tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8591010482582114022024-03-05T14:29:19.627+10:00In the WildAn Australian naturalist's logDavid Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-14878604536454434502013-10-18T14:25:00.000+10:002013-10-18T14:25:45.968+10:00September 2013 Simpson Desert TripIt's been a while since I've posted anything from the Simpson Desert. I've been heading out there regularly with Sydney University's DERG (Desert Ecology Research Group). Check out a few select shots below or click through to the full <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/106999262533110377173/Simpson2013September" target="_blank">gallery</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWjQJxlnP8mLAomm81FOGFc5x1ffaWGSmq_GAKF9HlnG71OErGvmWvMxcjNdKfVswRosWmkJ1G_CqYT7xq0Hf7rURRXc5ncBaHGyAM4u3Zs3htoYC5AYr-pqmxFzYn7rUGU62WL_qg2g/s1600/IMGP6538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWjQJxlnP8mLAomm81FOGFc5x1ffaWGSmq_GAKF9HlnG71OErGvmWvMxcjNdKfVswRosWmkJ1G_CqYT7xq0Hf7rURRXc5ncBaHGyAM4u3Zs3htoYC5AYr-pqmxFzYn7rUGU62WL_qg2g/s640/IMGP6538.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Moloch horridus</i>, Thorny Devil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIS7ikDYRkERB_Y1iwfo-RgNdUredHlZVnwagMRApMHhXImBgPqh-pzmc40rTGsUquJ2Fwwi9BWUbJa8k8mwwn_-ikMoVV9mySMgvmaa0r_CIGaCzQ-6eraRSRmyGXTC6OQSMKjWm3-IY/s1600/IMGP6611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIS7ikDYRkERB_Y1iwfo-RgNdUredHlZVnwagMRApMHhXImBgPqh-pzmc40rTGsUquJ2Fwwi9BWUbJa8k8mwwn_-ikMoVV9mySMgvmaa0r_CIGaCzQ-6eraRSRmyGXTC6OQSMKjWm3-IY/s640/IMGP6611.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Velvet Ant', a wingless female wasp (family Mutillidae)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiD9mCG0w37LcWzbMjVLo-cc-1Z5wAghF0_G8vggYZFWy2b8HstfLM6nXksdbc1heTbk_CZdrQKWi3yAqCKshL4nn5Flf93p6K_yvt5eMa6p6coSkzrqnPeSjKKxpJtZQMbuFc7LrlhNc/s1600/IMGP6650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiD9mCG0w37LcWzbMjVLo-cc-1Z5wAghF0_G8vggYZFWy2b8HstfLM6nXksdbc1heTbk_CZdrQKWi3yAqCKshL4nn5Flf93p6K_yvt5eMa6p6coSkzrqnPeSjKKxpJtZQMbuFc7LrlhNc/s640/IMGP6650.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collared dragon (<i>Ctenophorus clayi</i>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69ShGz4wQsU/Ul_FhWf9IkI/AAAAAAAAFEs/aO3FvIq9YDc/s1600/IMGP6769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-69ShGz4wQsU/Ul_FhWf9IkI/AAAAAAAAFEs/aO3FvIq9YDc/s640/IMGP6769.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perentie (<i>Varanus giganteus</i>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmGUq6yhag4xL6Ofpo_PnGFcGIB_ApUpwPWfxBJx9q00L8R02AK4Pe6nDq-pQWvfqfpTxFw6k9lqluVvkf3WghltLNwahzhQMRmxpzQKI67wt8jzS6M1cycL2cH-CN9-kPfigKPe3_Rg/s1600/IMGP6797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmGUq6yhag4xL6Ofpo_PnGFcGIB_ApUpwPWfxBJx9q00L8R02AK4Pe6nDq-pQWvfqfpTxFw6k9lqluVvkf3WghltLNwahzhQMRmxpzQKI67wt8jzS6M1cycL2cH-CN9-kPfigKPe3_Rg/s640/IMGP6797.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perentie (<i>Varanus giganteus</i>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-shpV3drZLKw/Ul_F4ECH3LI/AAAAAAAAFFc/JY6Gxg0jlAA/s1600/IMGP6875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-shpV3drZLKw/Ul_F4ECH3LI/AAAAAAAAFFc/JY6Gxg0jlAA/s640/IMGP6875.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Nightjar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclOsTwtXKlPw21-iu8aFCs-mDoMxS8poBAS5yBonIm-QdkMl-lU9UzHwuz7D4UpaH_CDc48HD86RMZeSm3Z_m9WDq94MOVbFUVhGGkPlbe0JNJLLhBWhovr9MVvSai9ko0Zt_bFQn22E/s1600/IMGP6936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclOsTwtXKlPw21-iu8aFCs-mDoMxS8poBAS5yBonIm-QdkMl-lU9UzHwuz7D4UpaH_CDc48HD86RMZeSm3Z_m9WDq94MOVbFUVhGGkPlbe0JNJLLhBWhovr9MVvSai9ko0Zt_bFQn22E/s640/IMGP6936.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dingo pup</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKb_gIMTNU8RFH6RSOfDy18ebRehTOF8AfpImLYySDqyl6e9n5jCnGXsqBLPxIaG7VSsvI_NWRT-RUw3h9q57ZWryKWbvF-lCBzP1blEclTkfPfKXNCyqmR2QHa_TAm03zUWAKnH6uZYY/s1600/IMGP7154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKb_gIMTNU8RFH6RSOfDy18ebRehTOF8AfpImLYySDqyl6e9n5jCnGXsqBLPxIaG7VSsvI_NWRT-RUw3h9q57ZWryKWbvF-lCBzP1blEclTkfPfKXNCyqmR2QHa_TAm03zUWAKnH6uZYY/s640/IMGP7154.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue-Tailed Skink (<i>Ctenotus calurus</i>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEhRpM6AuYuRB4Y0DgxKX9XoTpTEDWo8QC7oBKmvTuOHliQBCbMrc-G6ILCcAnzAwI43eG6n3g82_2LUh84Oqzlll8Wfpp9qka75p21CBManXY3HNPZDfyS9zg2d1bRVnEHG3H99qDc0/s1600/IMGP7201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEhRpM6AuYuRB4Y0DgxKX9XoTpTEDWo8QC7oBKmvTuOHliQBCbMrc-G6ILCcAnzAwI43eG6n3g82_2LUh84Oqzlll8Wfpp9qka75p21CBManXY3HNPZDfyS9zg2d1bRVnEHG3H99qDc0/s640/IMGP7201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Bee-Eaters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNK6wDRrxmw/Ul_GkxfJGgI/AAAAAAAAFG8/InaNJAS4azQ/s1600/IMGP7114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNK6wDRrxmw/Ul_GkxfJGgI/AAAAAAAAFG8/InaNJAS4azQ/s640/IMGP7114.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long-nosed dragon (<i>Amphibolurus longirostris</i>)</td></tr>
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<br />David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-9476314193094573122013-09-16T22:59:00.004+10:002013-09-16T22:59:58.719+10:00From the centreIt's hard to believe that three years have passed since I was out in the Alice and kicking around Uluru and Kata Tjuta...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O_R8a-6xOD0/Ujb_S5zj3mI/AAAAAAAAFDQ/kSPGTtrBOiI/s1600/IMGP1050-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O_R8a-6xOD0/Ujb_S5zj3mI/AAAAAAAAFDQ/kSPGTtrBOiI/s640/IMGP1050-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This <i>Neobatrachus sudellae </i>had recently emerged from the red dirt after a few drops of rain and is looking fairly unimpressed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1wPQG_jc9EMPnKbS5PSfSArihgZF1AQ0GWX6nfdZmbRMfvGtRZT9eomnwPdusoJWSH3eDl_npxmFDXxCSVzyPtNRD7t-8knSXjfn-B9dMoKcawoT4OxR-zBHaEUL0Myn1ubYRrqZJuQ/s1600/IMGP1128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1wPQG_jc9EMPnKbS5PSfSArihgZF1AQ0GWX6nfdZmbRMfvGtRZT9eomnwPdusoJWSH3eDl_npxmFDXxCSVzyPtNRD7t-8knSXjfn-B9dMoKcawoT4OxR-zBHaEUL0Myn1ubYRrqZJuQ/s640/IMGP1128.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sharp eye could reliably pick out the <i>Tympanocryptis centralis</i> on the rocks around Kata Tjuta.</td></tr>
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David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-55048901905470910092013-09-10T20:00:00.000+10:002013-09-10T20:00:00.905+10:00Up on the cliffs...<div>
