Ellura Sanctuary, Swan Reach, SA, 5354
                      
A gr8 pictorial reptile key - http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/research/biological-sciences/reptiles-and-amphibians/south-australian-reptile-keys
Stat'
Notes
Thumbnails: 255.   40 native species (0 introduced) listed, with 20 natives (0 introduced) from Ellura
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Dragon (Agamidae); 7 species, 4 from Ellura
Swift Rock Dragon
Ctenophorus modestus


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Other Common NameNorthern Tawny Dragon

Thank you Asimakis Patitsas for confirming the id of this species for us

These were called Tawny Crevice-dragon (Ctenophorus decresii), but that species has now been split in 2.
We suspect the one photographed here is a gravid female.
Imaged 2 in Nov
🔍Female?, profile
Painted Dragon
Ctenophorus pictus


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Thank you Reiner Richter, Ralph Foster, Mark Hura, Asimakis Patitsas, Stephen Mahony, Scott Eipper & Petra Hanke for confirming the id of this species for us

Painted dragons are a beautifully coloured, small, dragon lizard native to Australia.
Females are plain brown coloured.
Males come in 4 colour morphs: Blue, Orange, Red & Yellow colours. All male morphs have blue belly & legs. The Blue morphs have a blue throat with white / brown cheeks like females.
Imaged 41(12M,8F) in Jan(7:1M), Feb(6:1M,2F), Mar(3), Apr(7:2M,3F), May(1), Aug(1M), Sep(10:5M,2F), Oct(3:2M), Nov(2:1F) & Dec(1)
Video:
Painted Dragon feet off the hot ground (14Mb)
Painted Dragon hunting ants (10Mb)
Clearly dinner has to be small because this little dragon wasn't interested in eating the ant climbing on it (8Mb)
For years I have tried showing hour camouflaged animals are with photo's and it just doesn't work. Marie has now succeeded with video (4Mb)
A clip showing the motion of a painted dragon as it captures it's prey. (5Mb)
A clip showing the motion of a painted dragon as it captures it's prey. (21Mb)
A clip showing the motion of a painted dragon as it scratches (We think it has a tick near it's eye). (6Mb)
Amazing how close I got to a Painted Dragon (6Mb)
Juvenile Whole
Juvenile Head
Juvenile Back
Female
Orange Morph, Male, Profile
Yellow Morph, Male, Front
Yellow Morph, Male Back
🔍Yellow Morph, Male Head
🔍Blue Morph, Male, Front
🔍Blue Morph, Male, Profile
Blue Morph, Male, Tail Raised
🔍Blue Morph, Male, Poser
Triodia Dragon
Ctenophorus spinodomus


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Other Common NameEastern Mallee Dragon

Thank you Ralph Foster for confirming the id of this species for us

A little dragon at only ~40mm snout to vent length. They measure reptiles this way because so many loose their tails and total length doesn't really describe them as accurately.
Quite similar to our Nobbi's until you take a closer look

These were split out from C. fordi in 2019 and prefer Triodia habitat. We don't have any triodia on Ellura, so a bit surprised to find one.
They are very hard to differentiate visually. Trying to get a photo of the throat/chest helps with id. A lack of black horizontal bar indicates C. spinodomus.
Imaged 9 in Sep(3) & Oct(6)
🔍Full length
🔍Profile
Dorsal
Red-barred Crevice Dragon
Ctenophorus vadnappa


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Thank you Asimakis Patitsas for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 1M in Oct
🔍Male, dorsal
Nobbi Dragon
Diporiphora nobbi


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SynonymAmphibolurus nobbi

Other Common NamesNobbi Lashtail or Nobbi Lizard

Thank you Asimakis Patitsas, Stephen Mahony & Scott Eipper for confirming the id of this species for us

