The Great WA Raking Trip
Once again I’ve taken forever to try and write up some more of the recent trips I’ve been on. Seeing as I’m as far behind as ever, I’ve decided to skip the trip to the red centre in November last year and June geckoing in the Kimberley and just go with the monster WA one I’ve just been on with my better thirds, Justin and Nick. The three of us have talked for years about doing a raking trip in WA targeting Lerista and Aprasia, and with the two of them just finishing big work stints the timing was perfect. With our raking plans sorted, I booked ridiculously expensive flights to Exmouth and the two of them drove over to meet me, spending almost two weeks already herping along the way.
Exmouth to Mt Augustus (30th August - 1st September)
Day 1
Surviving a long overnight transit via Perth, I finally arrived just after daybreak in Exmouth to be greeted by the glorious site of the two rake masters. After much joyous reunion we headed straight for the closest pie at the bakery, very good but very expensive. Rejuvenated, we got down to business and headed for the dunes. Our first target for the trip was the Keeled Slider (Plani) (Lerista planiventralis), a funky, day active species that leaves distinctive trails. Joined by Josh we scoured the sand, following tracks and investigating leaf litter. Several Elegant Sliders (Lerista elegans) turned up first before Nick performed his first miracle, summoning our first Aprasia target from the sand, the Atomic Worm-lizard (Aprasia rostrata). We certainly weren’t expecting to find one so quickly, before even our first Lerista target had materialised. Absolutely stoked, we began to work our way back towards the car when Justin finally dislodged our first and only Plani for the trip. They’re seriously speedy Lerista. With two big targets sorted we settled in for photos. Coming on this trip, I thought I was experienced with the pain of photographing Aprasia. I was wrong. As I found out with our rostrata, and several of the others we found throughout the trip, WA sand species can be absolutely nightmarish. I eventually contented myself with very average pictures of most (which I’m already kicking myself over). Fortunately our single Plani was much more cooperative and we were off to an altogether brilliant start to the day.
Cape Range hosts an impressive array of Lerista, so after waving goodbye to our morning targets we headed further down the cape to target the smallest local species. The Cape Range Slider (Lerista allochira) prefers leaf litter on rock so we swapped sand for limestone and after many Unpatterned Robust Sliders (Lerista macropisthopus) both Nick and I found one each simultaneously. The rock is also good for bycatch, with Justin turning up a small Ackie (Varanus acanthurus) and several Cape Range Clawless Geckos (Crenadactylus tuberculatus). I once again lost a probable Western Dwarf Skink (Menetia surda) among the sharp rock, with Nick also catching a glimpse of a Cape Range Delma (Delma tealei). Nevertheless, we weren’t too unhappy with photos of our Lerista target and cruised back to crash at Josh’s. With the cool temps we only managed to find several Western Spiny-tailed Geckos (Strophurus strophurus), a species we’d see absolutely everywhere throughout the trip, and two Smooth Knob-tailed Geckos (Nephrurus levis) along the way.
Day 2
Leaving Exmouth with more pies, salad rolls and fuel we headed down to the Bullara area for the next day, which we found crawling with tourists (we illustrious herpers don’t fall into that unfortunate category). This day had initially been set aside for Atomic Worm-lizarding, but with our previous days success, we started flipping rubbish and raking the dunes with no real targets in mind. Fortunately, lizards were abundant and we came across our first Western Sand-swimmers (Eremiascincus pallidus), Patternless Robust Sliders (Lerista miopus) and Slender Broad-blazed Sliders (Lerista uniduo), as well as several Long-tailed Sand Dragons (Ctenophorus femoralis) and Western Two-toed Sliders (Lerista bipes). After a quick lunch break back at Bullara (quite good, despite the swarms of people), we were back out on the dunes. The afternoon also proved productive, with a Grand Ctenotus (Ctenotus grandis) (a personal favourite in the genus), Excitable Delma (Delma tincta), and Ornate Soil-crevice Skink (Notoscincus ornatus). We did also sneak in a quick afternoon cruise and were delightedly confused to find a Patternless Robust Slider (L. miopus) crossing the tar in broad daylight. Very random Lerista behaviour. Spotlighting that night found many a Pilbara Ground Gecko (Lucasium woodwardi) and more Smooth Knob-tails (N. levis), but failed to turn up either a Southern Phasmid (Strophurus jeanae) or a Kluge’s Gecko (Diplodactylus klugei). Nevertheless pleased, we turned in for an early night surrounded by hundreds of our closest grey nomad friends.
Day 3
For our third day we had a reasonably long dirt drive lined up to Mt Augustus, a place we’d dreamed of visiting for many years to look for its rather odd looking endemic Lerista. Naturally though we made a few stops before heading there. First we hit up some closeby sand for an attempt at the Onslow Broad-blazed Slider (Lerista onsloviana) for myself (the other two had seen them just before I arrived). Of course the only Lerista I saw I lost (I think my reflexes are slowing with old age), but Nick did turn up a basking Ringed Brown (Pseudonaja modesta) and a Nimble Ctenotus (Ctenotus hanloni). Next we visited more sand plain to try and net Nick and Justin a Rufus Sand Dragon (Ctenophorus rubens), which took a surprising amount of time to find two, both of which promptly sped off amongst the spini. Last time I’d been there in the blazing heat they’d been everywhere. Nick also magicked up my first Sharp-blazed Three-toed Slider (Lerista clara) from the most measly pile of leaf litter I’ve ever seen deliver a Lerista.
Combining our side quests in the morning, a wrong turn down station roads, and the several hundred kilometres of dirt, it was late afternoon by the time we caught sight of the (reasonably) impressive Mt Augustus in the distance. Unfortunately, the local shrubbery was less impressive, with the trees looking like they hadn’t seen rain in years and only the occasional patch of wind blown leaves amongst the bare dirt. Despite the depraved looking conditions, Nick and I couldn’t help ourselves and immediately set off raking while Justin got his chef on. I thought the conditions truly appalling and that no self-respecting Lerista would show itself after walking around, but within only 30 mins I grabbed a squiggle amongst some sand and screamed for Nick. We had one, a Spotted Broad-blazed Slider (Lerista stictopleura)! And it looked just as cool as it did in photos! A weird, chunky but pointed head and speckly patterning over yellow and orange colouration, it doesn’t get much better! Absolutely elated, we walked back to show Justin and enjoy his cheffing skills.
With by far the most important target for the day observed and photographed, we headed off for some leisurely spotlighting to see if we could come across a Mt Augustus Spiny-tailed Gecko (Strophurus wilsoni). Naturally we didn’t find one (I think perhaps a misleading common name), instead coming across hoards of Small Pilbara Rock Gehyras (Gehyra micra), as well as a Beaked Blind Snake (Anilios grypus), a well behaved Rosen’s Snake (Suta fasciata) (miracles do happen) and a lovely Northern Banded Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus cinctus) sadly missing its tail. A pretty good day under our belts, we returned to the campground for some well earned sleep.
