The Pilbara, Western Australia

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
Mattsnake
Posts: 73
Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Mattsnake »

Recently I had a bit of time off work so decided to go for a herp trip in an area I'd never been before and try and get some photos of species that I hadn't yet seen. The Pilbara in Western Australia was the destination. We drove from the east coast of Queensland to the West coast of Western Australia and back... we saw a fair bit on the drive over and back but I'll leave most of them out and focus on the destination.
So here's some photos of some of the stuff we saw whilst over there...

Ring-tailed Dragon Ctenophorus caudincinctus
Image

Northern Spiny-tail Gecko Strophurus ciliaris
Image

North-western Shovel-nose Snake Brachyurophis approximans
Image

Juvenile Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
Image

Pilbara Death Adder Acanthophis wellsi
Image

Rosen's Snake Suta fasciata
Image

Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
Image

Some Pilbara landscape
Image

Pygmy Python Antaresia perthensis
Image

Western Brown Snake Pseudonaja mengdeni
Image

Central Netted Dragon Ctenophorus nuchalis
Image

Landscape heading towards Exmouth
Image

Perentie Varanus giganteus
Image

Exmouth area
Image

Western Spiny-tailed Gecko Strophurus strophurus
Image

Western Smooth Knob-tail Gecko Nephrurus levis occidentalis
Image

Marbled Velvet Gecko Oedura marmorata
Image

Pygmy Python Antaresia perthensis
Image

Western Shield Spiny-tail Gecko Strophurus wellingtonae
Image

Karijini National Park scenery
Image

Image

Image

Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
Image

Marbled Velvet Gecko Oedura marmorata attempting to eat a Desert Cave Gecko Heteronotia spelea
Image

Pilbara Olive Python Liasis olivaceus barroni
Image

Pilbara Death Adder Acanthophis wellsi
Image

Image

Image

Hatchling Pygmy Python Antaresia perthensis
Image

Eastern Pilbara spiny-tailed Skink Egernia epsisolus
Image

Southern Phasmid Gecko Strophurus jeanae
Image

Image

Spider
Image

Leopard Ctenotus Ctenotus pantherinus
Image

Pygmy Bearded Dragon Pogona minor
Image

Image

Pilbara Rock Monitor Varanus pilbarensis
Image

Black-headed Python Aspidites melanocephalus
Image

And a few from the Southern Kimberley area...

Centralian Blue-tongue Tiliqua multifasciata
Image

Stimson's Python Antaresia stimsoni
Image

King's Dtella Gehyra koira
Image

Northern Prickly Knob-tail Gecko Nephrurus sheai
Image

Cheers.
User avatar
John Martin
Posts: 515
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 10:57 pm
Location: North end of Lake Okeechobee, Florida

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by John Martin »

Stunning animals, and stunning photography. I love the Pilbara!
User avatar
chrish
Posts: 3295
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:14 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by chrish »

Beautiful photos. Now we need the post of the stuff on the trip there. Remember, many of us are vicariously herping Australia through these posts!

All the pythons, death adders, geckos, etc., are great, but this photo is my favorite of the post -

Image

First of all, that road has to get any herper's heart rate up, but beyond that it shows something we don't get to see here in North America. A long stretch of desert road with sand dunes on either side with no:
- houses in view
- vehicles in view
- footprints on the dunes
- ATV or bike tracks on the dunes :(
- plastic bags or other trash in the bushes

There are still some magical places left on the planet. Oz has a lot of them. Of course having an average population density of just under 3 people per square kilometer helps (the US has 32 people per square kilometer). Of course, it could be worse - India has 386 people in the same square kilometer!
User avatar
Dr. Dark
Posts: 380
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:39 pm
Location: Concord TWP, Ohio

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Dr. Dark »

I agree...fantastic photos of some awesome animals!!! Outstanding!!! Gotta LOVE those death adders...
User avatar
Chad M. Lane
Posts: 567
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:40 pm
Location: Manteca, CA

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Chad M. Lane »

Fantastic post, enjoyed the V. pilbarensis!


Thanks,
Chad
Mattsnake
Posts: 73
Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Mattsnake »

Thanks guy! Appreciate it.

As requested here's a few photos from the trip over and back home...

Sand Monitor Varanus gouldii
Image

Blacksoil Whip Snake Demansia rimicola
Image

Pygmy Mulga Monitor Varanus gilleni
Image

Northern Spiny-tail Gecko Strophurus ciliaris
Image

Sand-plain Gecko Lucasium stenodactylum
Image

Desert Spadefoot Notaden nichollsi
Image

Children's Python Antaresia childreni
Image

Mertens Water Monitor Varanus mertensi
Image

Swamplands Lashtail Dragon Amphibolurus temporalis
Image

Fogg Dam
Image

Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes at Fogg Dam
Image

Northern Spiny-tail Monitor Varanus primordius
Image

Hatchling Children's Python Antaresia childreni
Image

Olive Python Liasis olivaceus
Image

Orange-naped Snake Furina ornata
Image

Victoria River
Image

Ridge-tailed Monitor Varanus acanthurus
Image

Dingo
Image

Hatchling Bynoe's Gecko Heteronotia binoei
Image

Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes
Image

Emu
Image

Storm
Image

Clouded Gecko Amalosia jarcovae
Image

Rock dwelling Rough-throated Leaf-tail Gecko Saltuarius salebrosus
Image

Image

Ringed Thin-tailed Gecko Phyllurus caudiannulatus
Image

Image

Rainforest tree dwelling Rough-throated Leaf-tail Gecko Saltuarius salebrosus
Image

Image
User avatar
Neil M
Posts: 285
Joined: April 10th, 2012, 7:27 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Neil M »

Absolutely Awesome! I can never get tired of these amazing Australia posts and the great photography along with em. I absolutely love the variations of geckos and the pythons are unreal.

