Join us in this four episode series as we travel from Sydney to the VHS reptile expo in Melbourne, Australia and back through the NSW Mallee country. In this episode we head out to the Ancient landscapes of Mungo national park and surrounding areas in the search for some Aussie reptiles.
Hope you enjoy!
TESSELATED GECKO
Diplodactylus tessellatus, commonly known as the tessellated gecko, is a small terrestrial lizard found distributed in inland New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia and the north western corner of Victoria. A small gecko varying in colour from grey to rich reddish-brown with a highly variable dorsal pattern. With an average adult length of 9 cm in length, the tessellated gecko has a moderate body a short fleshy tail with enlarged conical scales in rings.
CENTRAL BEARDED DRAGON
The Central Bearded Dragon has a low wide body shape, allowing it to hug surfaces when it is lying down. When walking however it walks with a high gate and can move with considerable speed. The elongated spinous scales around the rear of the lower jaw and lower sides of the body appear very spiky but are actually quite rubbery and only intended to make the lizard appear unappealing to predators. The tail is almost the same length of the head and body. The head is triangular in shape and can appear to have a striped pattern along the jaws. Unlike the Eastern Bearded Dragon which is mostly grey, the Central Bearded Dragon can also be found in a variety of colours, including shades of red, brown and yellow. These colours normally match the colour of soil that occurs in the dragon’s habitat.
BEADED GECKO
The 7 cm long beaded gecko is reddish brown on top, with what looks like chains of beads surrounding the cream pale ridged vertebral strip, thus given the name of beaded gecko. Single lines of pale blotches run down the side of its body with scattered smaller spots covering its dark brown limbs and surrounding body. The tail is a straight continuum of the body and the original tail has continuing patterns from the body down but will reproduce plain brown or spotted darker tails.
SOUTHERN SPINY-TAILED GECKO
Strophurus intermedius is one of the larger species of the geckos found in Australia. It has a grey, patterned body with a pale belly. It acquired its common name, southern spiny-tailed gecko, from the two longitudinal rows of prominent tubercles along the length of its back and tail. These spines are orange-brown in colour and become more prominent towards the tail. This spiny feature acts as a defence mechanism.The mouth has a blue lining. The iris of the eye has a bright orange rim.
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