Here's a small set of photos taken recently on the famous Coast Walk in the Royal National Park.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBXh4aM2s1wWE02zrvYZa9MTxyEllMlHeLrCEMA4VUicA9KmAtR8lGHdpKiqxZibMlAu7X63Ov-tSvkHbKKh19tZBJo4-gwW41M4wBT2en1ekZ-nMyuHwmKLwP_71C7pIS4Rc_9-NKo4/s1600/IMGP6113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBXh4aM2s1wWE02zrvYZa9MTxyEllMlHeLrCEMA4VUicA9KmAtR8lGHdpKiqxZibMlAu7X63Ov-tSvkHbKKh19tZBJo4-gwW41M4wBT2en1ekZ-nMyuHwmKLwP_71C7pIS4Rc_9-NKo4/s640/IMGP6113.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large Eastern Brown Snake, <i>Pseudonaja textilis</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89z04j-9roE/Ui292booj-I/AAAAAAAAFCw/SAZHHUhxJQU/s1600/IMGP6016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-89z04j-9roE/Ui292booj-I/AAAAAAAAFCw/SAZHHUhxJQU/s640/IMGP6016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockwarbler, a Sydney endemic species</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrd-6CrmdOJRp4vrX7cUmCOeKZ9MbCcp-LFr4nXJcDCXLRkJNPmMo7GPaK0QSSB5TMIBKT-SbTFcr8Y_d9eS3kStkSqdSA0dEJgasYRjmF7Fr1phF4TgXqNSmskIHraR1LU_i9rReZ3Y/s1600/IMGP6085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrd-6CrmdOJRp4vrX7cUmCOeKZ9MbCcp-LFr4nXJcDCXLRkJNPmMo7GPaK0QSSB5TMIBKT-SbTFcr8Y_d9eS3kStkSqdSA0dEJgasYRjmF7Fr1phF4TgXqNSmskIHraR1LU_i9rReZ3Y/s640/IMGP6085.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peregrine falcon checking us out</td></tr>
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David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-14568677762187846232013-09-09T22:07:00.000+10:002013-09-09T22:07:07.709+10:00Jervis BayA few photos from a great weekend in the beautiful Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHa61kmLACK2wNGb7kVj1VYsWDsyCOdQNnKcA52L7MiQSRF_MU35D6s2dmMiDhJxu0f2nASCb1vSniM4Q0H-SKGSyNB4ovIrWK4JlgeSa4Noq00BhvxWcZTgO0NfqUFplcsDHoKOi9VU/s1600/IMGP6185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHa61kmLACK2wNGb7kVj1VYsWDsyCOdQNnKcA52L7MiQSRF_MU35D6s2dmMiDhJxu0f2nASCb1vSniM4Q0H-SKGSyNB4ovIrWK4JlgeSa4Noq00BhvxWcZTgO0NfqUFplcsDHoKOi9VU/s640/IMGP6185.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacky Dragon, <i>Amphibolurus muricatus</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qyJH4zEk6HmmciMDyXsIT0yPE-1yxAuDGN7aLm_Y7Ad_2foEojc8sADlYREazH7YqIpwKaWzQCGcejLzhCIln4wsKx-EmFH-KG3IsPHL9qrm4P1_iYa-SMcfTrXaOcpyNFGemQ9ihbg/s1600/IMGP6224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qyJH4zEk6HmmciMDyXsIT0yPE-1yxAuDGN7aLm_Y7Ad_2foEojc8sADlYREazH7YqIpwKaWzQCGcejLzhCIln4wsKx-EmFH-KG3IsPHL9qrm4P1_iYa-SMcfTrXaOcpyNFGemQ9ihbg/s640/IMGP6224.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-Bellied Black Snake, <i>Pseudechis porphryacus, </i>and a bull ant (<i>Myrmecia sp.</i>)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NGa3Na3fg48/Ui2y6XQQ6sI/AAAAAAAAFBs/-J4yiaw3BpU/s1600/IMGP6316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NGa3Na3fg48/Ui2y6XQQ6sI/AAAAAAAAFBs/-J4yiaw3BpU/s640/IMGP6316.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea eagle with prey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjQOxUYlHcU/Ui2y4AptDFI/AAAAAAAAFBk/RyL6qqu6YVI/s1600/IMGP6300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjQOxUYlHcU/Ui2y4AptDFI/AAAAAAAAFBk/RyL6qqu6YVI/s640/IMGP6300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bristlebird</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ijvqy6LywCPp__O_x2PhidqFdRgUmbYdIA04Hw8n1yfW6b_kPId_BZgv8dz_v45nDFPFrowpZUf9-AvIO_973V85bbdwOTKX915sTHVKy73XJQtx3dwIaC5j4YLqvB0ksHaiTylVtgI/s1600/IMGP6342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ijvqy6LywCPp__O_x2PhidqFdRgUmbYdIA04Hw8n1yfW6b_kPId_BZgv8dz_v45nDFPFrowpZUf9-AvIO_973V85bbdwOTKX915sTHVKy73XJQtx3dwIaC5j4YLqvB0ksHaiTylVtgI/s640/IMGP6342.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Antechinus </i>species - not sure if <i>stuartii </i>or <i>agilis</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Check out the <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/106999262533110377173/albums/5921584585831578529" target="_blank">gallery here</a>.David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-80590471226751458122013-04-02T21:00:00.001+10:002013-04-02T21:02:09.385+10:00Imperial Blue butterfly caterpillar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWMF0NF9cf6L3eXG4JGl00-DGX9wCRNZUpQsEdKkAjOyAhMyjkfsAuhCAl7zx1uA9FAEow1A990nxhGn_tNYnWsgBZCHFUSF5IYR4UX8edvQoVerjVeTvTSTl8lxaKNNO8dhL4Xum50k/s1600/IMGP4998.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWMF0NF9cf6L3eXG4JGl00-DGX9wCRNZUpQsEdKkAjOyAhMyjkfsAuhCAl7zx1uA9FAEow1A990nxhGn_tNYnWsgBZCHFUSF5IYR4UX8edvQoVerjVeTvTSTl8lxaKNNO8dhL4Xum50k/s640/IMGP4998.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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<div>
<br />A caterpillar of the Imperial Blue butterfly (<i>Jalmenus evagoras</i>) is here being not attacked but tended and protected by <i>Iridomyrmex</i> ants, drunk on the caterpillar's secretions.</div>
David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-50197480903040544042013-03-30T12:37:00.000+10:002013-03-30T12:37:22.548+10:00Pied Lacewing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcbUIVBn1_7S8laZTDsnOX84CdocqePUiLRZI5HawkpFj-IQd0IEQmIMAeWPLQvFgf7V-FJAu9c0Z49oXl7rUXlIi8qZmcZkdRSQJmgDTGl_VFHmNYw7_TW7IJaJJPM2XpYTXDKHZx4k/s1600/IMGP4944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcbUIVBn1_7S8laZTDsnOX84CdocqePUiLRZI5HawkpFj-IQd0IEQmIMAeWPLQvFgf7V-FJAu9c0Z49oXl7rUXlIi8qZmcZkdRSQJmgDTGl_VFHmNYw7_TW7IJaJJPM2XpYTXDKHZx4k/s640/IMGP4944.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pied Lacewing - Porismus strigatus</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
Noticed a few of these beautiful lacewings in the local bit of bushland yesterday evening so I returned to photograph them this morning. They have a very weak-looking, fluttery flight. Actually found an ID on these guys - Pied Lacewing - <i>Porismus strigatus</i></div>
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David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-31253922907945709032013-03-23T23:20:00.001+10:002013-03-23T23:21:15.607+10:00Big sucker (part II)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6uuNzEkeW0xLnCiurKP-p0NEYL4EkO74Zyw07v_Ni97WP0bXbRWp_AFSji7bxSvS6tcgPErwkUAgckWmEunZy8ZzWjXFY0Ai-VJg1kAnOEqGAqK05rf4EY4oUE9I9451syJwU10msL8/s1600/imgp3566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6uuNzEkeW0xLnCiurKP-p0NEYL4EkO74Zyw07v_Ni97WP0bXbRWp_AFSji7bxSvS6tcgPErwkUAgckWmEunZy8ZzWjXFY0Ai-VJg1kAnOEqGAqK05rf4EY4oUE9I9451syJwU10msL8/s640/imgp3566.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Toxorhynchites speciosus</i></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Had to look way back into the archives to find this photo from 2004, taken on my first DSLR. It's the adult of the species in the previous photo - </span><i style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Toxorhynchites speciosus</i><span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">, the world's largest mosquito. The feathery antennae indicate that this is a male of the species.</span>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-40988446759314101952013-03-19T22:39:00.002+10:002013-03-19T22:39:39.818+10:00Big suckers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlKIR5SPA5U/UUhZhFr-XJI/AAAAAAAAE5k/ci3viH8qz1g/s1600/IMGP4837.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlKIR5SPA5U/UUhZhFr-XJI/AAAAAAAAE5k/ci3viH8qz1g/s640/IMGP4837.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's been a long time since I played with anything like this... These are the rather beautiful larvae of the largest mosquito in the world, a resident of Sydney, </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Toxorhynchites speciosus</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. The mozzie itself is large and impressive (I'm sure I have an old photo somewhere...) and harmless to humans. These larvae are dangerous only to the larvae of other mosquito species, which they prey upon. I'd estimate these are getting up around 15 mm.</span></div>
