A few photographs of my critters - part 1

[crocdoc]

By the way, I love the spider pictures.

This is my favourite golden orb shot, taken at exactly the same time of year but four years ago.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/93942884.jpg

[BarelyBreathing]

That color is amazing!

[alessia55]

This is my favourite golden orb shot, taken at exactly the same time of year but four years ago.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/93942884.jpg

Ewwww look at the hair on the back legs of that one!!!! :eek:

[TalonNC]

I just made it through all 17pages of Orgasmic Herpetology

Man i'm jealous Aussies see monitors and skinks like we see squirrels...THERE EVERYWHERE!!!

Keep the pictures coming...

[crocdoc]

I've done a couple of trips out in the past week.

Nothing uber-exciting this time around. I had another couple of looks at the termite mound and the most interesting thing to happen is that, after weeks of not being repaired, the termites have all of a sudden patched it up.

Here's how it looked a week ago:
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142218441.jpg

And here's how it looked yesterday:
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142218444.jpg

I saw 'Son of Darkface' again and took a few photographs, before he was chased off by a brush turkey. He was posing nicely, too, before the bird arrived.

These two shots were taken in a hurry, so they're not particularly good. Brush turkey about to peck at the tip of the monitor's tail:
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142219550.jpg

The monitor leaving the scene with its tail curled. Larger monitors tend to turn around when they get annoyed enough, encouraging the brush turkey to go elsewhere, but small monitors curl their tail.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142219569.jpg

The shots I got before the brush turkey arrived. Note that it's the same tree trunk as in the first of the brush turkey shots.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142219419.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142219417.jpg

Pop quiz: I saw these on the trail and they caught me off guard for a moment. Can anyone tell me what this giant four-toed animal is?
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142118717.jpg

[alessia55]

Gorgeous monitor shots as always. You never fail to impress!!

Remind me where these photos are and I might be able to tell you what made those paw prints :o

[crocdoc]

Remind me where these photos are and I might be able to tell you what made those paw prints :o
Coastal New South Wales (eastern Australia).

[alessia55]

It's hard to tell by the photo what size they are...
At first sight, I though that by the four toes marks I'd say something canine, like a dingo, that maybe wasn't pressing down on the pads of his feet.
But then looking closer it's actually two toes of two different feet together. I'd expect a wallaby or something of the sort to leave a longer foot mark, but maybe one that was hopping/jumping, rather than walking? hence why there aren't any hand prints. That's just my guess though. I'm not from Australia so I'm not familiar with the animals :p

[crocdoc]

But then looking closer it's actually two toes of two different feet together. I'd expect a wallaby or something of the sort to leave a longer foot mark, but maybe one that was hopping/jumping, rather than walking? hence why there aren't any hand prints.

Brilliant deductive reasoning, Alessia, and right on all counts.

It's a wallaby, hopping - explaining why the front feet aren't visible and neither are the heels of the hind feet.

Here's a close-up of the first set of prints:
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142118829.jpg

The reason these prints caught me off guard for a moment is their being so close together. This must have been a particularly dainty wallaby, as normally they hop with a bit more space between their feet. Here's a shot of a typical set of prints.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142219462.jpg

The tiny inner toes (which are actually two toes fused and therefore have two claws) are only used for grooming and are therefore held off the ground while hopping, which is why only two toes are visible in the prints.

[millertime89]

very cool shots there.
Is it weird that I kind of want to see a video of a large Lace Monitor tail whipping one of those pesky turkeys?

[crocdoc]

The monitors get their own back during brush turkey breeding season by occasionally sneaking past the guarding male and stealing eggs. Brush turkeys are megapodes, so they lay their eggs in large ground nests and use the sun and decomposing vegetable matter to incubate the eggs, rather than sit on them. The males are pretty fierce protectors and will usually turn their back on the goannas and kick debris at them, but occasionally a monitor sneaks through when the male is preoccupied.

Away from mounds and outside the breeding season, the brush turkeys are still 'funny' about monitors and so peck them on the tip of the tail when they can.

Here's some more shots of the same behaviour, from a few years ago.

A brush turkey with a really small female monitor I've named 'Weenie'. Weenie clearly gets hassled a lot, for she curled her tail while the bird was still a long way off.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/117207695.jpg


A larger, male lace monitor (Bluey, in fact) being followed by a brush turkey.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/109692303.jpg

At one stage Bluey turned around to look at the bird, so the bird turned away with a look that said "nothing to see here".
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/109692304.jpg

[millertime89]

Is Bluey about as big as adult lace monitors get in the wild? That turkey looks aweful big in comparison.

[crocdoc]

It's deceptive because the brush turkey was closer to the camera than the monitor. Bluey is pretty big, but not huge - probably 1.75m

Brush turkeys are bigger than a domestic chicken.

[millertime89]

so would Bluey be able to make a snack out of a full grown brush turkey or are they a little too big/the monitors too lazy/wimpy for that?

[crocdoc]

From a purely physical viewpoint, if a really motivated monitor rushed at a brush turkey, it could kill it very easily and then eat bits of it at its leisure. However, nature is all about risk and effort vs gain. Like most predators, monitors are easily put off by threats and consequently don't even think about attacking an adult brush turkey because they just seem like a lot of trouble.