Grey, sometimes with a pale brown star pattern around the eye. This varies with the angle of light.
2 silver grey stripes down the back, which can be solid or with diamond breaks or non-existant.
Large rear legs (almost frog like) with very long toes.
Jacky Lizards (Amphibolurus muricatus) are hard to tell from Nobbi Lizards, but we don't get Jacky's in our area.
We've just discovered a species we do get in the area that is *very* similar, a Mallee Tree Dragon (Amphibolurus norrisi); these have yellow mouths but don't have coloured males. As such, we can be sure our males in breeding colours are D. nobbi; but not so sure if the others are D. nobbi or A. norrisi.
The SA Museum's "Key to the Dragons of South Australia" talks about Nobbi's having 3 or 5 "keel" lines. You can see them clearly in the photo's of the gravid females shown here; they are 5 lines of scales with longitudinal vertical projections.
We recognise the gravid females by the bulging abdomen just forward of the rear legs.
Males in breeding colours have yellow around the eye, 2 yellow dorsal stripes, a pinkish tail and red under-abdomen.
Asimakis said "D. nobbi can appear superficially similar to A. norrisi, but the head is much more elongated and depressed in the latter, and the scalation is quite different overall. Subtle, but different. these two dragons have very interesting distributions in Southern SA." He indicated they are very rare on the western side of the Murray Valley, between the river and the MLR.
Imaged 18(5M,4F,2J) in Jan(3:2F,1J), Feb(1), Mar(3:1J), Jun(1), Aug(1), Oct(7:4M,1F), Nov(1F) & Dec(1M)
S3, Juvenile, back
S3, Juvenile, with Tick
S1, Adult, Head
🔍S1, Adult, Back Patterns
Female, Full Back
S2, Female, Back Scales
S2, Female, Eye & Ear
S2, Female, Profile
🔍S2, Female, with Shadows
🔍S2, Female, Flash Fill
S7, Male, Breeding Colours
S8, Male, Breeding Colours
S8, Male, Breeding Colours, close up
Eastern Bearded Dragon
Pogona barbata


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Similar Species: Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
Thank you Ralph Foster for confirming the id of this species for us

These are very difficult to distinguish with the Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps).
These have a curved spine line (behind the head) and many flank spines (not just one or 2 rows). One of the difficulties is that the skin has folds in the side. They can blow themselves up to look larger, or sitting normally the folds of skin bring the flank spines closer together.
They are very variable in size, colour and attributes. We think the majority of these variations are due to age, environment & health. Suspecting the larger, more colourful specimens being older; and the smaller, grey ones being younger.
Another indicator is that P barbata have yellow mouths, while P vitticeps have pink.
Matt Campbell said Eastern Bearded Dragons have "Irregular rows of spines along the side."
Asimakis Patitsas also said of Eastern; "the base of the tail has rings of enlarged scales"
Imaged 6 in Mar(1), Aug(2), Oct(1) & Nov(2)
Video:
Eastern Bearded Dragon, slinking away. Notice the head looks like a stump in the ground while it's scanning the area (11Mb)
🔍Arrived under the trailer
🔍"Oh they can see me"
🔍"They can't see me now"
Central Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps


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Similar Species: Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata)
Thank you Darren Schmitke for identifying this species for us

Imaged 5 in Mar(1), Apr(1), Sep(2) & Oct(1)
Head
Dorsal
🔍Head
Dorsal
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Venomous snake (Elapidae); 3 species, 1 from Ellura
Australia Coral Snake
Brachyurophis australis


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Thank you Prakrit Jain for confirming the id of this species for us

Two of these were found on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
A small beautiful snake with 2 black patches on it's head & neck. Specimen 2 was ~260mm long (full length as we aren't sure where the vent is, we weren't able get ventral shots). The dorsal area is covered with large red patches, of varying widths, separated by white & black diamonds. This gives it a very striped appearance.
They have a curious snout, like a curved up lip.
Shown here is the 1st specimen at the point of release. The 2nd specimen was covered in sand which hid the patterns, but we managed to get the shape of the stout in one shot.
Imaged 2 in Oct
S1, dorsal, moment of release
🔍S1, profile
S2, Head & Snout
Yellow-faced Whip Snake
Demansia psammophis


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Thank you David Muirhead for confirming the id of this species for us

One of these was found on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
The black teardrop and pale/yellow highlights is quite unique.
Imaged 1 in Oct
🔍Face
🔍Dorsal
Eastern Brown Snake
Pseudonaja textilis


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Thank you Connor Margetts for identifying and Matt Campbell, Ralph Foster, Mark Hura, Asimakis Patitsas, James Nankivell, Adam Brice & Michael Jacobi for confirming the id of this species for us

