each other head to tail.
The final night was filled with rest, relaxation and a few
drinks here and there. After a game of cards one of the
other staff members exclaimed that she was yet to see a
Thick-tailed Gecko (she was literally in the wrong place at
the wrong time on every occasion that we found one) and
wanted to see one before leaving. So we promptly went on
one final hunt for geckos. Unfortunately, no thick-tails
were found, however we did locate a frog skeleton which
was pretty neat. Even better was a Border Beaked Gecko
(Rhynchoedura angusta). These guys are such cool little
geckos, with their tiny ‘beaks’ and appealing patterns, and I
must admit I’m a big fan. Sadly, due to the combination of
a few beers and the impromptu nature of the walk, I didn’t
have a camera on me, so there’s no photo to share. I went to
bed shortly afterwards, to be up early for the drive back to
Sydney. I wish I’d stayed up just a bit longer though, as
about thirty minutes later a Curl Snake went straight past
the students’ accommodation….talk about luck!
The trip home was simply an exercise of driving from point
A to point B, and the only herp
we spotted was a frog that disap-
peared off the road into some
bushes as we were driving
through the back streets of
Dubbo. A special thanks to all
the staff and students on this trip,
they really did a killer job and as
a result it ended up being both
fun and educational for all those
involved. Thanks also to the uni-
versity for giving everyone the
chance to get out there and learn
about arid ecosystems. And a
special mention to Jamie, the
morale-boosting and apple-
stealing resident young Emu on
the station. Finally, I’d recom-
mend to all herp enthusiasts; try
taking a trip out west!
1. The pair of Desert Tree
Frogs (Litoria rubella) were
hanging around next to a water
tank.
2. The final day was enlivened
by the appearance of a group of
processionary caterpillars.
3. Typical latrine site of rock-
dwelling Egernia; the lizards
themselves were nowhere to be
found. Images by Mitch
Hodgson.
4. Fowler’s Gap has a huge
diversity of flora as well as
fauna. Image by Matthew Brun.
3.
4.