About Reptiles
Australia is world renowned for its rich and diverse reptile fauna. Queensland has the greatest number of species of any State or Territory; with 107 snakes, 248 lizards, 17 turtles & tortoises and 2 crocodiles.
Within Queensland the Wet Tropics region is a hot spot of diversity due to the variety of habitats and year round temperatures conducive to reptile activity. Forty three snake species, approximately one third of Australia's snake fauna, are found in the region.
These range from scrub pythons in excess of 5 metres to tiny burrowing blind snakes less than 15 cm in length. As throughout Australia the family Elapidae, (Cobras and allies), dominate the snake fauna, including some of the worlds most venomous snakes such as the Taipan, Eastern Brown Snake, Mulga Snake and Death Adder.
Snakes are very secretive animals and even people actively seeking to observe them will only detect a small percentage of individuals living in an area. Many residents are blissfully unaware that the roof space of their house is home for several snakes. Many species are nocturnal, particularly in rainforest and normally diurnal species may become crepuscular or nocturnal during the warmer months.
Australia has been called the land of the lizard and there is a suite of species for most habitats. These may range from 2 metre long monitors to tiny skinks living in rainforest leaf litter. The family Scincidae dominates the fauna with a wide variety of size, body form and habits. The family Gekkonidae is also well represented. Most houses in the region will have a compliment of Geckos living both outside and inside the building. Unfortunately many of these are now the introduced Asian House Gecko that is displacing native species.
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| Scrub Python (Morelia kinghorni) |
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Scrub Python (Morelia kinghorni)
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Scrub Python (Morelia kinghorni)
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Jungle Carpet Python Daintree Morph
(Morelia spilota cheynei) |
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| Black Headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus) |
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| Black Headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus) |
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| Water Python (Liasis mackloti) |
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| Spotted Python (Antaresia muculosa) |
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| Spotted Python (Antaresia muculosa) |
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| Spotted Python (Antaresia muculosa) |
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Spotted Python (Antaresia maculosa)
Neonate Feeding (C) |
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Red Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphoriacus)
eating Major Skink (Bellatorias frerei) |
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| Red Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphoriacus) |
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| Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) |
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| Northern Death adder (Acanthophis praelongus) |
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| Small Eyed Snake (Cryptophis nigrescens) |
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| Northern Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis calligastra) |
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| Common Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulata) |
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| Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis) |
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| Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis) |
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| Keelback (Tropidonophis mairii) |
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| Keelback (Tropidonophis mairii) |
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Slaty Grey Snake (Stegonotus cucullatus)
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| Slaty Grey Snake (Stegonotus cucullatus) |
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| Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) |
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| Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) |
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| Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) |
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| Spotted Tree Monitor (Varanus scalaris) |
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| Merten's Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi) (C) |
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| Sand Monitor (Varanus gouldii) (Juv) |
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Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii)
Male breeding colour |
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Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii)
Male breeding colour |
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Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii)
Non breeding |
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| Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) Juv |
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Boyd's Forest Dragon
(Hypsilurus boydii) |
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Boyd's Forest Dragon
(Hypsilurus boydii) |
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Boyd's Forest Dragon
(Hypsilurus boydii) |
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Frill Necked Lizard
(Clamydosaurus kingii) |
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Frill Necked Lizard
(Clamydosaurus kingii) |
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| Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata) |
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| Rainbow Skink (Carlia rostralis) Breeding male |
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| Rainbow Skink (Carlia longipes) Female |
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Rainbow Skink (Carlia longipes)
Breeding Male
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Rainbow Skink (Carlia longipes)
Non-breeding Male |
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| Rainbow Skink (Carlia munda) |
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| (Eulamprus tenuis) |
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| Pink-tongued Skink (Cyclodomorphus gerrardii) |
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| Pink-tongued Skink (Cyclodomorphus gerrardii) |
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| Major Skink (Bellatorias frerei) |
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| Northern Red Throated Skink (Carlia rubrigularis) |
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Snake-eyed Skink
(Cryptoblepharus virgatus) |
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| Shade Skink (Saproscincus basiliscus) |
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| Litter Skink (Lygisaurus zuma) |
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Yellow Blotched Forest Skink (Eulamprus tigrinus)
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| Two-lined Dragon (Diporiphora bilineata) |
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| Two-lined Dragon (Diporiphora bilineata) |
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| Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) |
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Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni)
Barron River Kuranda |
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| Freshwater Crocodile (crocodylus johnstoni) (C) |
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Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
Open sea location |
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| Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) Male |
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| Saltwater Crocodile taking a Swamp Hen |
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| Swallowing the Swamp Hen |
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Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porous)
(Female) |
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Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
(Large female) |
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| Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) |
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Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
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| Krefft's River Turtle (Emydura krefftii) |
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Saw-Shelled Turtle (Elseya latisternum)
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