S6 shows an Eastern Brown Snake, eating an Eastern Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa ssp aspera). This sequence was taken over 35 minutes. The shingleback was a very small one.
We estimate the snake was about 1.5m long.
We were surprised it seemed to be using a python like mechanism to kill it's prey. Guessing the shingleback skin was too hard for it's fangs to penetrate?
We believe this will sustain the snake for over a month.
Imaged 6(1J) in Jan(1), Sep(2), Oct(2:1J) & Dec(1)
S1, Juvenile, head
S1, Juvenile
S2, Adult, head
🔍S6, Adult, Killing Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Killing Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Eating Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Eating Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Swallowing Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Swallowing Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Swallowing Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Swallowing Shingleback
🔍S6, Adult, Finished Feeding
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Gecko (Gekkota: Carphodactylidae); 1 species from Ellura
Barking Gecko
Underwoodisaurus milii


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SynonymNephrurus milii

Other Common NameThick-Tailed Gecko

Thank you Stephen Mahony & Yingyod Lapwong for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 15(2M,2F) in Jan(2), Feb(3:1M,1F), Mar(3:1M,1F), Apr(1), May(2), Jul(1), Sep(2) & Oct(1)
Profile
🔍Head, profile
Head, above
Perspective
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Gecko (Gekkota: Diplodactylidae); 3 species, none from Ellura
Ranges Stone Gecko
Diplodactylus furcosus


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Thank you David Muirhead & Bruce Edley for confirming the id of this species for us

A couple of these were found on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
Easily confused with other Diplodactylus gecko's, having a variable wavy stripe on it's back, breaking up on the tail.
The two we found ranged between ~50mm to ~60mm SVL.
Imaged 2 in Oct
🔍Dorsal
🔍Profile
🔍Head
Beaded Gecko
Lucasium damaeum


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Thank you David Muirhead for confirming the id of this species for us

A few of these were found on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
Quite unique in their patterning, two specimens here show the difference between the original tail & a regrown one.
They have a very large "eyebrow" which generally looks yellow.
The three we found ranged between ~35mm to ~50mm SVL.
Imaged 3 in Oct
S2, dorsal, Original Tail
S3, dorsal, Regrown Tail
S3, iso-view
🔍S3, profile
S3, Head
S3, "Eyebrow"
S1, ventral
Eastern Spiny-tailed Gecko
Strophurus williamsi


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Thank you Antoni Camozzato & Bruce Edley for confirming the id of this species for us

We found one of these on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
An amazing eye pattern with knobs on it's tail; not really spines. The spines are in 2 rows of two that extend up to the front legs, becoming irregularly spaced. Overall a dusty grey colour.
~55mm SVL.
Imaged 1 in Oct
🔍Dorsal
🔍Profile
🔍Eye
🔍Tail
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Gecko (Gekkota: Gekkonidae); 3 species from Ellura
Southern Marbled Gecko
Christinus marmoratus


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Thank you Yingyod Lapwong for confirming the id of this species for us

Of the 4 we measured, they ranged in size from ~22mm to 50mm SVL (Snout to Vent Length).
Feet are important diagnostics with geckos. So if you find one and photograph it, try to get a shot of it's toes. Even better try and get it on glass/clear plastic so you can get the underneath of toes & feet.
Be very careful if you handle them though, a high proportion are infected with Salmonella.
Plus they drop their tails very easily, which is an important energy store for lean times.
Many specimens of this species have a row of diamond marks running down their tails; we suspect these disipate with age but haven't found any documentation related to them. We have found a gravid female with the marks so it's not just a juvenile trait.
If you google these there is plenty of discussion about how they store calcium, visibule lumps, near their throat for egg production.
They often have blue hues to their skin tone.
With skinks, it's important to count the number of toes they have on both their front & back legs. Both sides too, as sometimes they loose toes, which is not obvious.
However, all geckos have 5 toes & 'fingers'. But they have very different shaped toes, these have suction pads allowing them to climb slipery surfaces such as wet rocks & pebbles. As such, they can be found climbing glass.
Louise Merigot researched their life span. Advice varies, but between 5 & 12 years in captivity. That's a long time. Generally in the wild you'd expect that to be shorter, perhaps at the 5 years end. Still quite a surprise.
Imaged 10(1J) in Jan(1), Mar(4), Apr(3), May(1) & Jul(1J)
S1, dorsal
🔍S2, dorsal
S3, dorsal
S4, dorsal
S5, dorsal, on glass
S6, dorsal, Pupil open
S6, dorsal, Pupil narrowed
S4, profile
🔍S3, Foot
S3, Foot
🔍S3, Foot
S4, Foot
S4, Toes
S3, Eye
S3, Head
S4, Calcium Bulges
S4, 'Just hanin'
S4, released
S6, ventral
Southern Rock Dtella
Gehyra lazelli


