Christmas Critters

 

I haven't posted for a while and I apologise for that, I have been busy putting all of my energy and spare time into my book. I still need to get out and about in the real world though because I can't finish it without the photographs that I need.

I have been out on a few short local trips just to keep me sane, some of the photos from which are attached below.

 

A Murray's Skink, common in suitable rainforest habitat which unfortunately is not very common at all in South East Queensland.

 

 

A magnificent female Southern Angle Headed Dragon. Another species totally reliant on dwindling sub tropical rainforest pockets.

 

A couple of Eastern Crevice Skinks, the first resplendent in his breeding finery.

 



 

A Southern Spotted Velvet gecko, one of our most beautiful geckos and one that I am privileged enough to have as a co-habitant of my own home. This guy was hiding behind a towel in my bathroom this morning.

 

 

An Eastern Ranges Rock Skink.

 

 

Photos of four different Stoney Creek frogs. A pretty amazing array of variation for a single species all photographed within a few hundred metres of one another. The smaller yellowish frogs are male and the larger brown frogs are female.

 

 

This Yellow Faced Whip Snake was by far the most exciting animal that I have had the pleasure of photographing in the past few weeks. It was picked up on a snake call by a mate of mine and is very special. I have never in my fifty odd years of looking at and loving reptiles and amphibians seen one of these without the black stripe on the snout and black and lighter comma shaped markings around the eye. The greenish dorsal colouration is not that unusual but the blue tinge around the edge of the belly is pretty cool. Nice critter.



 

A by product of searching for reptiles is finding and photographing some magnificent scenery and also some pretty trippy creatures that aren't necessarily the target species. This King Cricket will never win a prize in natures beauty contest but is certainly very interesting and definitely worth a look.

 

 

Well that's it for another year, they go way too quick these days.

Compliments of the season to all and have a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

See you next year.

 

Mike.