemed ok and slowly started walking away, I took a few pictures then let him go into some thick grass.




_ Egernia major _Land Mullet 
these are Australias largest skink, they get a bit bigger then blue tongued skinks, I often find them next to the beach in sand dunes and also in littoral rainforest, they are rather shy and often retreat into logs and down burrows.




_ Eulamprus quoyii _Eastern Water-skink 
These skinks are rather common down south and closer to the mountains, this was the closest I have seen one to the coast, he was under a fence post next to a friends dam




_ Lampropholis delicata_ Dark-flecked Garden Sunskink 
these are common everywhere on the mid north coast, I see them all the time in my garden.




_ Saiphos equalis _Three-toed Skink
these skinks are often found under tin and board, I don't think I have ever seen one active.




_ Tiliqua scincoides_ Eastern Blue-tongue
A common well known Aussie, these are common in towns, often seen in backyards or crossing roads, I often see them in town or on the road, but not often in the bush, this was found in some burnt out coastal heathland.




*Typhlopidae * 
_ Ramphotyphlops nigrescens_ Blackish Blind Snake 
These are very common snakes, I see them every night drive, they feed on ants eggs and if handled will musk you which absolutely stinks, I also find them under tin occasionally, they are harmless and do not bite, they are not capable of it I don't think, the largest of these I have seen have been about a foot long.




*Varanidae *
_ Varanus varius_ Lace Monitor
these are common monitors and I see them often in various places, this was found in a car park at a patch of rainforest he climbed the palm tree and stayed there till we left.




*Frogs*
Limnodynastes dumerili




Limnodynastes peroni












Litoria barringtonensis




Litoria caerulea




Litoria chloris
















Litoria fallax












Litoria latopalmata




Litoria peroni








Litoria revelata








Litoria tyleri 












Mixophyes fasciolatus
















Pseudophryne coriacea




Uperoleia fusca




Thanks, "Gecko75"


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## Gecko75 (Jan 23, 2010)

This is a mega report, some pictures are old, some are recent, all were taken in the past 12 months. I will add more when I find more species I havn't seen, forgot to add a dial up warning.


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## Acrochordus (Jan 23, 2010)

Nice photo's and report Gecko75..... 
Thanks Tim.


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## Gecko75 (Jan 23, 2010)

Acrochordus said:


> Nice photo's and report Gecko75.....
> Thanks Tim.


 
Thanks tim, one report I posted on fieldherpforum, other on frogs.org, I thought I would combine them since nobody has really seen that many of them on here.


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## womapyth (Jan 24, 2010)

Very good work. You have captured a large number of species with your camera. Amazing presentation!


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## Gecko75 (Jan 24, 2010)

thanks again womapyth, hopefully by next summer I will have a lot more pictures.


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