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Thank you Yingyod Lapwong for confirming the id of this species for us

Notice the unusual toes for Gehyra.
They appear to have suction pads AND still one claw in the middle of each toe.
Only 4 toes, of 5, have a claw (on each foot)
Imaged 12 in Mar(1), Apr(1), Jul(2), Sep(2), Nov(5) & Dec(1)
🔍Dorsal
Head
Toe, ventral
Dorsal
🔍Profile
Head, dorsal
🔍Head, profile
Rear Toes
Bynoe's Gecko
Heteronotia binoei


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Thank you Matt Campbell & Yingyod Lapwong for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 4 in Jun(1), Sep(2) & Oct(1)
Dorsal
🔍Head
Back
Tail
Tail Texture
Front Foot
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Flap-footed Lizard (Pygopodidae); 1 species from Ellura
Burton's Legless Lizard
Lialis burtonis


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Other Common NameBurton's Snake-lizard

Thank you Ralph Foster, Stephen Mahony & Yingyod Lapwong for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 2 in Sep(1) & Oct(1)
🔍Head
🔍Dorsal
Tongue
🔍Back
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Python (Pythonidae); 1 species, none from Ellura
Inland Carpet Snake
Morelia spilota ssp metcalfei


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Thank you Mark Hura for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 1 in Mar
Defensive
Head
Body
Tail
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Skink (Scincidae); 17 species, 8 from Ellura
Speckled Wall Skink
Cryptoblepharus pannosus


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SynonymCryptoblepharus carnabyi

Other Common NameRagged snake-eyed skink

Similar Species: Mallee Snake-eyed Skink (Morethia obscura)
Thank you David Armstrong for identifying and Asimakis Patitsas, Stephen Mahony & Tony and Jenny Dominelli for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 5 in Mar(1), May(1), Aug(1) & Sep(2)
S3, dorsal
🔍S5, dorsal
S1, profile
🔍S5, profile
S3, Legs & Toes
🔍S3, Head, profile
S3, Head, above
S3, Head, anterior
S4, Coming out of hiding
Short-clawed Skink
Ctenotus inornatus


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SynonymCtenotus brachyonyx

Other Common NameBrown Ctenotus

Thank you David Muirhead for confirming the id of this species for us

We found one of these on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
The least striped Ctenotus in the area. 5 fingers & 5 toes, with a yellow belly.
Imaged 1 in Oct
Dorsal
🔍Profile
🔍Anterior
Head
Yellow Belly
Eastern Spotted Ctenotus
Ctenotus orientalis


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Similar Species: Eastern Desert Ctenotus (Ctenotus regius)
Thank you Dr Mark Hutchinson & Stephen Mahony for confirming the id of this species for us

Extremely fast. Very hard to see, let alone photograph.
The name "orientalis" doesn't refer to Asia as is commonly thought, but "of the East" as in "Eastern".
Imaged 14(1J) in Feb(4:1J), Apr(2), May(1), Sep(2) & Oct(5)
Video:
Moving (6Mb)
Hunting for insects. (18Mb)
Front
Profile
Back
Head
On the Move
Oops
Eastern Desert Ctenotus
Ctenotus regius


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Similar Species: Eastern Spotted Ctenotus (Ctenotus orientalis)
Thank you Stephen Mahony, Tony and Jenny Dominelli & Bruce Edley for confirming the id of this species for us

