Wildlife
Reptiles and Frogs
Boyd's Forest Dragon Hypsilurus boydii
Boyd's Forest Dragon is restricted to the wet tropics region of north eastern Queensland. It is a diurnal, arboreal lizard confined to areas of tropical rainforest where it is well camouflaged.
The diet is mainly insects which it will catch in the trees or jump to the ground and take. While on the ground it will stand on the back legs and run, like a frilled lizard.
Eggs are laid in a hole dug into the ground on the rainforest floor.
Boyd's Forest Dragon is seen often on tour 1, occasionally on tour 2, and regularly on tour 3.
Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko Phyllurus cornutus
Endemic to Australia the Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko has three distinct populations down the east coast of the continent where it inhabits rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest.
This incredible looking gecko is as large as any other species in Australia with some individuals attaining an overall length of 25 cm. It is a tree-dwelling nocturnal animal of sluggish movements that relies very much on its remarkable cryptic appearance to avoid predators.
Females lay two soft shelled eggs.
The Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko is seen regularly on tour 1 and occasionally on tour 2.
Amethystine Python Morelia amethistina
The Amethystine Python is found in tropical rainforest, scrubby vine forest, and savannah woodland in north eastern Queensland and the New Guinea lowlands.
This non venomous constrictor grows to an average length of three and a half metres with the largest recorded at eight and a half metres. It is the top predator in its environment and will prey upon a large range of mammals including fruit bats, possums, rats, wallabies, tree kangaroos; and will also eat ground living birds such as the brush turkey.
Females lay between 10 to 20 eggs, about which they coil themselves to keep them warm and protect them. At hatching the young snakes measure between 45 and 60 cm.
The Amethystine Python is seen regularly on tours 1 and 2, and occasionally on tour 3.
Orange–thighed Tree Frog Litoria xanthomera
The Orange-thighed Tree Frog is found in rainforests and the edges of wet eucalypt forests in tropical north east Queensland.
Strictly nocturnal, it can be located by its loud mating calls during the summer breeding season when males form large noisy choruses.
This species is seen regularly on tours 1 and 2 during the warmer wetter months.
Northern Barred Frog Mixophyes shevilli
The Northern Barred Frog is restricted to rainforests in the wet tropics of north east Queensland.
This is a large ground living species which is nocturnal and eats insects. The tadpoles are particularly large and are often seen in small rainforest streams.
The species is located by its loud distinctive ‘Warrp’ call, or its dull eye shine in the spotlight.
The Northern Barred Frog is seen regularly on tours 1 and 2.
Common Nursery Frog Cophixalus ornatus
The Common Nursery Frog is restricted to upland rainforest in the wet tropics of north east Queensland.
This tiny species is only 25mm long and extremely hard to see when sheltering on the ground or in leaf litter. Fortunately it has a loud call for its size and tends to call from vegetation rarely higher than 2m above ground.
The common Nursery Frog is seen occasionally on tours 1 and 2.
