The Great Gehyra Hunt (Part 4)
Broome to Alice Springs (4th - 11th of November)
Day 20
A relatively short day's drive had us in Fitzroy Crossing in the stinking heat. Fortunately, reptiles like warmth and spotlighting the nearby limestone was productive. Even more luckily, the local Kimberley Karst Gehyra (Gehyra girloorloo) weren’t particularly adept at escape, despite their speed and the complex and razor sharp limestone. We also managed a few of the other highly restricted Gehyra, the Relictual Karst Gehyra (Gehyra calcitectus) which were larger and favored the bigger rock faces. Also getting about were several North-west Prickly Geckos (Heteronotia planiceps), a large Northern Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus sheai) and a very well patterned Bauxite Rainbow Skink (Carlia amax). After finishing up at the limestone, we made several further stops at termite mounds for Kimberley Termite Gehyra (Gehyra kimberleyi) on the way back to the pub and the necessity of air con.
Day 21
After a sleep in, lunch pub feed and cowering in the air con to avoid the outside temperatures for much of the day, we eventually headed for more limestone and the holy grail for the local area, the Limestone Range Velvet Gecko (Oedura murrumanu). We pretended to work with a little more Gehyra sampling for Kimberley Plateau Gehyra (Gehyra occidentalis), and a couple of fleeting sightings of the target deep in caves before Stephen found the goods. They’re a seriously cool gecko, even by velvet standards, with some funky fringed toes. Sadly no Southwest Kimberley Clawless Geckos (Crenadactylus rostralis) turned up as bycatch, but we couldn’t complain with our minimal effort.
With our main target safely observed, we made several stops on the way back to town, predominantly to catch more Kimberley Termite Gehyra (Gehyra kimberleyi), along with a random Western Bearded Dragon (Pogona minor). We also made a quick attempt at the Fitzroy Slider (Lerista simillima) to no success, although a Western Brown (Pseudonaja mengdeni) did make a quick drive by. Thoroughly exhausted at this point and with a few big days driving ahead, we headed for the accommodation and cooler temps.
Days 22 & Days 23
There’s not much to be said for day 22, we got away late after a sleep in and it took all day to make it to Kununurra, with some pouring rain at Halls Creek. I’m pretty sure I saw the silhouette of a large rock monitor in the vicinity of Mt Nyulassy as we whipped by, but that potential glebo will forever remain a mystery.
Another ridiculous amount of kilometres kept us company from Kununurra to Daly Waters the next day, and after arriving on dark I was ready to herp for anything, even endless Anilios. Fortunately we were spared that, and sampled Heteronotia and Gehyra every 20 odd kilometres all the way to Elliot. We did find a few other random geckos including Zigzag Velvets (A. rhombifer) and Western Beaked Geckos (Rhynchoedura ornata) along with my first few Purplish Gehyra (Gehyra purpurascens) and a Centralian Tree Dragon (Amphibolurus centralis) sleeping in the leaves. One of the final stops yielded another new Gehyra, a singular Dwarf Gehyra (Gehyra minuta). We ended the night with a glorious campsite at the Barkly Stock Route turn off, although sadly no Southern Phasmid Gecko (Strophurus jeanae) appeared to break the sleep deprived delirium. Somehow that species is turning into a bit of a white whale for myself.
Day 24
Our final big day of driving (at least for me) took us to Alice and we dropped our stuff at a very dodgy looking motel before heading for the West Macs. Sadly no bredli were out to greet us, but we did find a few of the other regular culprits. First up were two new frogs for myself around the waterholes, Centralian Tree Frogs (Litoria gilleni) and Spencer’s Burrowing Frogs (Platyplectrum spenceri), along with a random Western Brown (P. mengdeni) that went for a swim as I approached. Plenty of Eastern Marbled Velvet Geckos (Oedura cincta) littered the rocks, and I proceeded to lose our first Pale-headed Gecko (Heteronotia fasciolatus) for which I was suitably bullied. Luckily a few more were on the prowl and we netted a couple of Purplish Gehyra (G. purpurascens) and Moritz’s Gehyra (Gehyra moritzi) for good measure. Not finished for the night, we fitted in a quick cruise as the hours waned on, finding a decent Ringed Brown (Pseudonaja modesta) and a monster Beaked Blind Snake (Anilios bituberculatus) (why couldn’t it be centralis?!) before turning in.
Day 25
Recuperating a little with some bubble tea for Naomi and sushi train (surprisingly good for the location, although alarmingly warm), we drove several hundred kilometres the next afternoon to some granite near Kulgera. Naturally, we were after what would be my last Gehyra for the trip, the Umuwa Spotted Gehyra (Gehyra pulingka) and boy did they prove to be painful. After spending hours lapping rocks and finding the odd one clinging to small, spiky bushes amidst the boulders (which were almost always female), we finally had our ten males. Bycatch included several sleeping Central Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) and my first, and a rather pretty, Variable Fat-tailed Gecko (Diplodactylus conspicillatus).
Packing up shop, we hit the road for our seedy motel, with a few planned gecko stops along the way. Stop number 1 quickly produced its target, a juvenile Pale Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus laevissimus). Stop number 2 was less successful for its target Mereenie Velvet, but did turn up two of another species I was really keen on, the Centralian Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus amyae). Stoked with my third new nephy for the trip I did the natural thing and didn’t photograph either, as we still had kilometres to cover and our chances at the velvet were fading. Unfortunately, stops 3 & 4 were also unsuccessful, and we walked away only seeing more Gehyra. A little disappointing but what can you do? Even more disappointingly, the 24 hour maccas turned us away without food once we finally made it back to Alice, even though the employees were just sitting inside with lights off? Shits.
Day 26
For my final day with the team we headed back into the West Macs looking for more H. fasciolatus. Naturally, it decided to rain, and we spent much of the drive out dodging storms and in despair. It did let up briefly around dark, and after flipping two rocks in the carpark I came up with the goods, a lightning fast Centralian Lerista (Lerista frosti). Feeling a little better we set out and briefly saw more of the typical Gehyra and gorge frogs before the rain set back in. We did manage a singular male Pale-headed Gecko (H. fasciolatus), but eventually gave up trying to wait out the rain. The drive back was long and relatively uneventful, with a single Children’s Python (Antaresia childreni) and another Centralion Knobby, which was unphotographable with the weather, before we made it back to Alice. A sad goodbye followed the next day as I flew out, although the rest of the team wasted little time legging it back to Townsville so I didn’t miss much. Hopefully I’ll keep more up to date with entries now.
