PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

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nickmancuso
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Joined: October 15th, 2010, 10:47 pm

PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by nickmancuso »

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lantanaman
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Joined: October 16th, 2010, 4:39 am

Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by lantanaman »

Hi Nick,
I've done 3 trips to PNG in the last 2 years.(1 birding, 2 herping/birding). I'm going back for a month herping in January.
As you know it can be very dangerous, always ask the advice of locals before you go anywhere.
Actually Chondros are far more common in Iron Range north Queensland than they are in PNG.They are considered a delicacy in PNG and the natives kill them on sight.Your chances of finding one in PNG are not good.But of course you can be lucky.I haven't found one there yet and when I've asked 40 year old natives how many the've seen in their life, the've said about 3.
Also PNG is a ridiculously expensive place to travel to.I can absolutely guarantee you that you will be ripped off everywhere you go.That's a promise.
Good luck and happy herping
Theo
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Curtis Hart
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Location: Hillsdale County, Michigan

Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by Curtis Hart »

I'd check birding sites for trip reports and there a 3 or 4 over at mammalwatching.com. Those may give you some locations to check in to.
Jackson Shedd
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by Jackson Shedd »

I traveled in PNG for 3 weeks in 1995. It was definitely amazing, although I did very little herping. I was mostly after birds of paradise. As suggested, I would hook up with a birding tour group if you're unfamiliar with the region and just herp as you go. A good company to go with is FieldGuides: Birding Tours Worldwide. I think they do annual trips to PNG, targeting birds of paradise, bowerbirds, etc. Once you have a feel for it, you could always go back on your own terms.
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klawnskale
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by klawnskale »

You can also try contacting Mark O'Shea on Facebook. He is very personable and willing to answer posts and give information. He has written many papers on the herpetofauna of that area. I couldn't think of a better resource.
scott s
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by scott s »

Some buddies of mine were just in the Iron Range and the group managed to find 2 chondros in a few days.

It would certainly be safer to look for chondros in the Iron Range compared to PNG, but PNG would certainly be more adventurous.

Be careful.
Robert Mendyk
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by Robert Mendyk »

I would highly recommend reading Karl-Heinz Switak's excellent book entitled "Adventures in Green Python Country". Although the accounts in it are now a couple of decades old, it really gives you an idea of what to expect in New Guinea (people, lack of infrastructure, remoteness, animal pests, etc.), as well as how difficult it can be to find Morelia viridis there.

I think this book is a must have for anyone considering traveling to this area, and is the reason why I picked it up a couple of years ago. Good luck!
scott s
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by scott s »

Sounds like an interesting book.

Amazon was out of it. :x
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gbin
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by gbin »

Robert Mendyk wrote:I would highly recommend reading Karl-Heinz Switak's excellent book entitled "Adventures in Green Python Country". Although the accounts in it are now a couple of decades old, it really gives you an idea of what to expect in New Guinea (people, lack of infrastructure, remoteness, animal pests, etc.), as well as how difficult it can be to find Morelia viridis there.

I think this book is a must have for anyone considering traveling to this area, and is the reason why I picked it up a couple of years ago. Good luck!
I just went looking for it through my various online book sources, a number of which specialize in rare books, and none of them know of a copy available. In my experience, that's pretty unusual. :(

Gerry
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nephrurus
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by nephrurus »

Herping is pretty hard going over there. Most of the land is customarily owned so it's hard to get access. Getting out at night is hard going as well... you need to rent a car to do that ($$$) and probably dangerous (the danger might be overstated, but it's still there, especially in regards to the customary ownership).

Everyone one owns and carries a bushknife over there... especially landholders (farmers).

If it's green pythons, I'd go Nth QLD- Iron Range. You can wander about during the night with impunity. If you want adventure, forget the green pythons in PNG and see what you can. I saw a few neat things kicking around the various "eco-lodges" in Madang and Kumul Lodge. You might want to look into the Crater Mountain trek from the highlands to the lowlands. It's meant to be great.

I did best at Keki Eco Lodge, 90kms North (and an epic to get to) of Madang in the Adelbert mts.

Cyrtodactylus novaeguineae

Image

-H
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nephrurus
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by nephrurus »

Oh, I should mention I was over there early this year, and Aug-Sept last year.

-H
Robert Mendyk
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by Robert Mendyk »

gbin wrote: I just went looking for it through my various online book sources, a number of which specialize in rare books, and none of them know of a copy available. In my experience, that's pretty unusual. :(

Gerry
It is a rather obscure title; I first learned about it when I stumbled across it at Eric Thiss' table at the Daytona expo a couple of years ago.

I usually have success finding obscure herp titles at either Bibliomania (herplit.com) or Chimaira (chimaira.de). Although you'll have to pay extra for shipping from Germany, Chimaira currently has copies of Switak's book available for a reasonable price, if anyone's interested:

http://www.chimaira.de/gp/product_info. ... untry.html

Image
Tom
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by Tom »

A friend of mine went to PNG... 5 days in, their guide had left them in the forest with no money and no food :lol: I don't mean this in a 'it's too dangerous' way, more in a 'be prepared' way. They didn't plan their trip well.

nephrurus wrote:
Cyrtodactylus novaeguineae

Image
Is it just me or does that gecko morphologically really remind anyone else of Aeluroscalabotes felinus?
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Dusty Rhoads
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by Dusty Rhoads »

Don't know if someone else said this already, but Dr. Chris Austin at LSU should be able to help you.
Harold De Lisle
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Re: PAPUA NEW GUINEA help

Post by Harold De Lisle »

Tom,

Look at the toes. It is definitely a 'bent-toed' gecko.

Compare it with this: http://nsdb.bishopmuseum.org/images/lar ... 063699.jpg
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