David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-66194067997441917652013-02-26T15:16:00.000+10:002013-02-26T15:16:01.024+10:00Meal for three<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--7HFCACq8Lw/USmhWhhE8-I/AAAAAAAAE5Q/N30-DdvYS2U/s1600/IMGP4707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--7HFCACq8Lw/USmhWhhE8-I/AAAAAAAAE5Q/N30-DdvYS2U/s640/IMGP4707.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This mantid was joined at its meal of a honeybee by some uninvited guests in the form of tiny flies.</td></tr>
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<br />David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-75686995166085400132013-02-24T11:25:00.000+10:002013-02-24T11:35:18.585+10:00Catching up with the locals<div>
I'm back in Sydney and will be here for some time. One of the things I really love about where I live is how bushland corridors spread into the leafy suburbs. From where I live I can walk a short distance and see a good variety of wildlife - including some threatened species such as the two below, encountered on a night a couple of weeks ago.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltH_ZiRPIoceFqL9R0vxow7RRQu4EwrV4F9HCFF6L2HHmJDecq-G2r7ipr_hwQJKiFyvzoDJfG-zPlraO5oGazP_LDlDTA8vHYLd-jdRLMJMID5aHtvECzY6spRNjOs2GcuYDZhAE6_s/s1600/IMGP4659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltH_ZiRPIoceFqL9R0vxow7RRQu4EwrV4F9HCFF6L2HHmJDecq-G2r7ipr_hwQJKiFyvzoDJfG-zPlraO5oGazP_LDlDTA8vHYLd-jdRLMJMID5aHtvECzY6spRNjOs2GcuYDZhAE6_s/s640/IMGP4659.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-crowned Toadlet, <i>Pseudophryne australis</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CA7W_7WQDxo/USgvvK2QcFI/AAAAAAAAE5A/N-qk6WL5tW8/s1600/IMGP4667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CA7W_7WQDxo/USgvvK2QcFI/AAAAAAAAE5A/N-qk6WL5tW8/s400/IMGP4667.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Powerful Owl, <i>Ninox strenua</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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More Borneo material coming soon!David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-1721125526661155152013-01-16T06:23:00.001+10:002013-01-16T06:24:58.275+10:00Borneo part III - Mammals at Mulu<br>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://davotrip.blogspot.com/2012/12/borneo-over-wallace-line-part-i-kubah.html" target="_blank">Part I: Kubah National Park</a></div>
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<a href="http://davotrip.blogspot.com/2013/01/borneo-part-ii-bako-national-park.html" target="_blank">Part II: Bako National Park</a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our next point of interest was Gunung Mulu National Park.
Arriving in the afternoon, we were transported to Benarat Lodge where we would
spend a few nights as a base to explore the park before travelling the
head-hunter’s trail to Limbang. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After being assured that the river flowing past our
accommodation was free from crocodiles (phew!) and false gharials (damn!), we
plunged into the cool water for a swim. As we floated in the current, keeping
an eye out for the longboats that travelled the river, we could hear a
repetitive barking call from the limestone cliff that overhung the water. We
spent some time searching with binoculars for the source (monkeys? birds?) to
no avail, and were later told that it’s a huge gecko. Guides would often tell
us a story about this species (which we later found to be the Green-eyed Gecko,
<i>Gekko smithii</i>): that a large
individual would be worth many thousands of dollars on the black market for the
‘medicinal’ (think men’s problems again) properties of the gall bladder, and
that poaching was not unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As evening and a light drizzle fell, we donned our torches
and began the walk to the National Park. We </span>hadn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> walked far before George
spotted some eyeshine that got him very excited – it was the eyeshine of a
smallish mammal that was clinging to a slim tree-trunk at about head-height.
George turned to me and exclaimed “Dave – I think </span>I've<span style="font-family: inherit;"> just spotted a Tarsier!”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/yC6pi7i85D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pbtq-ZL7DpI/T6y2zm4iSoI/AAAAAAAAEV0/-TPUEmYVdes/s400/IMGP1367.jpg" width="264"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Tarsier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br>
</div><a href="http://davotrip.blogspot.com/2013/01/borneo-part-iii-mammals-at-mulu.html#more">Read more »</a>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-5630648689537601362013-01-07T07:09:00.000+10:002013-01-13T04:25:26.789+10:00Borneo Part II: Bako National Park<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are places in Borneo where the visitor is rewarded for
trekking for long hours through the jungle, using his or her skills and
know-how and enduring discomfort in the pursuit of animal sightings. Then there
are places, like Bako National Park, where the wildlife just makes it all too
easy.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arriving at Bako felt like an adventure, being deposited on
the beach after a scenic small boat ride. Shoes in hand, we walked up the sand
to the dining hall where we met some fellow Aussie ‘herpers’ who had been there
for a couple of days already and who proceeded to take us on a little tour of
the nearby area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/j00pRH2Hxt" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pMZxeOcbfjA/T6yyOAP1WCI/AAAAAAAAEMs/zJfvbwTEjy4/s400/IMGP0723.jpg" width="264"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colugo (Flying Lemur)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is how, just a few minutes after landing, we saw our
first Colugo.</span><br>
</div><a href="http://davotrip.blogspot.com/2013/01/borneo-part-ii-bako-national-park.html#more">Read more »</a>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-63219193038420727352012-12-24T09:00:00.002+10:002013-01-13T04:26:11.094+10:00Borneo: Over the Wallace Line. Part I: Kubah National ParkIn April, I took a trip to Malaysian Borneo with a mate of mine,
George, with the simple aim of seeing as many animals over there as humanly possible.<br>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
We began our trip
in Kuching and headed for Kubah National Park for a couple of nights'
stay. We dumped our bags and walked straight out into the rainforest, filled
with anticipation. Within metres of our accommodation we saw a couple
of crimson-winged woodpeckers and a greater racquet-tailed drongo. I glimpsed a
streak of grey-brown on a branch. It took me a few moments for my mind to come
to terms with what I was seeing: a squirrel (it turned out to be a Low's squirrel).
