Assume the position

[Fuscus]

Tuesdays night trip was one that you dream of. Lots of interesting and ( surprisingly ) co operative animals. I had my eye in, the car ran well and it was a warm and pleasant night.
Until I got home....
While uploading the files from the camera to the computer the computer crashed - then became unreliable. I've spent all of Saturday rebuilding it ( and I HATE working on computers on the weekend ). The machine is now working properly and all data was restored.
Then I saw the downloaded images - they were mutilated on the HDD and deleted from the flash card. Fortunately it was a relatively trivial task to undelete the images on the flash card so I can now post some for your collective gratification.

Hope it was worth the effort.


First off is a couple of frogs. The GTF was sick, she was underwater and we unable to close her mouth properly. In not sure of the second frog, is it a M.fleayi?

 

[Fuscus]

Next up was this GCS. OK, these compete with the SES as the most common snake seen spotlighting but she just froze and assumed the position whenever I pointed the camera at her.

 

[Fuscus]

Next this guy. About a month ago I was delighted to see one as I had not seen one before. Now I seem to see them every second trip. I think the trick is a very dark night. Again a co operative animal who assumed the position and held it.

 

[Rep-Style]

great barred frog i got a couple from ARC a couple expos ago

 

[Fuscus]

Then a SES. This was the only uncooperative snake for the night

 

[Fuscus]

Then a dwarf crowned snake who, of course, assumed the position. My equipment does not handle animals this small very well

 

[inthegrass]

love bandy bandy snakes, have had the pleasure of seeing a few lately.
cheers

 

[Fuscus]

Lastly a pink tongue skink. As far as I know this is the only nocturnal skink

 

[Jonno from ERD]

G'day Mark,

Nice pics - you do a lot more herping than I do!

There are several species of skinks that are nocturnal in Australia - Eremiascincus for instance.

 

[eipper]

Eremiascincus I have found to be more crepuscular as opposed to nocturnal

 

[smacdonald]

Eremiascincus I have found to be more crepuscular as opposed to nocturnal

I've found sand-swimmers on the road in the middle of the night. They may or may not be crepuscular, depending on your definition. I don't know what the official definition of crepuscular is. Most people use it to refer to activity at dawn and dusk, but I've always thought that it's more to do with a bimodal activity pattern at night (i.e., two peaks of activity, with a rest phase in between). That's sort of the same, but not quite.

Other nocturnal/crepuscular skinks that I have first or secondhand experience with:
-Desert egernias (e.g., E. striata, E. formosa)
-Tiliqua multifasciata when it's hot enough
-Anomalopus spp.
-Some of the arid Cyclodomorphus species
-Nangura (this one might be more crepuscular than nocturnal)


Stewart
PS: Why can't I find a dwarf crowned snake!?!??!

 

[ryanharvey1993]

nice pics, frog is mixophyes fasciolatus, dwarf crowned snakes are common stewart, come down here :lol:.... I will have my whinge now.... why cant I find a fully live bandy bandy.... why cant I find a pink tongued skink. as for nocturnal skinks, sometimes other skinks are out, I know of lerista coming out onto road at night, have seen a saprioscincus (spelling) active at night, and I pressume, saiphos and calyptotis are also active at night as we never see them active at day. thanks.

 

[pythons73]

... I will have my whinge now.... why cant I find a fully live bandy bandy....
Ive seen a few up this way Ryan,if i remember correctly on a wet nite,later the better imo.Awesome pictures Fuscus.

 

[Fuscus]

IPS: Why can't I find a dwarf crowned snake!?!??!

They are tiny and hard to spot.
why can't i find a Burtons Legless lizard? The blessed little things are supposed to be common. I expected a Deaf Adder to be hard to find but a burtons?

 

[PimmsPythons]

They are tiny and hard to spot.
why can't i find a Burtons Legless lizard? The blessed little things are supposed to be common. I expected a Deaf Adder to be hard to find but a burtons?

plenty of burtons up this way mark. had one on the road in front of my house the other night and facing island has plenty as well. nice photos BTW

 

[Jonno from ERD]

PS: Why can't I find a dwarf crowned snake!?!??!

Because you're at home on your computer looking at Swedish midg...let's just say, you're not out herping, OK?

 

[JasonL]

I wouldn't call swimmers or pinktongues truely nocturnal, they feed whenever the temps are good, they both prefer lower temps, but will happily hunt and bask during daylight hours if temps suit. My Pinktongues kept outdoors in Sydney are out every morning, late arvo and during the middle of the day during rainy weather, Swimmers are definately more crepuscular though will surface whenever food is available.
Love the pics, gee your getting out alot, must be running up quite a fuel bill..

 

[Fuscus]

Love the pics, gee your getting out alot, must be running up quite a fuel bill..

I try and go out every Tuesday night ( my only night off). Fuel for a night is about $30 a trip

plenty of burtons up this way mark. had one on the road in front of my house the other night and facing island has plenty as well. nice photos BTW

I'll be up that way soon, some thing is happening up there in two weeks time. Taking the long way round though

 

[krusty]

great pics as normal.

don't stress about the burtons as when you find one you will see them more offten.....lol

They are tiny and hard to spot.
why can't i find a Burtons Legless lizard? The blessed little things are supposed to be common. I expected a Deaf Adder to be hard to find but a burtons?

 

[Kersten]

I'll be up that way soon, some thing is happening up there in two weeks time. Taking the long way round though

Jaysus, Mary and the Sainted Joseph lad....ya can't be serious about comin' here?! Don't you remember the locals? The Banjos? (Cue the Deliverance theme)