We found a number of these on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
5 fingers & 5 very long toes.
Very similar to the Eastern Spotted Ctenotus we find here at Ellura. The main difference is the solid line between the eye & the front shoulder seen here, missing on C. orientalis.
There are a couple of specimens depicted here, we suspect S3 is an adult (~65mm SVL & less colourful) & S2 is a juvenile (less spotty). Unfortunately we didn't measure the size of S2.
Imaged 4(1J) in Sep(1) & Oct(3:1J)
🔍S3, dorsal
🔍S2, dorsal
🔍S3, profile
🔍S2, profile
S3, Stripe
🔍S3, Head
Sandplain Ctenotus
Ctenotus schomburgkii


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Thank you Stephen Fricker for confirming the id of this species for us

We found many of these on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
Very orange stripes and spots. 5 fingers & 5 very long toes, with a white belly.
Imaged 6 in Oct
🔍Dorsal
Profile
Body close up
🔍Head
Tree Skink
Egernia striolata


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Thank you Asimakis Patitsas & David Muirhead for confirming the id of this species for us

One of these was found on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
A large, robust skink with subtle patterns.
5 fingers & 5 toes
Imaged 6(1M,1F) in Sep(4:1M,1F), Oct(1) & Nov(1)
🔍Dorsal
🔍Profile
🔍Profile
🔍Profile, close
Head
🔍Anterior
Posterior
🔍Pair, back
🔍Pair, side
Broad-banded Sand-swimmer
Eremiascincus richardsonii


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Thank you David Muirhead for confirming the id of this species for us

We found a number of these on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
They have quite a bit of yellow around the mouth.
The main specimen here lost it's tail at some point, with the 2nd one showing an original tail.
5 fingers & 5 toes
Imaged 3 in Oct(2) & Nov(1)
🔍S1, dorsal
🔍S1, profile
S1, anterior
S1, Head
S2, Original Tail
Mainland Three-toed Earless Skink
Hemiergis decresiensis ssp continentis


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Other Common NameSouthern Three-toed Earless Skink

Thank you John Fowler, Dr Mark Hutchinson & Patrick Campbell for identifying and Asimakis Patitsas & Stephen Mahony for confirming the id of this species for us

John, & independantly Mark, identified S1 here, which we thought was Dwarf Three-toed Slider (Lerista timida). We had already worked out that S2 was Hemiergis decresiensis.
Mark said "Clearly shows the big eyes and snub nose that distinguish Hemiergis from Lerista."
Patrick then narrowed even further to sub-species.
Imaged 8 in Mar(1), Jul(1), Aug(1), Sep(2), Oct(2) & Nov(1)
S1, dorsal
S2, dorsal
S1, Head
S2, Head
S1, Back
S2, Front Leg
S1, Front Foot
S1, Back Legs
S2, Back Legs
Four-toed Earless Skink
Hemiergis peronii


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Other Common NameLowlands Earless Skink

Thank you Asimakis Patitsas for confirming the id of this species for us

Notice the 4 toes & 4 fingers; which are all quite short.
Imaged 2 in Jun
S1, dorsal
🔍S2, dorsal
🔍S2, dorsal, curled up
🔍S2, profile
S1, 4 Short Toes & Fingers
🔍S2, 4 Short Toes & Fingers
🔍S2, Head Scales
🔍S2, Black Eye
🔍S2, Ear Depression
🔍S2, Body Patterns
S2, Rear Foot
🔍S2, ventral
Copperhead Skink
Lampropholis guichenoti


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Other Common NamesGarden Skink or Pale-flecked Garden Sunskink

Thank you Matt Campbell for identifying and Asimakis Patitsas & Stephen Mahony for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 8(1F,1J) in Jan(2), Feb(2:1F), Mar(1), Apr(1), Nov(1J) & Dec(1)
Spotted Slider
Lerista punctatovittata


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Other Common NameEastern Robust Slider

Thank you Matt Campbell, Max Tibby & Tony and Jenny Dominelli for confirming the id of this species for us