We were definitely not in Australia any more.<o:p></o:p><br>
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/GLF38lPlW6" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkqIAPKap9HnKQ0FAHQCAF_5WHc-FdMaRMrFiQ_r287jdcgRuhVaewQBx_hOLW-5cpMq5JSXhFBH8AHkNP6618xUhLqLgKK94rkXId2kL0ddZaFNmuun7PQ3F1rzWKQnhdaywvGzcFyQ/s640/IMGP0350.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low's Squirrel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br>
</div><a href="http://davotrip.blogspot.com/2012/12/borneo-over-wallace-line-part-i-kubah.html#more">Read more »</a>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-22649446679352031362012-12-19T03:57:00.001+10:002012-12-19T06:54:47.204+10:00Italy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/YQeGuxziJf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BjNkTZCNzunmnG_6JJPUXE2A0Eh0PNhfVF8WnhMTexqT977UH6mPIHrq1_Wc0Gsvrgogw26HVcxpC1ohRbacaj0dIrHJhYik9urVquWwiZrrVgKNx_WB2mzMyYvpo0AJwLVhD2n8JDQ/s640/IMGP4329.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian Wall Lizard, <i>Podarcis sicula,</i> Cefalù (Sicily)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
I'm in Italy. Having a below-average appreciation of history and architecture, when faced with the 2000 year-old ruins of a civilisation, my first thoughts are generally "That's nice. I bet there are some lizards hiding in those cracks".</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/DPazn6imtp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAA4ZrFWMIR7-ibGFUwOVCGA_eu2Ot0l4rRh7qmGBz2ktSImFfzUsarhXUmhjbUJ0h3ldvOlLlKjC_dQMU5F6891j4k7kb7XmB4sLr1wJdv_sQuczKOnv50x6CWYbgZpnBsO5Gs0-wb74/s640/IMGP4349.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moorish Gecko, <i>Tarentola mauritanica</i>, Cefalù (Sicily)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-34022102517189419092012-12-09T07:19:00.001+10:002012-12-10T01:15:09.500+10:00Dawsonia moss<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/WBbwq734tG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cAmbZSp54Z4/UMOuH3p8rRI/AAAAAAAAE4M/TWdDhty5P1E/s640/IMGP4709.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawsonia_(moss)" target="_blank">Dawsonia</a></i> is remarkable for its large size, supported by a water transport system unusual for a moss.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-34859847483887154692012-12-06T22:44:00.001+10:002012-12-06T22:44:18.198+10:00Golden Ants<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goo.gl/photos/2oEpXQmquT" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDwtO0enQXSIyGfib253C6hao5uLMEQg0AvtygzDcdeRzFYcYpi_iAUfHtM_mZgMUgBUGZMRrpcXlxDxGF2CIk4elrJJ6XaUVaWARzxxg9YHGSMvhbfGIM8Sn5esC2pN24IvYY3vRbLzM/s640/IMGP3093.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're golden, they're spined, but they're not Golden spined ants (<i>Polyrachis</i>), but rather a <i>Dolichoderus sp. </i>from the Hunter region.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-802573125775274972012-11-30T09:40:00.000+10:002012-12-06T21:32:21.515+10:00Borneo – A Frogger’s Dream<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The following is an article I wrote for the Frog and Tadpole Group's (FATS) annual colour edition of the newsletter Frogcall for December 2012. The draft title of "Borneo - A Frogger's Wet Dream" was deemed inappropriate for the family audience of FATS.</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt;">The articles I’ve written in the
past for Frogcall have a common theme: travelling somewhere interesting and
looking for frogs, often along with fellow FATS member George Madani. In April
2012, hungering for new adventure, we took this strange obsession to a new
extreme, choosing to spend a month together in Borneo. To many of the frog-mad
readers of this publication, this decision needs no further explanation. Why
not? But for those not so well acquainted with the island in question, allow me
to briefly explain our choice.</span> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Borneo is a big island in
South-east Asia, nestled amongst the islands of Indonesia, Malaysia and the
Philippines. It’s separated from Australia’s biogeographic region by the
‘Wallace line’ – reflecting a very different evolutionary history. In terms of
frog assemblages, without delving into the murky waters of frog systematics,
this means that while there are <i>some</i>
frogs in Borneo that are similar to ours taxonomically, many others are quite
unrelated. For example, the microhylid family is well represented in both
regions while the rhacophorid family is diverse in Asia but is not found at all
Australia. So, being fairly familiar with what Australia has to offer, we were
now heading into a region filled with animals completely <i>new</i> to us. We were looking forward to being <i>clueless</i> as to what we were seeing. That, and the fact that it’s a
big island covered in hot, wet rainforest filled with animals and so what’s not
to love? </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Within hours of landing on the
island we were in the rainforest after nightfall following tracks and streams
and loving every minute, our dreams coming true. This was more-or-less how we
would spend the next month. We rushed around in frenzy, looking at each new animal,
admiring its novelty, taking some photos, pondering its identity, then rushing
only a few steps further before some new fascinating subject was caught in the
beam of a torch. It soon became overwhelming. Without being overwhelming
myself, I’ll try to condense a few highlights of the frog fauna that we saw. </span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tI3oOTKVisL0eED3PdZDDtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="424" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-etxkaBzMuO8/T6yur4aiqMI/AAAAAAAAEGI/Caqz4vC7vyc/s640/IMGP0391.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">The Black-spotted rock frog (</span><i style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">Staurois latopalmatus</i><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">) waves with its back feet to communicate.</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s the tree-hole frog (<i>Metaphrynella sundana</i>),
a microhylid that breeds in small hollows in tree trunks that collect a little
water. The tadpoles of another microhylid (<i>Microhyla
nepenthicola</i>) live in the digestive fluids of carnivorous pitcher-plants.
There’s the file-eared frog (<i>Polypedates
otilophus)</i>, with its beautiful tiger-striped legs and flanks, named for the
sharp, serrated bony projections above the tympana (we discovered that this
frog had a peculiar, strong stink when handled). We saw charming little
Black-spotted rock frogs (<i>Staurois
guttatus</i>) and their congeners the rock-skippers (<i>S. latopalmatus</i>) – frogs
that live on and around waterfalls and signal to each other with waves of the
back feet. The giant river frogs (<i>Limnonectes
leporinus</i>) which can grow to 15 cm long, eat anything they can fit in their
mouths, and in turn and can be bought at village markets as a delicacy. Tree
toads (<i>Pedostibes hosii</i>) that,
despite their ordinary appearance, climb many metres up trees to call for
mates. Also adept climbers are the slender toads (<i>Ansonia spp.) </i>with their long graceful arms and legs. The jade frog
(<i>Rhacophorus dulitensis</i>) – a carved
jewel. The guardian frogs (<i>Limnonectes
finchi </i>and <i>palavanensis</i>); the
male of which carries a mass of squirming tadpoles on his back. I could go on. </span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nNCDsLe7tKOrugIEefO40NMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="424" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tnm9aEZVdGw/T6zC92e7uZI/AAAAAAAAEs8/eQz4W37iwF4/s640/IMGP2891.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">A male Rough Guardian Frog (</span><i style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">Limnonectes finchii</i><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">) carrying a mass of tadpoles on his back.</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If, like me, you ever pored over a
book on frogs of the world as a child there’s little doubt that you’ve seen
photos of two particular iconic frogs found in Borneo. The first we came across
on only our second night – the Bornean Horned Frog (<i>Megophrys nasuta</i>). The legendary camouflage of this frog doesn’t
help it stay hidden at night, when its eye-shine stands out like a beacon.
