Until recently, sightings of this rarely-seen Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura melanura) could have been counted on one hand, then approximately fifty of them were found on one tree in our tropical fruit orchard. A star-apple fruit tree (Chrysophyllum cainito), with an abundant growth of epiphytes, was loaded, but given the amazing mimicry of a dead leaf, it is possible that in the [...]
After more than twenty-years of searching Daintree Rainforest for all manner of cryptic life forms, we have at last photographic evidence of this rare Red Boobook (Ninox boobook lurida). The Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) is also known as Mopoke, Morepork, Spotted Owl or Marbled Owl. This Red Boobook is a smaller bird and a subspecies that is darker in [...]
I recently chanced upon a curious fluorescence out the corner of my eye, beneath the movement of a small black invertebrate. Upon closer inspection, I was delighted to see the Northern Jewelled Spider (Gasteracantha fornicata), weaving its fluorescent green egg-sac. For many years I had wondered which spider was responsible for the moss-mimicking green pillows [...]
Daintree Tree Frogs have become synonymous with environmentalism. Their beauty, diversity and susceptability to environmental stresses, have elevated their importance to a level of almost universal appeal. Every now and then we are advised that certain species are disappearing in the wild. Green-eyed Tree Frog (Litoria genimaculata) is one species that attracts such concern. I [...]
As a newcomer to the rainforest you will see a great many trees of incredible diversity, but you will be hard pressed to see the intricate and secretive wildlife. You really need to go with a local expert, someone who lives in the rainforest, to help you to see, say, the secret world of spiders. [...]
Boyd's Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii), resplendent in his camouflaged coating and ornate headdress, had a fortuitous visit this morning. A Giant Tropical Mantid (Hierodula majuscula) made the mistake of walking into sight of the ever-vigilant dragon and swiftly became breakfast. Boyd”s Forest Dragons are endemic to the rainforests of Australia’s Wet Tropics. They can reach a total length of 54-cm and [...]
Northern leaf-tailed gecko (Salturarius cornutus) is Australia’s largest gecko with a length to 23-cm. It has spindly limbs, sharp-clawed toes and a very flat body with lichen-like blotches. It is arboreal and forages at night for insects among protective foliage where it is well camouflaged. Females usually lay one or two eggs in a crevice and after eight to [...]
Chameleon Gecko (Carphodactylus laevis) and Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko (Saltuaris cornutus) are two Geckos occasionally seen on a Cooper Creek Wilderness Nocturnal Wildlife Tour, from the Family Gekkonidaea, having Gondwanan ancestral forebears dating back 100-million years. Chameleon Gecko (Carphodactylus laevis) is a species in a monotypic genus of Australian gecko. It is the only member of its genus and is [...]
Rainforest critters are masters of disguise. The world's oldest rainforest is sure to exhibit a greater range of success stories, than other, younger forests. Katydids are families of insects where camouflage and mimicry avoids detection, yet the beauty of these insects and the near-perfection of the camouflage is incredible. Approximately 6,400 species of Katydids within the [...]
Deception in Daintree Rainforest - Spiders Knowing the rainforest so that we can present its values to visitors from around the world has become our infinite vocation. Secretive, obscure, cryptic, camouflaged, mimicking are terms that describe strategies of rainforest deception that are employed by many of our critters to avoid detection. The enrichment of our [...]