A couple of these were found on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
Specimen 1 had an amputated toe and was ~85mm SVL.
S3 was found on Ellura.
As you can see in the photo's, these have very reduced legs and look like snakes when sliding along.
1 finger & 2 toes.
The body has an indent that the front legs fit into when digging thru sand.
Imaged 3 in Jan(1) & Oct(2)
🔍S1, dorsal
🔍S2, dorsal
🔍S3, dorsal
🔍S2, Head
🔍S3, Head, profile
🔍S3, Head, dorsal
S1, Rear Legs
S1, Front Leg
🔍S3, Front Leg
🔍S1, ventral
🔍S3, ventral
Desert Skink
Liopholis inornata


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Thank you Bruce Edley for confirming the id of this species for us

One of these was found on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
It was ~75mm SVL
Notice the eye's pupil is more square/diamond shaped rather than perfectly round.
With the eye-lid it'd be easily confused with the more southern located White's Skink (Liopholis whitii). 5 fingers & 5 toes.
Imaged 1 in Oct
🔍Dorsal
🔍Profile
Eye Shape
Dwarf Skink
Menetia greyii


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Thank you Matt Campbell & Graham Armstrong for confirming the id of this species for us

~35mm snout to vent length. 4 fingers and 5 toes. Like most skinks, they are variable. The one we found was dark coppery brown above with a dark stripe down each side and pale underneath. The ears opening are minute, hence appears to be earless.
Imaged 4(1J) in Feb(1J) & Oct(3)
Whole
Body
Profile
Ventral
South-eastern Morethia Skink
Morethia boulengeri


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Other Common NamesBoulenger's Skink, Common Snake-eye or Firetail Skink

Thank you Stephen Fricker, Stephen Mahony & Tony and Jenny Dominelli for confirming the id of this species for us

The 1st specimen we found was small at ~44mm SVL. Weighting ~1.6gm
The eybrow shot shows the single supraciliary scales interlocking; as opposed to 2 for M. obscura.
With S2 & S3 you can see the strong red throat colour of the male in breeding colours.
Imaged 3(2M) in Sep
🔍S1, dorsal
🔍S2, Male, dorsal
🔍S1, profile
🔍S3, Male, profile
🔍S1, Eyebrow
🔍S1, Head Scales
🔍S1, ventral
Mallee Snake-eyed Skink
Morethia obscura


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Similar Species: Speckled Wall Skink (Cryptoblepharus pannosus)
Thank you Stephen Fricker & Stephen Mahony for confirming the id of this species for us

We haven't managed to catch any yet, so don't have an measurments
We can see two supraciliary scales interlocking; as opposed to 1 for M. boulengeri
Stephen Mahony said "The supraciliaries are certainly right for M. obscura."
Imaged 8(2M) in Jan(2), Apr(2), Oct(2:1M), Nov(1) & Dec(1M)
Video:
Going through some leaf litter - it's on the left. (6Mb)
Head
Back Pattern
Ventral
Climbing
Full Length
🔍Profile
Copper Colour
🔍Male in Breeding Colours
Eastern Shingleback
Tiliqua rugosa ssp aspera


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Other Common NamesStumpy, bobtail or sleepy.

Thank you Antoni Camozzato, Alan Melville, Geoffrey Cox & Michele Chiacchio for confirming the id of this species for us

Very variable in colour. Also called "stumpy" due to its short fat tail, or "Sleepy" cause they are often seen sleeping on roads, but they can move pretty quickly!
If they feel threatened they will gape their mouth at you to bite and keep turning to face you if you circle them.
Antoni highlighted to us that this is the only sub-species in SA, the other three being found in WA.
Wendy Hayward said "Females have an arrow shaped head, males broader all over. Larger size head to body too. They mate for life but only come together for breeding season."
Imaged 31(2J) in Jan(2), Mar(2:1J), May(1), Aug(4), Sep(5), Oct(11:1J), Nov(3) & Dec(3)
Back, Brown
Profile, Big, Black & Yellow
Head
Mating
🔍Blue Tongue Pink Mouth
Eastern Blue-tongue
Tiliqua scincoides ssp scincoides


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Other Common NamesCommon Blue-tongue or Eastern Bluetongue

Thank you Mark Hura & (JudeBirder) for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 3 in Oct
🔍Profile
🔍Face
🔍Rear Leg
Head, above, showing tongue
Body & Front Leg
Tail & Back Leg
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Blind Snake (Typhlopidae); 2 species, 1 from Ellura
Southern Blind Snake
Anilios bicolor


