My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

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Serpentes
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Joined: July 31st, 2010, 3:20 am
Location: Australia

My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Serpentes »

And I love it. Living on the edge of a large tract of bushland near Brisbane, Australia, has its advantages. There is the peace and quiet, the lack of close neighbours, the ability to run around naked on a whim (as we all do in Australia), but most importantly there is wildlife. I have had the luck to come across a fair amount of herpetofauna in the front yard in the past 3 months. It's really only the start of summer here and I hope that many more critters will turn up, but here is an assortment of some of the herps that I have found recently. I don't have pictures of half the species I've found (they often shoot off into the forest while I don't have a camera) but I've managed to get photos of a few.


This Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) was basking beside the pool on Christmas morning:
Image
DSC_3387 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Another Lace Monitor, this one only a year or two old, came to visit after Boxing Day:
Image
DSC_3615 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

With a bit of patience I was able to lure him close enough to offer him a bit of kangaroo mince, which he loved:
Image
DSC_3811 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Another photo of the young fella:
Image
DSC_3580 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Yesterday I noticed a Carpet Python (Morelia spilota) setting up an ambush beside the bird feeder:
Image
DSC_3880 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

After he patiently waited for a couple of hours a King Parrot came down to visit:
Image
DSC_3912 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Fortunately for the parrot the python only struck at its tail feathers. This photo was taken immediately after the python struck at the parrot; no luck today:
Image
DSC_3913 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

There are quite a few carpet pythons that come and visit, both large and small:
Image
DSC_3991 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Image
DSC_3965 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Image
IMG_1761 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr


Image
IMG_1876 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr


A big skink that looks superficially like a blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides) is the Pink-Tongued Skink (Hemisphaerodon gerrardi). Unlike Blue-tongues these guys are semi arboreal and often nocturnal. Their patterns are quite variable:
Image
DSC_4086 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Image
IMG_0831 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Image
IMG_0920 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

This is a Common Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulata). It was snooping around one of the glass doors while I sat at my computer. When I got up to take photos it ascended the door frame and got comfortable:
Image
IMG_0954 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Water Dragons (Intellagama leseurii) are an ever-present source of activity around the house. There are at least 10 of them. The females are fairly small and shy, but the males get quite large (about 3 ft long) and quite bold. These two young ones were playing "pool decorations":
Image
DSC_2312 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

A gravid female Water Dragon:
Image
DSC_0980 - Copy by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

A big male swimming in the creek that flows through the front yard:
Image
DSC_1809 - Copy by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

I have seen Eastern Brown Snakes (Pseudonaja textilis) and Yellow-faced Whip Snakes (Demansia psammophis) around the house but they've eluded being photographed. This one is a Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriachis) that was foraging beside the pool:
Image
DSC_3257 - Copy by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr


Keelback Snakes (Tropidonophis mairii) are the only Australian snake that can eat the invasive, toxic Cane Toads (Bufo marinus) that have wreaked havoc on Australia's wildlife since being introduced on the 1930's:
Image
DSC_2271 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

We get the occasional Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata) that graces us with its presence:
Image
DSC_0387 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

And now for some frogs. All of these are very common around the yard (despite some being quite rare species) and can be found on any given night:
Adelotus brevis
Image
DSC_1565 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Litoria wilcoxi:
Image
DSC_0253 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Litoria gracilenta:
Image
DSC_2563 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

Litoria fallax:
Image
DSC_0489 by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr

A Kookaburra with a Litoria wilcoxi that was too slow:
Image
DSC_1905 - Copy by Ssscott.vb, on Flickr
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DracoRJC
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by DracoRJC »

Not. Fair. It's snowing here, you jerk! But seriously that's awesome :)

Ryan
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Natalie McNear
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Natalie McNear »

I think this is the best "herps in my backyard" post ever made on FHF. :thumb:
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Serpentes
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Serpentes »

Thanks! I'm surprised at what keeps turning up.

Draco - it isn't my choice that you live somewhere that (gasp, shock, horror) SNOWS! Bugger that! :lol:
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Steve Atkins
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Steve Atkins »

Awesome! I want to move in
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Dave S
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Dave S »

AWESOME!!!! :crazyeyes:
Dave S.
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dery
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by dery »

I'll probably move into an infested yard in january 2014 if everything goes right. Then I'll do a by post. Wish me luck. :beer:
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DracoRJC
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by DracoRJC »

Serpentes wrote:Thanks! I'm surprised at what keeps turning up.

Draco - it isn't my choice that you live somewhere that (gasp, shock, horror) SNOWS! Bugger that! :lol:

Not mine either lol - parents forced us to move north from Texas, I had never seen snow until then! Used to have alligators near my house, how I miss that....
gretzkyrh4
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Have you considered adding a guest house? I can guarantee it will stay full if you offer it up to all of us on FHF.

Awesome post!

Chris
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Speckled Rosy
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Speckled Rosy »

Wow, amazing.. Id agree, probably the coolest house/yard post to date. I'd suspect the only downside might be lots of bugs? or funnelweb spiders?

Great post!

-Dan
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Herpin_Time
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Herpin_Time »

:D great back yard you got there.
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dery
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by dery »

gretzkyrh4 wrote:Have you considered adding a guest house? I can guarantee it will stay full if you offer it up to all of us on FHF.