Stumbling across three individuals easily was very lucky, as finding the frog
by its call is frustrating in the extreme – it only makes its honking call once
every few minutes. We were surprised to find that the ‘nose’ and other sharp-looking
projections on this frog’s head are soft and fleshy! </span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ppdtoLi9n7F9-oAkFkbuktMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS70fK89aQsfaLFCfznj5P7bTL5GUwOvueAav8yU0_SFudh769vb7EV7Cdl-nlxlxnR2tFnPZ9xVFVq-TsIZd8szc9Y1GzXUV9icKtjvFpN6Wn2Hh0UY5oFUiOzbnpQOzSFZkwh0Xvm8k/s640/IMGP2577.jpg" width="424" /></a>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">Needing no further introduction: the Bornean Horned Frog, </span><i style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">Megophrys nasuta</i></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second ‘icon’ was Wallace’s
flying frog (<i>Rhacophorus nigropalmatus</i>).
Borneo is overrun with ‘flying’ animals: species of geckos, dragons, squirrels,
snakes, and of course frogs. There’s also a very strange mammal called the
Colugo or Flying Lemur – though it’s no lemur, occupying its very own order
(Dermoptera). These animals all use flaps of skin, supported by fingers or
limbs or, in the case of the reptiles, ribs, to slow and control a glide from a
tree. In the case of frogs, there are several species in the rhacophorid family
that have extensive webbing between the fingers to a greater or lesser degree.
In the case of Wallace’s flying frog, this webbing is immense. Eventually, we
found this spectacular species above a small muddy pool used by pigs as a
wallow – and also by the frogs as a breeding site.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/N_1CAcQOxVa8yeVlm7U-PNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjznRyS2R0eADu6ht7Upgx9ZcHGcDEq3uXkoROjQZNevX075Kh5Qkhb6F2cddLjxYYsJcBsozV8dPUwt-DjMbgaSIF-Fv7KGOt8meAVTMlKgYg9oTlL-iD-fptVVSvy4HFt97_fYDcHlA0/s640/IMGP2608.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;">Wallace’s Flying frog (</span><i style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;">Rhacophorus nigropalmatus</i><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 14px;">) showing off its webbing</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/N_1CAcQOxVa8yeVlm7U-PNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"></a>While
space permits only a brief mention of the other animals we spotted, suffice to
say we were very very lucky and equally pleased. We got good looks at all those
other types of flying animals. Plenty of snakes. Macaques, leaf-monkeys,
proboscis monkeys, gibbons. The 70 cm long giant squirrel and the mouse-sized
pygmy squirrel and several other types in-between. Tarsiers galore, Slow loris,
even a Pangolin. Hornbills of several varieties. Large and beautiful insects,
snails, millipedes. Shrews and otters and mouse-deer and civets, including the
vegetarian binturong. Even an orang-utan and a bull elephant. </span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Truly,
Borneo is a paradise for the keen naturalist. Altogether we saw more than 50
species of frog alone, representing a vast variety of shapes, sizes, colours
and life-history strategies. Though the conditions can be challenging, the
reward in observing the myriad forms of life is unquestionably worth the
effort.</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vNUe_e2QhnfqZPcLMjPn8tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8C4OCsRoR79_LEYWLjR_bUAtVuhXXGG3twRwXABhy9vujxDnOoi6SWSn4mA5G4cqwx0eNGBTIG_NAawXwUw0m7J-WJf2KwPiLBnH312KfiNT1SOyIMwb6g6H_X9dAsaXva4dDXLxyNA/s640/IMGP1713.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">In the shadow of Mt Kinabalu, the tallest peak in south-east Asia, we found the spectacular Mossy Treefrog (</span><i style="line-height: 14px; text-align: start;">Philautus macroscelis)</i></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>If you’re interested in browsing many more
photos of the bizarre and beautiful animals from David and George’s trip, head
to the </i><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/106999262533110377173/Borneo" target="_blank">photo gallery here</a><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span> </span></blockquote>
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David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-33079408700848128302011-09-10T19:36:00.001+10:002011-09-10T19:36:24.465+10:00A touch of the South-west<p>Back in Winter I found myself in Perth briefly, and was able to squeeze in a couple of nights frogging and a morning of the fabled 'raking' that the WAliens are so fond of. </p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BnGJl7ZB3sQ9xmrtcJ1BZA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xDK1NAIljcw/TmiqtdOXIJI/AAAAAAAAD9g/wy3LhZn7JrI/s400/IMGP1996.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">First up, out in the Perh hills, was a really impressive frog - <em>Heleioporus barycragus.</em> Not named after a fella called Bary Crag at all, it turns out the name refers to the frog's "deep voice" which isn't actually very deep, but about "falsetto man voice" pitch. Male <em>Heleioporus </em>have impressive spikes on their hands, used apparently for male combat (though they must make amplexus a delicate affair). The photo below shows a male with a scar, presumably healing war wound.</p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/M3jMWSNcLKTORhHnPb6bEA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexYjzuXBiMKIlHxbXudWYmqajiCZ-6BCQUMpF1kTePuaZYE8zLj3VccATyTxxZT9gbl2uSgXFIL6eBY6_leXo5ro91QQ1z_LJQbIq4YLMz1oa_o_py39Ef7ltDlQH2ZDcrxkiWBeIHYM/s400/IMGP2034.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p>There are a couple more <em>Heleioporus </em>species around the hills, and I was able to pick up a couple more: <em>H. inornatus </em>and <em>eyrei, </em>the Whooping frog and the Moaning frog respectively. These frogs all call from burrows in sand around creeklines. </p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6I2n_S-yeDMFgaCBKfuCAA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bx85fsf7d1Y/Tmiqvug5fMI/AAAAAAAAD9k/a8o0iw6Y6qQ/s400/IMGP2015.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Whooping frog, <em>Heleioporus inornatus</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5xlbMat018ELuK3FIsWPnA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-08tFomlw4D0/TmirV52SLgI/AAAAAAAAD-g/nlN2hV3EYAA/s400/IMGP2214.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></span></em></p><p style="text-align: center;">Moaning frog, <em>Heleioporus eyrei</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9OkIFYBfWCcg0FnNNK2EfQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS9JTuEltGxO9nGlHQugGKz5s7CuXOEJj4JgWwCsuneVbzhbsFtL5s1D-QUwhqftK2zqpAQGDZv1nWXn2IQvoHuUxa-zM_ZMySX6seD225LB6jyVr3aSwv_OqHq-Eznkp_80CUIsrcHc/s400/IMGP2020.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">The marvelously carbuncular <em>Neobatrachus pelobatoidies.</em></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cwRDEIqqVrAl7U2_AyiaOA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJ_0ayetRI8EEWQaTH6OMQgT9Vgmsr_RFX_PjJAdaMp1P9s9IJtFUhg-kMZpOwztyGaojHTdk1fLgrlrvVtyxxzZt9z9bEDGzjK8VDgrgYpahmZCnLEATNbKwxbCzDZrDKwEAfVkEXF0/s400/IMGP2233.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">A rather ugly example of the Soft Spiny-tailed gecko, <em>Strophrurus spinigerus</em></p><p> </p><p>Raking, I'm led to believe, is a favourite winter pastime of Western Australian herpos. The procedure involves strolling around sandy areas with a garden rake, occasionally stopping and furiously agitating the top layer of sand and hoping to turn up some of the sand snakes and lizards that live in that habitat. For an East-coaster, it's all a bit bizarre. However, it did reveal this marvelous little creature below - Jan's Banded snake, <em>Simoselaps bertholdi</em>, which I spent some quality time photographing. Fantastic!