One question that always gets me is the size of the pythons. Some I can tell seem like hatchlings and others seem huge but each could be either without something to compare it too. What are the ranges of sizes of the pythons in this post?

Thanks for such an entertaining post, Oz is a dream of mine.

Neil M
Mattsnake
Posts: 73
Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Mattsnake »

Neil M wrote:Absolutely Awesome! I can never get tired of these amazing Australia posts and the great photography along with em. I absolutely love the variations of geckos and the pythons are unreal.

One question that always gets me is the size of the pythons. Some I can tell seem like hatchlings and others seem huge but each could be either without something to compare it too. What are the ranges of sizes of the pythons in this post?

Thanks for such an entertaining post, Oz is a dream of mine.

Neil M
Thanks mate. That's a good question, it's hard to tell size from photos!... all the Antaresia species are fairly small pythons, adult Stimsons and Children's max out at about 80cm to 1metre which is about the size of those in the post. Pygmy Pythons are small snakes, the adults in this post wouldn't be any bigger than 50cm. The Black-headed Python was around the 2.5m mark, the Pilbara Olive Python was close to the same size. The regular Olive Python was only about 1.5m. Hope that helps a bit.
User avatar
Fieldnotes
Posts: 1474
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:12 pm
Location: Anaheim, California
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Fieldnotes »

Amazing post with amazing pictures.. thanks for sharing :thumb:
User avatar
Rothdigga
Posts: 405
Joined: November 25th, 2010, 2:00 pm
Location: Long Beach, CA
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Rothdigga »

This is so epic I can't even describe it. Now I need to book a trip to the Pilbara someday. You might be getting a message from me down the road when I'm planning this trip out if I can ever squeeze it in. Thanks for the narrative and insane photos. Those Death Adders are so sick as are all the geckos. I really need to go somewhere I can just see monitors cruising around like that too.
User avatar
Rothdigga
Posts: 405
Joined: November 25th, 2010, 2:00 pm
Location: Long Beach, CA
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Rothdigga »

Oh yeah...how long of a trip was this? Is this over 1-2 weeks or more like 1 month? You certainly saw a ton of stuff.
User avatar
chris drake
Posts: 193
Joined: June 13th, 2010, 1:51 pm
Location: Sugar Land Tx

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by chris drake »

Outstanding post! I will make it there before i die! ;) Love seeing all the Aussie geckos.

Chris
User avatar
Mike VanValen
Posts: 2074
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:41 pm
Location: Connecticut
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Mike VanValen »

Amazing post...not much else to say, but, the addition of the Perentie and Mertens really top it off nicely. How easy/difficult is it to approach the monitors? I know the Perentie is very alert and quick to flee.
Mattsnake
Posts: 73
Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Mattsnake »

Rothdigga wrote:Oh yeah...how long of a trip was this? Is this over 1-2 weeks or more like 1 month? You certainly saw a ton of stuff.
We spend a week in the Pilbara, but the drive over there took a bit over a week and the drive home was the same.
Mattsnake
Posts: 73
Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Mattsnake »

Mike VanValen wrote:Amazing post...not much else to say, but, the addition of the Perentie and Mertens really top it off nicely. How easy/difficult is it to approach the monitors? I know the Perentie is very alert and quick to flee.
With the really big monitors you can get reasonably close to them without them fleeing, they tend to stand their ground and act tough. That Perentie was huge and let me get within a metre of it. The Merten's are quick to flee, usually diving into the water as soon as they feel threatened. The smaller monitors usually disappear before you even see them, or will sit with just their heads sticking out of a tree hollow/rocks and duck in as soon as they think you can see them.
User avatar
jonathan
Posts: 3689
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:39 am
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by jonathan »

Fantastic post. I feel like I want to go back through it slower just to take a long look at everything again.

Were the majority of these herps found road-cruising, or with other techniques? And day or night?
User avatar
AndrewZ
Posts: 30
Joined: March 29th, 2013, 11:15 pm

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by AndrewZ »

Freaking awesome man. I love those aussie pythons and the gecko diversity.
User avatar
mrichardson
Posts: 127
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 5:12 am
Location: Yorkshire, England
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by mrichardson »

The above posts say it all... AWESOME! I really need to go back to Oz soon. Last time I was fresh out of university and had no money.
Tamara D. McConnell
Posts: 2248
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:42 am

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Tamara D. McConnell »

Stunning, amazing, beautiful.
Mattsnake
Posts: 73
Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Mattsnake »

jonathan wrote:Fantastic post. I feel like I want to go back through it slower just to take a long look at everything again.

Were the majority of these herps found road-cruising, or with other techniques? And day or night?
Thanks mate! I'd say about 50% of the snakes were found road cruising, mostly at night. The rest were found walking suitable habitat. The other herps were all mostly found on foot or spotted off the edge of the road whilst driving from destination to destination.
User avatar
Antonsrkn
Posts: 971
Joined: June 10th, 2010, 2:38 pm
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Antonsrkn »

Incredible, your photography is outstanding! The photography combined with the exotic herps and locations makes this one a post to remember!
User avatar
Hans Breuer (twoton)
Posts: 3230
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 3:19 am
Location: Kuching, Sarawak (Borneo)
Contact:

Re: The Pilbara, Western Australia

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

What everyone said.
Post Reply