A few photographs of my critters - part 1 - Page 16

crocdoc · 03-05-12, 05:46 AM

...well, today I had an awesome day.

You know, it's really really hard staying perfectly still in one spot trying to look like a bit of shrubbery, while taking photographs or video at the same time. Especially as the clicking of the camera would cause the monitor to sit up and look around (as per the first shot). This is a very gravid female heath monitor, Varanus varius, digging a nest hole into a termite mound.

I have a 16Gb flash card full of images and videos just like these (around individual 190 files for the day, so excluding a few lace monitor shots that would probably make it around 170 just of this gravid female heath monitor's activities). I think she's got another few days' work on that mound.

But of course monitors don't nest in termite mounds, do they, because someone told us so.

infernalis · 03-05-12, 05:49 AM

Brilliant work as always..

Quote:

Originally Posted by crocdoc

But of course monitors don't nest in termite mounds, do they, because someone told us so.

Darn unicorns...

crocdoc · 03-05-12, 06:02 AM

I must say I've never worked this hard for a photograph before. I dressed up in browns and khakis, donned my bush hat, packed lunch and a water bottle and set myself up in some bushes, then waited. Saw all sorts of neat stuff before the heath monitor returned to the mound, including a random female lace monitor. Unfortunately I couldn't get a photograph as I didn't want to make any sudden movements and she disappeared before I brought my camera slowly up to eye level. Lots of sitting around doing nothing whenever the heath monitor turned to give me the evil eye, or decided she needed a break in the shade. After I'd eaten my lunch and texted a couple of friends to say "hey, guess what I'm doing!" I ended up spending the time reviewing videos and shots I'd already taken of her.

infernalis · 03-05-12, 06:07 AM

Sounds like a rough day mate, my heart bleeds for you.

KORBIN5895 · 03-05-12, 06:30 AM

Why are all of those monitors keep following the unicorns around? Are the monitors eating the baby unicorns?

crocdoc · 03-05-12, 06:43 AM

Such is the big mystery - I'm still waiting for my answer from varanusaurus!

alessia55 · 03-05-12, 07:23 AM

Fantastic! Camouflaging and waiting around paid off!!

youngster · 03-05-12, 07:57 AM

Brilliant!

That's something you don't see everyday.

BarelyBreathing · 03-05-12, 11:36 AM

Wow, that's just magical (and I'm only partially talking about those unicorns).

crocdoc · 03-06-12, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guess who

"The herpers I was with were amazed to hear that varanid researchers did not understand varanid reproductive behavior. Like not knowing where and when such a common lizard nested and such."

(link: Varanus.net Forums :: Captive Bred Monitor Forum :: Of topic montane Rattlesnakes last week)

I'd be amazed to hear that, too, because it is so blatantly not true.

crocdoc · 03-08-12, 05:15 PM

In all of the excitement about seeing the female heath monitor digging into the mound, I had forgotten to post about other monitors seen that day. I did see some other heath monitors, but as two were roadkills and the third was also on the side of the road, but scuttled off as I approached, I didn't get any photographs. That's the most I've seen in one day in that area and roadkills are a rarity, so I suspect the heath monitors were really active that day.

I did see three lace monitors, too. One was a female that walked past the mound while I was waiting quietly for the female heath monitor. I couldn't get a shot before she quietly slunk off. The other two I saw were one of my regulars, Darkface (he can be seen earlier in this thread, here: http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/varan...rt-1-a-11.html), and an entirely new animal.

I mentioned earlier that I lace monitors are quite variable and I recognise my familiar animals by patterns, head shape etc. Consequently, I've named an animal Son of Bluey because he bears such a strong resemblance to an older animal I've called Bluey. Well, the young animal I saw the other day looks a lot like Darkface, so I've decided to name him Son of Darkface. Not only has he got similar colouration, but his head shape is similar.

Some shots for comparison:

Darkface

Son of Darkface

Darkface

Son of Darkface

Darkface

Son of Darkface

Darkface

Son of Darkface

And on that note, I must get going as it's a sunny day and I want to see what is happening with ms heath monitor.

infernalis · 03-08-12, 05:17 PM

thanks again for the brilliant pictures...

BarelyBreathing · 03-08-12, 05:35 PM

Make sure you post what's going on with Ms. Heath!

crocdoc · 03-09-12, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alessia55

I can hardly tell all the monitors apart! Must be a great skill to have when you're around them all the time.

I suppose it's like pets - they're really distinctive once you get to know them. I've been able to pick offspring from my pair of lace monitors (the ones I breed at home) when I see photographs of them posted by other people online - just because they have a distinctive look about them. Head shape and colour patterns. Even some of my friends can pick them, as I've had people tell me they've seen one of my babies, now an adult, for sale online and when I've inquired with the seller it's turned out to be one of my bloodline.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarelyBreathing

Make sure you post what's going on with Ms. Heath!

Certainly will.

I took my video camera as well as my still camera today (the other day I was shooting both video and stills on my dSLR), so I haven't taken any stills of her digging, just videos (and they'll have to wait for a fair while before I'll have time to edit them).

She wasn't at the mound when I arrived and there were no signs she'd done much before I arrived - just a single set of tracks - so I hunkered down in the bushes, ate my lunch and started reading a book (I came prepared). When an hour and a half passed with still no action, I stood up to stretch and had a look around. Behind me there was a sandstone ridge I've never really looked at before, so I started scanning that and immediately saw the distinctive shape of a little monitor head, watching me. I'd been sprung!

The good thing about heath monitors is that they usually rely on being cryptic rather than running, so if you move carefully you can get pretty close for photographs. I decided to climb up to take a few shots, but when I was half way up I decided to zoom in on her head to show the 'lookout' pose she had.

While up there, I suddenly noticed that there was a family of Cunningham's skinks under the rock. What a coincidence, as I had just mentioned this species in another thread. I've got video of her that pans between her, an adult and a baby Cunningham's skink, but I could only get a still photograph of her and an adult.

Here's one of the adults, basking.

And here's the baby nearly on the same spot (look at the patterns in the lichen), after the adult had gone into the shade under the rock.

The female heath monitor is looking very gravid and when the light hit her just the right way for a few seconds I had to take this shot, as you can almost count the eggs.

Another sign that she's close to laying is her flaccid tail base.

Eventually I left her alone and then headed back down and moved all of my gear to another spot, then hid and waited. I did get some video of her digging and she's been working on a second hole, which I think will end up being better than the first as the termites are actively trying to repair it, which means she's hit the colony where it's temperature and humidity controlled.

You can see the second hole next to her tail (the one I photographed before is near her right hand).

alessia55 · 03-08-12, 10:52 PM

amazing as always... just love these photos... I can hardly tell all the monitors apart! Must be a great skill to have when you're around them all the time.