Awesome post!

Chris
Unfortunately, that would be more like a guest town. :lol:
Tamara D. McConnell
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Amazing. If I had a yard like that, I don't see how I'd ever be able to leave to go to work.
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gbin
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by gbin »

Very cool, indeed! :thumb:

Gerry
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Jeff Lemm
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Jeff Lemm »

Very cool, are you around Mt. Glorious?
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Fundad
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Fundad »

Wow.. I am a tad envious.

:thumb:

Thanks for sharing
Fundad
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chrish
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by chrish »

Just the thought of finding Carpet Pythons in my backyard.....speechless.

Excellent stuff.

Chris
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Serpentes
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Location: Australia

Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Serpentes »

Hi All, glad you appreciate the critters! As I type there is a carpet python sitting near the front door. It is opaque (sloughing) so it's warming up to assist the process. There was also a red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriachis) that crawled past my feet as I was on the phone, sitting on the front steps.

If anyone finds themselves in the Brisbane region let me know and I'd be happy to show you around!

Jeff, I am south of Mt Glorious, near the suburb of Brookfield.

Herpy New Year everyone! :beer:
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-EJ
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by -EJ »

First response... you fkn dick. To put it into context... you are in heaven and you know it and are flaunting it. What the hell... I'd do the same. That is fantastic to an extreme.
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Robyn@TRR
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Robyn@TRR »

This is a 10+ on the coolness scale. Great pics, I would love to see that!
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Noel Thomas
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Noel Thomas »

Too awesome!

Would love to head that way for a herping trip in the near future.
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Crimson King
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Crimson King »

WOW! Thanks for sharing this.

:Mark
jimoo742
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by jimoo742 »

I'm not jealous. I'm not. :?
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ZantiMissKnit
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by ZantiMissKnit »

jimoo742 wrote:I'm not jealous. I'm not. :?
I am.
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chrisr
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by chrisr »

Yes, you are officially in heaven. Thanks for sharing!
jimoo742
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by jimoo742 »

ZantiMissKnit wrote:
jimoo742 wrote:I'm not jealous. I'm not. :?
I am.
I'm not jealous, I'm just lying
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Chris Smith
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Chris Smith »

Awesome!! <- Very jealous!!

-Chris
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socalherper
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by socalherper »

That was an awesome post! Killer stuff!
cherper
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by cherper »

With a backyard like that who needs to have pets? You virtually covered the inventory of any given pet store here in the US. Very nice!
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Montivipera
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Montivipera »

Seeing animals in their natural environment is clearly much more rewarding than keeping them in enclosures. Wild animals wil alsol display more normal behavior. You do not need to clean enclosures and you can spend all your time observing them free of charge. Congratulations 8-)
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Biker Dave
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Biker Dave »

Finally! Someone whose yard is better than Terry's (ratsnakehaven) down in southern Arizona!

Diggin' the varanids by the pool! THat would make for a great pool party.... some barbecue and beers and some little four legged (and no legged) visitors to share it all with!

:thumb: :thumb:
mikemike
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by mikemike »

This is a truly epic post. Hope you have a guest room because you're about to be flooded by herpers!
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Ameron
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Reply from Portland/Vancouver

Post by Ameron »

Guards! Take that spoiled, impudent Aussie away to the dungeon!! Except that he'd likely find interesting salamanders there.

Living in the cool, damp Pacific Northwest, I can only dream of the many marvels & wonders you experience each week. Like many other herpers, I loved this post. As is often the case for herper forum posts, yours was more enjoyable than most TV shows.

One thing that intrigues me is how you Aussies deal with SO MANY venomous snakes & critters. Your continent is full of danger. Our largest danger in Oregon & Washington is the Rattlesnake, but I've never known of anyone bitten by one, much less of any deaths caused by one.

If in Australia, or Arica, or SE Asia, I would be afraid of every step I took, and everywhere I placed my hand! My motto if I'm ever fortunate enough to visit the tropics:

"We will be in teams of 3, and all of us will pack automatic weapons.”

(I remember the tale of the 18-year-old helper for a National Geographic film crew in Africa years ago. He was very afraid of crocodiles. Assured by others that he was in no danger, he was allowed one day to wash alone near the river. The others in the film crew later found his hand prints at the river’s edge – he had desperately tried to grasp something while he was pulled into the river. They estimate that the attacking crocodile was about 18 feet long.)

If you ever need someone to help with yard work, wash dishes, cleaning & computer issues, or sit under the night sky to ponder life’s mysteries with the philosophers, let me know. I'll "pitch it all" and fly to Brisbane. (I'm only partially kidding.)

Thanks for the visual feast.

Don in Vancouver

0.1 Pantherophis guttatus (Carolina)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus (Carolina)
1.0 Elaphe schrencki
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moloch
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by moloch »

Wow, fantastic, Scott. What an incredible "infestation"!. As you know, I live in the 'Gong but I sure don't have animals like that in my yard. I've always liked the area around Brisbane and now I like it even more!

Regards,
David
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Ross Padilla
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Re: My yard is infested with herpetofauna!

Post by Ross Padilla »

That is amazing! :thumb:
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