A few more photos from the Arnhem Land Plateau

[tropicbreeze]

Managed to get 4 days up on the Arnhem Land plateau during the previous week. Only really had the evenings to get out and about taking herp photos. So while the others were sitting around the campfire or turning in early for the night I was prowling around in the dark. It was surprising how few animals were about, mainly geckos and, along the creek, frogs. Was expecting a greater range of species. Disturbed the odd Black Wallaroo but they were too fast or jumping in and out around the rocks and scrub. So, a bit disappointed about the low numbers I saw there. More disappointed about the quality of my photos.

Most were geckos. This was probably the most co-operative (slowest).

Not sure if this is the same, perhaps juvenile?

And then this. Poor photo but it just bolted too quickly.

Looks like Gehyra australis

Same again in a different spot

Only saw one snake. Thought at first a small Oenpelli Python but behaviour was more typical of Childrens Python, and the blotches on it are more circular like the Childrens. Very poor photo, but it kept having a go at me and the camera was playing up. It dropped to the ground and took off into the spinifex never to be seen again. In the close-up photo below the markings are more visible.

Found some frogs as well, looks like Litoria personata.

Litoria meiriana

The following ones were fairly small (but bigger than the L. meiriana). Makes me think they are juvenile Litoria personata.

 

[waruikazi]

Nice pictures mate.

Those childrens can be pretty annoying! Were you right in the escarpment or on the edges where the scrub meets? Do you ever find the skinny childrens?

I'm not finding alot atm either, makes it hard to get motivated to go looking. They'll all start coming out once we get a little bit of rain.

 

[tropicbreeze]

It was right up on the plateau. In the area more or less north of Beswick, still in Arnhem Land. And in the Katherine River catchment.

It was along this gorge which is the source of a few creeks running into the Katherine. Would have been great to spend a lot more time there, the gorge has really long stretches of monsoon forest, springs and pools. The sides of the gorge are rocky with a lot of scrub, And just over the rim are huge areas of sheet rock and sandstone woodland. So many habitats in close proximity. And never saw a single cane toad the whole time there.

 

[Bluetongue1]

The banded gecko is Heternotia spelea [Desert Cave Gecko]. The second one is Oedura rhombifer [Zigzag Velvet Gecko] followed by Heteronotia binoei [Bynoe’s Gecko]. I would agree with the Gehyra australis.

The fist frog is likely Litoria wotjulum [Wotjulum Frog] and the last four are L. Pesonata, as you suspect. L . personata get to just over 3 cm while L. Wotjulum can get up 7cm in total length.

Thanks for sharing - always interesting! Would love to see a Black Wallaroo in the wild myself.

Blue

 

[waruikazi]

Blue i disagree with H. binoei. That geck has fleshy pads and is climbing. I would have called it G. nana.

 

[Bluetongue1]

waruikazi,

Well done! I am wrong. It is indeed Gehyra nana. My apologies tropicbreeze.

Blue

 

[GeckPhotographer]

The banded gecko is Heternotia spelea [Desert Cave Gecko].

Blue according to Wilson and Swan and correct me if I am wrong H.spelea certainly does not occur in the Arnhem land Plateau, has broader bands that do not taper on the side of the body like the bands on this individual does, and are generally less contrasting. I propose the id you actually meant to put forward here was Heteronotia planiceps.

 

[nathancl]

I would say the Oedura looks a bit off to be a rhombifer....pretty sure there is a small undescribed oedura up there and would say thats the one.

 

[Bluetongue1]

I evidently need a more up to date taxonomy. Last I was aware is that H. planiceps and spelea had been collapsed into one species. H. spelea was the Pilbara species and planiceps the one from northern Australian. It clearly matches planiceps in terms of distribution and description. Can you give me any info on when they were split again?

Odeura rhombifer are quite variable in their patterning although I will say that the dorsal patches are normally offset and entirely continuous with the vertebral stripe. The regrown tail does not help. Body proportions are typical of rhombifer being somewhat atypical for Odeura species. Draw your own conclusion.

Blue

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I evidently need a more up to date taxonomy. Last I was aware is that H. planiceps and spelea had been collapsed into one species. H. spelea was the Pilbara species and planiceps the one from northern Australian. It clearly matches planiceps in terms of distribution and description. Can you give me any info on when they were split again?

I didn't know they were collapsed at all, all my info on them is from Wilson and Swan. As you probably know those authors like sitting on the fence a lot so it is entirely possible that the species was collapsed and they have not reflected that in their book. You are probably right in the end, I was simply looking at my book and saw the distributions did not match up and thought I would mention it.

 

[waruikazi]

I think they are splitters rather than fence sitters lol.

I didn't know they were collapsed at all, all my info on them is from Wilson and Swan. As you probably know those authors like sitting on the fence a lot so it is entirely possible that the species was collapsed and they have not reflected that in their book. You are probably right in the end, I was simply looking at my book and saw the distributions did not match up and thought I would mention it.

 

[mayhemmatt]

you lucky bugger.... just the coupla days in that part of Oz is somethng most of us only dream of... even if there wasnt many herps it still makes me keen as...

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I think they are splitters rather than fence sitters lol.

Hahaha. Steve may do his own splitting but I mean a good example of their fence sitting is milli, all the changes going on in what they are the whole time Wilson and Swan have just left it Underwoodisaurus. They don't like making changes to species unless everybody sort of agrees.

 

[tropicbreeze]

Thanks for those IDs and the comments.
The plain tail on the first, Heteronotia spelea/planiceps, threw me off a bit. None of the photos I saw of it showed that, tails were banded all the way down. Some indicated distribution was only in WA, others that it almost touched up to the bottom of the Arnhem Land Plateau. I'm guessing the tail is re-grown.
It's a pity that the next two geckos turned out so poorly in the photos. Unfortunately they just refused to cooperate, the one in the fifth photo bolting almost immediately.
The gorge is a place I've long been looking at on topo maps and wishing I could get there. Google-earthing it only made it more fascinating. So I consider myself lucky just getting there even for that short time. But now having "heard the Sirens song" up close I definitely want to go back there again.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Yeah that first gecko has a regenerated tail.

 

[Bluetongue1]

Actually, all three geckoes have regrown tails. You can tell by the sudden, dramatic change in pattern. A gradual change would be original tail.

Blue

 

[tropicbreeze]

Actually, all three geckoes have regrown tails. You can tell by the sudden, dramatic change in pattern. A gradual change would be original tail.

Blue

Life must be tough up on the Plateau. No wonder none of them wanted to stay still long enough for a decent photo. :lol: