Introducing Nox
Inspired by the name of the wolf 'Two-socks' in the film 'Dances with Wolves', this young male dingo’s name 'No socks' was abbreviated to 'NOX', when he arrived towards the end of a very wet January, probably evicted from [...]
Living with Cassowaries – Part 2
Living with Cassowaries - Part 2 Big Bertha has become accustomed to public admiration. She was first described as The Grand Dame of the Daintree, in the Port Douglas Mossman Gazette and her image was distributed to [...]
The art of camouflage
The art of camouflage Daintree Rainforest showcases the art of camouflage and is renowned as the World’s longest surviving rainforest. This claim is based on the number of families of primitive flowering plants called Angiosperms that [...]
Scorpion-tailed Spiders en masse
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, [...]
Red Boobook
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 [...]
Northern Jewelled Spider (Gasteracantha fornicata)
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 [...]
Daintree Tree Frogs
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 [...]
Secret World of Spiders
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 [...]
Breakfast with the Boyd’s
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 [...]
Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko
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 [...]