[infernalis]

so would Bluey be able to make a snack out of a full grown brush turkey or are they a little too big/the monitors too lazy/wimpy for that?

Here is a "wimpy" monitor for you........

614hIg2lNM8

[alessia55]

Brilliant deductive reasoning, Alessia, and right on all counts.

It's a wallaby, hopping - explaining why the front feet aren't visible and neither are the heels of the hind feet.

Here's a close-up of the first set of prints:
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142118829.jpg

The reason these prints caught me off guard for a moment is their being so close together. This must have been a particularly dainty wallaby, as normally they hop with a bit more space between their feet. Here's a shot of a typical set of prints.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/142219462.jpg

The tiny inner toes (which are actually two toes fused and therefore have two claws) are only used for grooming and are therefore held off the ground while hopping, which is why only two toes are visible in the prints.

Yayyy I got it right! :D :D :D :cool:

[millertime89]

Here is a "wimpy" monitor for you........

614hIg2lNM8

ha ha, awesome video! The guy sounds like Jeremy Clarkson off of Top Gear with the way he speaks.

[Bradyloach]

So @crocdoc. Are these all wild monitors? Wow your amazing! Just beautiful shots.

[crocdoc]

Thanks!

Yes, they're all wild monitors. However, some of the animals in my photographs (ie the ones I've given names, such as Bluey, Darkface etc) are frequent visitors to a picnic ground so they're fairly habituated, which makes them easier to approach and photograph. The others weren't habituated, but there are a number of tricks for approaching wild monitors (and other reptiles) without frightening them off.

[Swany]

ha ha, awesome video! The guy sounds like Jeremy Clarkson off of Top Gear with the way he speaks.

Trust me David Attenbourgh and Jeremy Clarkson don't sound alike :-)

[infernalis]

Trust me David Attenbourgh and Jeremy Clarkson don't sound alike :-)

I guess all Brits must sound alike.

[crocdoc]

The guy sounds like Jeremy Clarkson off of Top Gear with the way he speaks.

I agree with Swany - he sounds nothing like Jeremy Clarkson. However, it did make me wonder if that was the first time you'd seen/heard David Attenborough. If so, you have a lot to look forward to - get ahold of his back catalogue of documentaries and start watching them, pronto!

[Swany]

I'd guess that within a 30 mile radius of my home there are 7 very distinct regional accents that all sound completely different :-)
Wayne having lived in the UK you know we all sound alike ;-)

Doc, Sorry for the interruption.

[millertime89]

Trust me David Attenbourgh and Jeremy Clarkson don't sound alike :-)

not actually sound of voice or accent, but the manner in which he speaks is fairly similar, very measured with emphasis on certain key words in the sentence structure. A parody can be heard here where he emphasizing all the nuances of the way he speaks.
DMuO-8S_0Wg

[crocdoc]

Ah, now I get you. Yes, they both hesitate before saying (and emphasising) a key word.

"The... LION... is the top predator on the savannah"

[infernalis]

More pictures David... Please.

[crocdoc]

More pictures David... Please.

Unfortunately, I haven't taken many lately as I've been so busy with work.

Here are a couple from October, though:
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/146824927.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/146824926.jpg

... and two from a recent feeding. The male appeared to be hanging on with only one hind foot, but I think he was cheating and using his tail. I can't recall if I have posted this here before, but I thought this was pretty impressive for a such a big lizard. He was clearly hungry.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/147981701.jpg

After feeding was over, he just spun around and climbed up to bask.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/147981804.jpg

[cossiecraig]

I just scrolled through 19 pages of something i know nothing about ,that bieng said i learnt a few things from this wonderful thread and thankyou Crocdoc for this ,so many beautifull pictures and great write ups with each explaining whats what !..............awsome work mate :)

[crocdoc]

Thank you!

[Scale_fever]

Wow great pictures! Thank you so much for sharing your companions and your personal experience with them and from others that have replied also.Reading such experiences always inspires and make me more addicted to Varanus's,then ever! again Thank you so much!

[Robyn@SYR]

Awesome update!

[jarich]

Great pictures as always Dave. Such beautiful monitors!

[infernalis]

Bump for those who missed it..

[sharthun]

Wow! Awesome pics! ;)

[Heatherlea]

Beautiful animal love your pics

[KSTAR]

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!

[thinkbig317]

MIND BLOWING PICS MAN!!! Wow..........

[drumcrush]

Awesome pictures!

[Vegasarah]

Could look at these all day @.@ Thank you for sharing.

[sweatshirt]

Stunning creatures! :D

[Pirarucu]

... and two from a recent feeding. The male appeared to be hanging on with only one hind foot, but I think he was cheating and using his tail. I can't recall if I have posted this here before, but I thought this was pretty impressive for a such a big lizard. He was clearly hungry.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/147981701.jpg

After feeding was over, he just spun around and climbed up to bask.
http://www.pbase.com/crocdoc/image/147981804.jpg
This little guy aspires to be a lacie. LOL.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1149654_511862938883529_1763760386_o.jpg

[marvelfreak]

That's to cute. Man that just goes to show the power these guys have.Very impressive.

[mdfmonitor]

crocdoc has some stunning mons!! :) & a long time pair!

[Berserk Herps]

wow well thanks for the awesome photos, and great to learn about monitor mating behavior. seems like they go for it anywhere they can