Wildlife Seen on Your Last Walk?

[wildwanderer]

Echidna - Blue Mtns NP

[ofuros]

Albino frog
Jumped from the bankside vegetation into the creek, frog stroked for a bit then dived & buried itself in the leafy silty bottom...Back Creek, Beechmont, Qld.

[MickyB]

Albino frog

Wow!!! And Kermit thought it wasn't easy being green.
Would have been great to see ofuros.

[ofuros]

Sharp intake of air, mouth open in surprise & my 4yo boy wondered what all the commotion was about ... a very unusual sight to see.

[jeremyw]

Does anyone know what kind of lizard this is?

Stubborn "little" *&%$#! wouldn't get off the track, was about 1.5m long incl tail, somewhere along the cowan to berowra track just north of sydney.

Most lizards I've encountered on my walks have bolted for the bush upon noticing me, this guy was bathing in the sun reluctant to move, once he finally did decide to move on it wasn't off the track and it wasn't fast, had to follow the thing for about 100m before he decided it was worth getting off the track and moseying its way up a hill.

[Neo]

Guessing a Lace Monitor, type of goanna.

[jeremyw]

Ah Yea that does look like it and sounds about right reading Wikipedia. Thanks!

[djm998]

We spotted 2 juvenile brown snakes and a red belly two weekends ago on a Mt Bushwalker to Mt Talaterang Summit (rtn) hike.
First time I've seen three snakes in one day of hiking.
Getting to that time of year I guess!
All three seemed quite content to move along or back away with a bit of noise (albeit slowly).

[ofuros]

Not the greatest of shots, but with Brissy's first rains in months forecast I had to head out for a rainy rainforest walk.
The Giant King Crickets were out in force last night. Big buggers...short hoppers & very clumsy.

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In the darkness there was also blue beasts....Springbrook NP

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[Lamont]

Big fat tiger snake, one metre long trying to nip me. See my post --Snakes- they're back! Were they ever gone? in this sub.

[highercountry]

One metre isn't a big tiger.
Two metres is.
A fat one's as thick as my arm at the elbow joint.
Spotted this season's first snake 2 days ago, a copperhead on swampy ground beside the Gippsland Lakes. The same place a few years ago I spotted the biggest tiger I've ever seen, at easily 2 metres, probably slightly longer.
I grew up In Swifts Creek (Vic Alps foothills) where there are heaps of Eastern browns, amongst others. One spring, early summer we had near plague levels of rats. I sighted a Brown close to eight feet long but more interestingly it had 3 distinct rat sized bulges running down the length of it's belly. So well fed he could barely move.

A 6 foot+ Red belly on the East Gippsland Rail Trail. A beautiful creature. He matched the high gloss carbon fibre finish on my pushbike.
The photo doesn't really do justice to his graceful movement and sheen and vivid red colouration.
I approach all snakes with respect, awe, curiosity and admittedly a tinge of initial alarm and fear.

[ribuck]

Back in 2014 I was having lunch at the top of Tarros Ladder (Blue Mountains) when this lizard came right up to me. This was during a dry spell, so the lizard might have been attracted by my water bottle.

It pottered around while I was eating my lunch, then when I wasn't looking it bit my toe hard (I was wearing sandals). Instinctively I kicked my foot out, and the lizard flew through the air, landing a few metres away. It came back straight away, though not quite so close. I didn't stop watching it this time.

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[redrock]

Wow, some great snaps in this thread!

This article popped up today with some interesting pictures: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-12/kangaroo-in-creek-in-stand-off-with-bushwalker-and-dog/9040762

Anyone ever seen/heard of kangaroo encounters in the water like this?

[Mark F]

I have read old accounts of a tactic used by kangaroos to defend themselves from dogs. They would go into a waterbody and when the dogs swam out to attack the kangaroo would grab the dog in their front paws and disembowl the dog with a kick of the lower legs. You see this tactic in video of male kangaroos fighting. The water enables the kangaroo to balance better with its tail and makes the dog(s) less agile.

[Neo]

Double wow!

[sambar358]

Had a very similar experience with a large buck grey 'roo and a farmers dog a few weeks ago.....I was camping on a property near the river doing some sambar hunting and the farmers red cattle dog came down to say hello and then proceeded to do a sneak on a large male grey 'roo that was sunning itself on the nearby hill. The 'roo noticed the dog & went straight to the river going into a pool about waist deep and gave the old "come closer" invitation to the dog with his muscular and well-clawed front legs. This dog was pretty 'roo savvy and just stood off on the bank barking at it but I went over anyway and called the dog off and a few minutes later the 'roo left the river and returned to his sunny spot on the hill.

'Roos will often bail in water if threatened as they then have the advantage over a dog that has to swim out to confront them.....never heard or seen them kicking at a dog when bailed in water and from what I've seen the usual tactic is to grab the dog and hold it under drowning it or ripping it with the large claws on their front legs. If bailed or threatened on land however 'roos will certainly entice the threat close and then rock-back on the tail and lash-out with their rear legs which are armed with some pretty long and sharp claws.....grabbing the threat in a strong 'roo-hug and kicking with the hind legs while clawing with the fronts is also a pretty common tactic. I think it's always wise to be a bit wary around 'roos especially ones that are used to human presence or 'roos that get a free feed from people now and again. Wild 'roos are always very wary of people.....camp-ground 'roos not so much and they'd be the ones never to turn your back on or get too close to. Cheers

s358

[rcaffin]

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Cunninghams Skink, track to Taffys Rock, off GNW. He wanted a handout.

Cheers

[Neo]

Like button

[puredingo]

Yep, the water tactic employed by the threatened Roo is about drowning the dog rather than disembowellment. Being the roo can keep his feet on the ground while the dog has to errr...dog paddle...the Roo gets hold and leans on the dog till death or at least it loses interest.

[Luc-Porter]

I know they're pretty common but still cool when you get to see them.

[michael_p]

Happily sunning itself on a rock today in Heathcote NP.

Also today, I had my second snake encounter within the last month. They really are out and about.

[ofuros]

Introduced wildlife...a glimpse of a reclusive red fox on my walk last night.

[rcaffin]

We negotiated a truce.

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Brown snake, Kowmung R

Cheers
Roger

[jmac]

Startled this bloke a bit, but he was just chilling.

[michael_p]

That's not a Yabby...THIS IS A YABBY.

This one was walking across a large rock shelf on OHares Ck in Dharawal NP.

[Chunder fuzz]

Python...I think.


Big yabby...poor photo.



Both in Blue Mountains NP

[Orion]

banana slug

[ofuros]

Cacophony of Cicadas...Koreelah NP, S.E. Qld...this morning.
I had to put a couple of jelly beans in my ears to muffle their noise ....boy they were loud !

Love cicada nicknames...Double drummer, Cherrynose whiskey drinker, Razor grinder, Redeye, Black prince,
Yellow monday. Greengrocer etc etc...Think these were Razor Grinders, but always up for more schooling if I'm wrong.

[Neo]

Saw a gang gang cockatoo for the first time. Was feasting on wattle seeds at Hartley Reserve, highway end of Jenolan Caves Rd.

[Neo]

Saw a gang gang cockatoo for the first time. Was feasting on wattle seeds at Hartley Reserve, highway end of Jenolan Caves Rd.