What happened?

I'm going to put this out as a reader challenge while I do some research myself. I came across this somewhat disturbing spectacle in a local bit of bushland. The spider (which was on a vertical trunk as it happens) appears to be a huntsman which has been/is being consumed by some sort of parasitic fungus. It certainly makes me shudder. Apologies for the photo quality, I only had my happy snap camera with me at the time.

This one's done...

I'd heard about these and seen photos, but last night was the first time I'd seen the Blue Mountains form of the Sydney Crayfish (Euastacus australasiensis)... truly an astonishing colour.

Sydney Crayfish, Euastacus australasiensis

Assorted Simpson desert photos

I mentioned that I've done a bit of volunteer work in the Simpson recently - without further ado, here are a selection of photos. Remember to check out the rest of the album for any photos I've deemed less... publishable!

Varanus gilleni, Pygmy mulga monitor


Nephrurus laevis, Knob-tailed gecko


Ctenophorus nuchalis, Central netted dragon


Morethia ruficauda, Fire-tailed skink


Ctenotus pantherinus, Panther skink


Varanus brevicauda, Short-tailed pygmy monitor - smallest monitor in the world


Ctenophorus isolepis - Military dragon


Rhynchoedura ornata - Beaked Gecko


Ningaui rideii


Varanus gouldii, Gould's sand goanna


Scorpion


Varanus eremius, Spinifex goanna


Mantid


Sand tracks - lizard


Tenebrionid & tracks


Moon and spnifex clump


Moonrise in the Gidgee

Strzelecki Gibber

Spent a bit of time out around Lyndhurst (the start of the Strzelecki track) in South Australia recently. Saw a couple of herps.

Sleepy lizard / Bobtail / Shingleback / Pine-cone lizard (Tiliqua rugosa)



Pebble-mimic dragon, Tympanocryptis sp.



Marbled Gecko, Christinus marmoratus.

Curracabundi

I was recently lucky enough to visit Curracabundi National Park - located out past Gloucester near Nowendoc. The park has been acquired fairly recently, largely for its value as a stronghold for the endangered Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby. I was on a trip studying this species so got to get some great looks at them and spend some time observing and photographing a colony. As always there were lots of other interesting things to see.

N.B. I'm experimenting with a different system of posting images whereby I upload a picasa web album (in this case 17 images) and then embed a selection of the best photos in the blog post itself. Each image you see will link to the photo in the album, from where you can view the rest of the photos. I'm trying this out as a way of making more photos available for viewing - not just the best ones that I want to put in a post. Let me know if you like/dislike/have problems with the system.

Greenhood

Lace Monitor, Varanus varius - this big animal was causing some consternation amongst the rock wallabies.

Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby

Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies with pouch joey

Rock wallabies spend their days on rocky outcrops, often basking in the sun and squabbling over the best positions on the rocks. When evening comes the wallabies venture out from their refugia to feed.

Monkeycot Bluff & Barnard River


Egernia striolata living in the rocky crevices


Tongue Orchid, Dendrobium linguiforme