</p><p><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uMmQyo0mlVMbu9u8HRs7Dw?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k5fGC3khscs/Tmircr-YbPI/AAAAAAAAD-s/blBWdRpyTMc/s400/IMGP2248.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nEAG8RqBpUHJvI3W9KBhUw?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHsDQjxPs_0wIoe8V1AsAmp7gk0IXI4mB1gD_pxNorrd85xrvxHjzLG8lY5BQf0DGsOlhkyQuFVJnoh3GXRo9wHb6kLO94HvHLsigYbgg8TMUWhaLqURQfE-FqdtTvhEeKIAuO4boKv0/s400/IMGP2274.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FfbLaWNVhuOH2qlqT-BW2w?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AriR3F15oMI/TmireeTo9YI/AAAAAAAAD-w/CX8To9_sKMA/s400/IMGP2253.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VoYxbZCSzeOvDVLyR5Ly7A?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-va411Rovh04/TmiriNcqCFI/AAAAAAAAD-4/nefO6jy67wg/s400/IMGP2285.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-47279479436028437792011-05-05T16:23:00.002+10:002011-05-06T09:58:25.032+10:00A taste of the Pilbara<p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5l7CU5bEGECvTqrKnYTI_w?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsEtG2PFDUcuImmTP0o6wkU1wqNWHPC9g-PvhuhLy1Y_5x920qTZWY1wszp0RKEge-jwEDuPPkVF70mEob0jiWsYFe0DSIzZBvhLJxnrdnCvNojJ8o3Q6qkUUNVuJp01OB1uBqn70hRA/s400/IMGP1767.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p> </p><p>I've just returned from the Pilbara - assisting a fauna survey job. It was my first time in this part of the country - so I found myself seeing plenty of new animals while at the same time recognising the connections that this landscape has with other parts of Australia.</p><p> </p><p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyFgCv0zFiSfD7CAC5uXDpMreAY7TvXr06pQSBwtp85RROJdPbNyXe3Uf4Z2vcteq36IdLJKHFliazJg-lwQ0hzAm5-k2CRuwvO0DNvF9CqQa3gF8zEgg0CE14TmhtpeuWanBzlCAFXU/s400/IMGP1655.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Delma nasuta</em>, Legless Lizard</p><p> </p><p>We were located not far from the Hammersley Ranges, our survey sites butting up against Karajini National Park in some instances. Generally we were focussing on variations of mulga, spinifex and grassland habitats, with a few rocky outcrop areas thrown in.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DJ2wZUY6U4fJWexDlhzorQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk0RtGdyDZ_z97qZyOapxAWJ4voxqZ8qfIF0f-hbBwK_ZhQ72FVhT-H7WlmRJPsKxk9aX1JUtOskYcK1wuTh1BMWwmEhwOsvP7o7L4ltg4yORmgSr03_66Dml5GPZ3QS_fKaR_REoE3I/s400/IMGP1684.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Pilbara Ningaui, <em>Ningaui timealeyi</em></p><p>It was boom time out there following a good wet season. We didn't catch a single animal in poor health or condition. Insects were in abundance. Driving around would invariably flush masses of Little Button Quail from the grass, and we even had some fall in traps (including chicks!). The Stripe-faced dunnart (<em>Sminthopsis macroura</em>, below) has a tail about 10mm long at its base - this is the dunnart equivalent of a double chin in terms of fat storage.</p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dD1bj6RYbQMrVNuiHzeYyg?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtusSwhT7p-H7KsCi7EXn3viaCogSHZ9ie0A_igVDhncsWyPCIrjE2XHSu1HVo2qADCOXxDGUxpdWPEH-MKZVOlt0Qbq4yBDQpf64QLbl1i-Hwmv7ZC6e-QsffQ4jeJK70tOQwe_httI/s400/IMGP1688.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Stripe-faced dunnart (<em>Sminthopsis macroura)</em></p><p>Reptile-wise we turned up a fairly good haul of lizards and snakes, including some blind snakes, various elapids, dragons and small goannas, a handful of geckos and legless lizards.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0Mw1Z7Ox5ADl0NtRJ4-mEQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnac_TdWgXoUbKEjOog0oOCXrvhOEOtIzgb3ty9W1-ypGmiLuH8AuR2z4_8pJ2hmEia_iWsEqKMuQgn5MqAFtSZIqTde1z3TLJ8u2bZwglf8ewfEVkyjhq8TgccZEr3qpPkyDA3EmKVjo/s400/IMGP1717.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">This <em>Diplodactylus pulcher </em>had just shed its skin and was showing its colours off nicely.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lyNhdzohM1tgkjykEOcQeA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoirI3fDU1nmnX_s4mjipBps2_0HEAczRijYTSemQvmrhv7kliGqfXuV41LlpRrmRNqsyazRGoMqRj5pFARRkW0iCpduz6WU5CSdj3sz2f5mCyxkVE9FG3LaVTKuhOX0zJtjLXiP5x7E/s400/IMGP1742.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">A young <em>Varanus bushi</em> - a small tree-dwelling goanna recently split off from <em>gilleni/caudolineatus</em></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5l7CU5bEGECvTqrKnYTI_w?feat=embedwebsite"><br /></a></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cjCIcmgp5_rjCH56KWSfFw?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUW_MHanWcZDsrfRhF7K94ClikjTPdhDoT0f0xeZJUe7zAe62Sm008ZJ4evUvi-SZLRueq2Krg-w8aTI0-mYmgBHYGV4haVntyqQ4tozfe25SiiGw1Rr53LELSglo6usT1u9H6LRFoWA/s400/IMGP1774.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Painted Pyrgomorph, <em>Greyacris sp</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Exploring the rocky areas toward the end of the survey we managed to turn up quite a few more reptile species, including my favourite animal of the trip, the Spiny-tailed skink (<em>Egernia depressa, </em>below). This slow-moving, prehistoric-looking creature lives in rock crevices in small family groups.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ATesrQyzQx7AFTUmrbETWQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/Tb9yVuEacsI/AAAAAAAAD38/AjafTkgJoww/s400/IMGP1792.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">The crevice dwelling <em>Ctenotus rubicundus</em></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Nrt5j0A4HlCyl3kBGBKQEA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/Tb9yYtTO7DI/AAAAAAAAD4E/t43JpvY_if4/s400/IMGP1815.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Another rock dweller, <em>Egernia formosa</em></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lOE38-6CS0G-UzWgFqcaSw?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cmyEWRyAy-VpjZjLHz3JslJ6ABAukwk50H3eJx9Zik3sJ4A0_zS1vMz2_tfKMURKWQKK8CWQb65WY7Ryxudq6luNohFh96rGBH1UPsx4wkMw05qlwDKY5yD4QGzU4foE0DEB8fqr6ME/s400/IMGP1867.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Bandy-bandy snake, <em>Vermicella snelli</em></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Nx07n-CQC7Jq8FZcErfaPA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/Tb9zwQYClEI/AAAAAAAAD48/C1QlVRRSD4k/s400/IMGP1873.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Spiny-tailed skink, <em>Egernia depressa</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><br /></em></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2rNTBeC_ix1ACpqTIuJ7cA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJskGVA-XvpfTyubZmLn-zLfeJcPhkAy3wHmFE1KO2mCAQ3h1Msy6TogWADeNMxbPfgLTFSSpbu5R0pWQckQWuWMGtpPWlnbCkqazfmkh31AdCScJ8KSplTuvlvHKb3bN-sNYbe7KqmY/s400/IMGP1905.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Dwarf bearded dragon, <em>Pogona minor</em></p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TcFNwIoQJYXRpVwQ7ODrCA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/Tb9zzaa341I/AAAAAAAAD5E/ZAvhGP4N6jc/s400/IMGP1916.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Western netted dragon (<em>Ctenophorus reticularis</em>), above and below, surveying its domain.</p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/NB-SW6sUQQ_C-O8wFqbcHg?