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SynonymRamphotyphlops bicolor

Other Common NameDark-Spined Blind Snake

Thank you Bruce Edley for confirming the id of this species for us

Daren found one of these at night on an expedition North of here, with a team of people helping with id's.
He came knocking at the caravan door looking for a container to put it in to identify it.
We weren't using a camera flash on this expidition, so got a strong light out to get some clear photo's. But it clearly agittated the snake, so didn't persist.
While much darker (ie black) than the reddish A. bituberculatus specimens we've seen, we have seen reddish A. bicolor photo's on-line, as such, this colour variation is not diagnostic.
The spine was very obvious and it seemed to try and bury it in a finger, which felt scratchy.
Shorter than the A. bituberculatus we've found at ~200mm long, making it look quite stubby/fat.
Imaged 1 in Oct
Dorsal
Profile
Snout
Scales
Ventral; Spine
Rough-nosed Blind Snake
Anilios bituberculatus


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SynonymRamphotyphlops

Other Common NameProng-snouted Blind Snake

Thank you Stephen Mahony, James Nankivell & Tony and Jenny Dominelli for confirming and Darren Schmitke for helping with the id of this species for us

We've now found 3 at Ellura. Very hard to measure their length but we estimate the 1st here was ~300mm, while the 2nd two were ~200mm. These are all small, with a considered average length being ~450mm.
Went to go to the loo and was frightened by this little fellow.
At first we were concerned it was a baby brown.
It looked like a very large, very active worm. This was a strong hint it was a blind snake, but we weren't taking any chances.
These are non-venomous.
Darren says the brown spot on it's back is probably due to a previous injury.
Unlike their common name suggests they aren't quite blind. They burrow and live underground, so have a scale covering each eye for protection, but it is beleived they can still determine light levels and possibly general shapes.
We accidentally dug it up, in the garden, the specimen in the last photos. Worried we had killed it we kept it inside for the afternoon to monitor it's condition. It seemed fine, and they are nocturnal, so released it that evening.
Imaged 5 in Jan(1) & Oct(4)
On our outside door mat
Dark spot, from a healed injury
Head, showing covered eye & scales
Tongue
🔍Whole Small One
🔍The 2 Tuberculs on the side of it's face
🔍Tiny Mouth
Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Reptiles (Reptilia) - Scaled Reptiles (Squamata) - Goanna (Varanidae); 2 species, 1 from Ellura
Sand Goanna
Varanus gouldii


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Thank you Ralph Foster, Max Tibby, Ernst Weiher & Richard D Reams for confirming the id of this species for us

More colourful when younger, turning more grey as they age.
Sometimes when walking around Ellura we'll hear a thumping near by, to turn and see the back of one lifting dust as it disappears - no chance of a photograph

Recently (Summer 2020/21) we have had a "resident" around the campsite. It's young, ~400mm long (SVL-not including the tail), and seems quite placid. Happy to sit there (but forever watching) as we moved about; got some close up shots. She's labelled S7. We saw a pair mating, 9th Nov 2021, and we think she is also S7 (mating with S8). S8 had the tip of his tail missing and an injured eye.
Imaged 14(1M,1F) in Feb(2), Mar(2), Sep(1), Oct(1), Nov(6:1M,1F) & Dec(2)
S1, Profile
🔍S1, Posing
S1, Running
S1, Camouflaged
S2, Large Mature Adult
🔍S3, Young, Front
S3, Young, back
🔍S4, Adult, Head
🔍S4, Adult, Tongue
🔍S7, Young, Profile
🔍S7, Young, Anterior
🔍S7, Young, Back
🔍S7, Young, Head in profile
🔍S7, Young, Head, dorsally
🔍S7, Female, Mated with S8
🔍S8 Male, Mated with S7
🔍S7 Female, Sunning cold am
🔍S7 Female, Sunning cold am
🔍S7 Female, Sunning cold am
Lace Monitor
Varanus varius


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Thank you Asimakis Patitsas for confirming the id of this species for us

These climb trees, unlike our local sand goanna's. They also don't like the heat as much, and so will be restricted to wetter areas of the country.
Imaged 1 in Nov
🔍Adult, rotated

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