Turtle and a Couple of Frogs

[GeckPhotographer]

I recently did a weekend herping trip in North NSW. I managed to find a species of frog I had not seen before and a species of reptile I count as a new species for me as it was the first I have seen in a creek as apposed to a park pond.

Litoria olongburensis is a small frog assosciated with coastal wallum in that part of the world. They go bright green in breeding season and have bright blue-purple in the thigh area. They were hard to find at this time of year but I managed to track a couple down in their more drab winter brown. This was a new species for me that I was very pleased to see.

Litoria olongburensis by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr
A Younger individual

Litoria olongburensis by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

A frog I've seen many times but had no pictures of in the North of its range. Individuals up there are much redder in colour.

Mixophyes iteratus by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr



And this turtle is a species I know well in a couple park ponds but had never seen in what I call the wild. I'd also never seen the sub-species so a tick for me one way or the other.

Emydura macquarii (signata) by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

I've heard people ask how to sex a turtle on this forum before, not that difficult for this genus
Emydura macquarii by Stephen Mahony, on Flickr

Hope you enjoy.

 

[dihsmaj]

the last pic scarred me for life

 

[timmy82]

nice pics as always stephen just wondering what flash unit are you using thanks
timmy

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Hey timmy using the Canon Macro Twin Lite atm.

 

[Bushman]

Great pics and informative text. A perfect combination. 8)
Is that a hemipene being extruded on the male turtle's tail?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Is that a hemipene being extruded on the male turtle's tail?

It would be but Testudines have only one penis. In many of Australia's short necked freshwater species it is simple to sex them simply by tail size or to hold them vertically and the penis simply slides out.

 

[dihsmaj]

I'm very sorry if it was too highly reflective.

Ouch

 

[snakeluvver]

Nice pics stephen.
Love me some turtle pr0n

 

[dihsmaj]

Love me some turtle pr0n

Dude, no. You're 12...

 

[Kitah]

Nice shots as always, GP! Love the look of that second frog/the juvie!

 

[vicherps]

excellent photos as always Stephen well done.