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/Tb9z0sfc8TI/AAAAAAAAD5I/NTsNDiY2asc/s400/IMGP1933.jpg" alt="" width="268" height="400" /></a></p><p> </p><p>Another highlight turned up on the final day as we were packing up - a Mulga dragon, <em>Caimanops amphiboluroides,</em> appeared right behind the ute we were loading. It was intent on digging - not a proper burrow at all but a shallow scrape. After some time it abandoned this one but began another! It was totally unafraid of us, and dug, ate ants, and even had its tail stepped on without seeming to mind. This species, the only one of its genus, is another one restricted to the North-West.</p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sXbt0G0KmRqNL-w7ZuJ5LA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/Tb9z5MObXtI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/XClmBvPgx1A/s400/IMGP1956.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Mulga dragon, <em>Caimanops amphiboluroides, </em>above and below.</p><p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hDsSkzP4qh0mxrfHrVySEA?feat=embedwebsite"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/Tb9z7PgOcwI/AAAAAAAAD5U/HbFb-2G-2Kg/s400/IMGP1958.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="268" /></a></p><p> </p><p>Still lots of Pilbara critters out there that I'm keen to see, and it looks like I'll be heading back over there at some point too.</p>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-1734529667020205802011-03-30T22:56:00.001+10:002011-03-30T22:56:31.831+10:00One from the road<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div align='center'><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SX6LHoC5qhGvYw--kLiK2A?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='268' height='400' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TZMoIpaNsyI/AAAAAAAAD1g/wRkwTKn6ccw/s400/IMGP1466.jpg'/></a><br/>Thorny Devil, <i>Moloch horridus</i>, natural habitat<br/></div></div>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-73649140645869940092011-03-29T20:43:00.000+10:002011-03-29T20:44:19.766+10:00Sydney... Cockroach<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Back in Sydney. Next move...?<br/><br/>Check out this cockroach, <i>Polyzosteria limbata</i>, from Brisbane Water National Park just north of the Hawkesbury, spotted on a recent bushwalk. <br/><br/><div align='center'><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1hlo3pTnf6iS8QgUBRWKiA?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TZG2au1gBWI/AAAAAAAAD1M/Xn3EZdu4xyY/s400/IMGP1480.jpg'/></a><br/><br/><div align='left'><a target='_blank' href='http://davidavid.blogspot.com/2006/04/diurnal-cockroach-polyzosteria-limbata.html'>Compare</a> the patterning with an individual from Waterfall, south of Sydney (links to my old blog, from way back in 2006!).<br/></div><br/><a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1877/453/1600/IMGP1336.jpg'><img width='400' height='268' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1877/453/320/IMGP1336.jpg'/></a></div></div>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-69486493982684010872010-12-27T21:39:00.000+10:002010-12-27T21:41:31.997+10:00Prickles!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>A nocturnal climb up to the top of the Heavitree Range near Alice Springs was a very rewarding little expedition. On the gecko front, I first encountered <i>Diplodactylus conspicillatus, Heteronotia binoei, Oedura marmorata </i>and<i> Strophrurus ciliaris</i>. I spotted a couple of very pretty Centralian treefrogs (<i>Litoria gilleni</i>) right up top, then the animal I'd been hoping for showed too.<br/><br/><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tFpQyCXpd8SDLBvIZHvzFg?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRl_D0wwszKMP9Pr1pdUrsw-LL1_GSvBsD84_RAycNZnQAUs4CtyjnF7Ix2X5Bt4Xp_Gns5oYk4ZXIZC6neRSZ0X37wsah9KNsuTf-oPf19xxuHKInAqOZLFCpH3KsnPsplafQQiN7VE/s400/IMGP1399.jpg'/></a><br/><br/><div align='left'>It's a central ranges endemic species - one of the prickly knob-tailed gecko species: <i>Nephrurus amyae</i> or the Centralian knob-tailed gecko. It's claim to fame is it's the 'most massive' (meaning heaviest rather than lengthiest) Aussie gecko.<br/></div><br/><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wDvVTqamBZVoLbl0OSHDGQ?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TRh4RskPu-I/AAAAAAAADz4/EFf-FWkQ2w4/s400/IMGP1396.jpg'/></a><br/><br/><br/><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/usezzZTlCwHZNzkh-Ys18Q?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TRh4Vq0qZ-I/AAAAAAAAD0A/T5IsoAOGH14/s400/IMGP1400.jpg'/></a><br/><br/><div align='left'>And a cute little one just as an added bonus.<br/></div></div></div>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-41153031773609023422010-12-07T19:08:00.000+10:002010-12-14T22:10:37.119+10:00Floating frogs (or Frogging the Alice)<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>So much rain, good thunderstorms, warm weather... only more free time could make conditions better for frogging around Alice Springs. I have managed to get out once recently and was amply rewarded. As well as the relatively 'boring' Spencer's Burrowing Frog (<i>Platyplectrum spenceri</i>) and the Desert Treefrog (<i>Litoria rubella</i>), a couple of other interesting species were calling away from flooded roadsides just out of Alice Springs.<br/><br/><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JPaG7Vzjc4TG1NhUX1AoJA?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT50HYougTFfSf598t4l26KcGnIon6jfgsDXACW92sQ73SqBbptBj1iQQLrhjsvcrFi1cgrRWYlHyDuVwmhNFXnuTNm7CDuglQ8NCnGEsjzZe2Qq66CBOK-RwfM5En29zBFviOIeG36hk/s400/IMGP1352.jpg'/></a><br/></div><div align='center'><i>Neobatrachus centralis, </i>Trilling frog<br/></div><div align='center'><br/><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sELiNuo3hNVyFQWpU0NQmA?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDFUn-jGSXPWsljFQXc8-15U6RFtdFmAvyvD8qzu-dEKrxTLniyGP7wD7TIV2VBsDwC1rCBaacnYsVf6A8GGPL1DOnw8gkGoLcXvV3jDSW-lc1GPzwyt2xl_S6Mh6tpDITZhypxvvGMs/s400/IMGP1343.jpg'/></a><br/><i>Cyclorana maini, </i>Main's waterholding frog<br/><br/></div><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-H8vAsKA9e3nzDxwSK3Rjw?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpAKyimgSlHbDfdKJl2tMtHUCcw_9FjN7KPWhikB7y_WC4s7-mkiHeXEJEKoCCAuHAeqJ9Yv_xGcA0AL8ysKXC3h5JGDz3dq6NU0qmDFq-ksrWVlktoQ_MM7r6qN2l9TPlDw4pexucFw/s400/IMGP1330.jpg'/></a><br/></div><div align='center'><i>Neobatrachus centralis, </i>Trilling frog<br/><br/><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3JPGBncMMFiQWqKX-TZXgQ?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TQb9Ivkj50I/AAAAAAAADy4/j3GPAgYinv4/s400/IMGP1310.jpg'/></a><br/><i>Sminthopsis </i>sp., Dunnart<br/><br/><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7rKZmYS8U6gocgRMiYdwGA?feat=embedwebsite'><img width='400' height='268' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ33gkgIUInVdLQSHGcGir-mVC4vZN9sdryEyrgIqsuusLzGJzSmhXqlpx7Clmp7hj5bjPLzXNg_TH6lBF2ixwS7CSyHV-dK2ufvXLdGagpmPdxktMotPS_fWlUZ2d2tESbBbB6b6xgJo/s400/IMGP1262.jpg'/></a><br/>Narrow-banded sandswimmer, <i>Eremiascincus fasciolatus</i> <br/></div><div class='blogger-post-footer'><script type='text/javascript'><br/>var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");<br/>document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));<br/></script><br/><script type='text/javascript'><br/>try {<br/>var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7565130-1");<br/>pageTracker._trackPageview();<br/>} catch(err) {}</script></div></div>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-58460705610335961702010-10-22T12:22:00.001+10:002010-10-22T12:30:20.107+10:00Herping the Alice<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I've been working as a tour guide out of Alice Springs - taking backpackers out to Uluru, Kata Tjuta and King's Canyon. The country is looking so beautifully green at the moment - due to the amazing amount of rain that's fallen this year. Alice Springs has had about 620 mm so far - compare this with the annual average of 250 mm or the 65 mm that had fallen by this time last year. Lots of plants are flowering or producing masses of seed. Birds are singing from all the trees. The waterholes are all looking fantastic and are home to plump tadpoles.<br /><br />The arrival of the warm weather has seen me heading out from Alice on a couple of little night road-cruising trips. It's been quite productive so far!<br /><br />A few geckos are out and about - masses of fat-tailed geckos (<i>Diplodactylus conspicillatus</i>, below), and the odd spiny-tailed gecko (<i>Strophrurus ciliaris</i>).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/LwiAIx8BJO4rdHantK6h9w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72wVjqefL9TPXuwfMezfjfjgjMNU9dOpPypCTtS6sNPdakE_D3UxSDMDezSWdw7XiKWlxBflN0_aFqWEfBLPncQghbL1Vr89z_umd093HjHGN4_i7LTIpQHjd1qnVCqyVY9cUsm3zu8Y/s400/IMGP1180.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />I also came across an old favourite, the smooth knob-tailed gecko (<i>Nephrurus laevis</i>)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/n8cCjm3lpTbNlovMIsIQng?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TMD0ZlpKigI/AAAAAAAADw0/5Wh8H-pZdSQ/s400/IMGP1048-2.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />The only elapids I've been seeing are a few Curl snakes (<i>Suta suta</i>).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/ShJpwZEszEcJKz726zJ9pQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarsbBpINJuri2ras7NQGYGuzZJ9eLVHmSvNcSF8Xwl4KAfX2x4NrbGvoJ_WiQ_AFgfpMyGLVZZDlUe7zhG4gfx6UD16yS3KkBRL-1-c0P5BDxvjFjgGVJglIu7gVA9k9IHTXRMl87eYs/s400/IMGP1184.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />This legless lizard, the Western Hooded Scaly-foot (<i>Pygopus nigriceps</i>) was a nice surprise.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/1d3UHEg_D51Rx4qO2i8rEw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TMDjoMrT_7I/AAAAAAAADwU/mXWlKrsq_XQ/s400/IMGP1142.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />But by far, the highlight was this impressive 150 cm Centralian carpet python, <i>Morelia bredli</i>, found crossing the road next to a tree-lined watercourse.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/bhXh7d6sUhXyxKboImVroQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TL-d23MKKyI/AAAAAAAADwA/PDIsYPxdAec/s400/IMGP1170.jpg" height="400" width="268" /></a><br /></div><br />A few frogs have been active and calling on wet nights too - so far only Desert Treefrogs (<i>Litoria rubella</i>), Spencer's Burrowing frog (<i>Platyplectrum spenceri</i>), and a couple of Trilling frogs (<i>Neobatrachus centralis</i>, below).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/gQpHfk3L_-GDbGYCequQaw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PfIKldVzxVkCNCdQWaEkVSytRGseQcp8-J8ki6KRBTgy3Wb7X6I4UN4rhPpRW7g8s3Mv9XIlbDLNK6S9zxHL5JAoezS96KVJ6mFsW7glflIJnRq2MeWqiFce0-6s3psfkK-CR3hyT5k/s400/IMGP1060-2.jpg" height="268" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />Some interesting herps have been showing up on the tours I run - I'm going to start taking my camera along more often so I can get photos of them to share.</div>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-859101048258211402.post-17898445332407427372010-07-06T22:58:00.000+10:002010-07-06T22:59:34.416+10:00Walking the Larapinta - I<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/T-ou7kJKU9veGWcs-oaYVQ?feat=embedwebsite'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_h9lX5jsqCiE/TDMmiwYukCI/AAAAAAAADt8/dUmrv3Zn7Ow/s400/IMGP0900.jpg'/></a></div><br/><br/>It's late afternoon and I sit by Birthday waterhole with my binoculars at the ready. I've been keeping an eye on the resident birds - there are three Australian hobbies hanging around. Surely the budgerigars are nervous nesting in adjacent trees. Every now and then there is a chattering from the hobbies and if I'm quick I'll spot one chasing something - the favourite quarry seems to be bronzewings though the latter are certainly swift enough to give the hobbies a breathtaking run and I didn't spot any being taken. <br/><br/>Only a couple of trees down the creekline is a pair of Brown goshawks nesting too. And a squeaking that I originally attributed to branches sliding over one another in the breeze turned out to be a pair of Major Mitchell Cockatoos feeding quietly in the same tree. A wallaroo casually hops over the rocky ridge behind the waterhole. <br/><br/>The River red-gums (<i>Eucalyptus camalduensis</i>) dominate this sandy riverbed like so many others. Immense and valuable trees, contorted and buffeted by flooding river flows, they form plenty of hollows.<br/><br/><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/kQWutFv586T_KxAXt5DwCw?feat=embedwebsite'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsOFB3tK-QZp3fo3z1aOjhxZx2vl5MjBLE1Phm4RNvBfk9Rs2MvFnSVTi-MU2pfjpfDTN5HHAwY72JnCPQxRe2IAuZiVcUrtXHrUSU7FAZ8T4hVNt_8aV9QP3EiUbtt70OEl8K79zPB0/s400/IMGP0779.jpg'/></a></div><br/>After dark I go walking, first around the waterhole where a solitary Spencer's burrowing frog (<i>Platyplectrum spenceri</i>) sits at the chilly water's edge. Then up the ridge. The eyes of flat-rock spiders shine out from impossibly thin cracks in the quartzite. One slightly larger crack houses a handsome marbled velvet gecko (<i>Oedura</i> <i>marmorata</i>) tucked well away. The rocks are littered with rock wallaby scats though none made an appearance.<br/><br/><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/whjwGDZ3e6aBwzvOrggutg?feat=embedwebsite'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UkPLIZq3BrHisFBi4REdj7odb2wXesx2mGgDlsoQMPMO5059nhG8wzNqjTR0CrY0EJltBTq6fAcjj4eLvEtiEPL1dlUZz37SNHnCwr8In3lhAUchZhPazbnSevq1U-CJWs40ig7EiYE/s400/IMGP0791.jpg'/></a></div><br/>Descending again, I follow the gravelly riverbed upstream. It's a cold evening and these nocturnal walks haven't been yielding much but they're a good way to warm up before bed and there's sometimes something of note. On a separate rocky outcrop I come across the beautiful Centralian treefrog (<i>Litoria gilleni</i>), only the second one I've seen and a real stunner to top off the all-round great day.<br/><br/><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/Mu_BjB9-NQSOn2ZPZRADXA?feat=embedwebsite'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2eHIz-uH-fG0yB3Zns0X-rLFIvxN_xGSp-MPuGHr_mgrGHT_yZoPftBwIHmUgAkCrGIKkA2UOW_pgYLE9SDuxtGCqEf7uBFor7a87RDOi6lHzo8A_jRLnUpTPstoxnStlpwVZyZeNdE/s400/IMGP0906.jpg'/></a></div><br/>Dawn had found me drinking tea and watching the sunrise atop Brinkley's Bluff, a towering peak of the Chewings Range in the West McDonnell Ranges. It was day seven of an eighteen day walk. The Larapinta trail. Starting at Alice Springs, the trail stretches 223 km through the West MacDonnell ranges to finish at the peak of Mt Sonder near Redbank Gorge. The trail passes or penetrates the numerous gaps, gorges and chasms cut through the Chewings and Heavitree tranges; it climbs to peaks and bluffs with panoramic views; it encounters riverbeds of the oldest rivers in the world. It crosses the exposed strata of ancient mountains past, it crosses the plains left by aeons of deposition.<br/><br/><div align='center'><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com.au/lh/photo/7eOnnYBjWiipyytA31vfmQ?feat=embedwebsite'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaz52PQBAYHBUDowMOJQrAT5dKHqsIq4NibgL6PTN60nTk2gu592UCb9bJYZzD6j1A1V0K_7MPteySAPwMCDwtXD_oI62cKJ5vR09fM81iLzwkXigbvJpEx3Of53eoKxFaCJYHV9O3xOg/s400/IMGP0888.jpg'/></a></div></div>David Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04446321170641819188noreply@blogger.com1