Bush Bites

Bush Bites – Freshwater Turtles

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There are four species of Freshwater Turtles found in the Moggill Creek Catchment. They are common in Moggill and Gold Creeks and Gold Creek Reservoir and these species are well established and under no threat.

Earlier information about these reptiles called them Tortoises, but recently that name has been reserved to land dwelling Tortoises, which are not native to Australia.

Broad-shelled River Turtle. This species often travels overland during mating season.  Photo: Ed Frazer

Freshwater Turtles can be quite long living though few reliable records have been kept. A span of 50 years or more seems reasonable.

The eggs are laid on the banks of streams in soil which can vary from sand to clay. The incubation period can be from several months to two years and is influenced by temperature and rainfall.

Many eggs are lost to drought and predation by water dragons, goannas, water rats, birds and foxes. The hatchlings are also preyed on by catfish, eels and even Platypus, but a few survive and it is not uncommon to see a full range of sizes swimming together in the creeks.

The males are generally smaller than the females and they are often seen following the females for a considerable time in an attempt to mate.

Turtle eating a dead fish in Gold Creek.  Photo: Ed Frazer

They feed on a wide variety of items, but prefer shrimp, insect larvae like dragonflies, and clams which they crush by attacking the edges of the shells with their powerful jaws until they open. They also clean up any dead fish and aquatic plants and any fruit that drops into the creeks such as Mulberries.

A Saw-shelled Turtle climbing on driftwood to enjoy the sun in winter.  Photo: Ed Frazer

A Brisbane Short-necked Turtle climbing on a sunken log in Gold Creek.  Photo: Ed Frazer

Most of their feeding is in the two hours after sunrise and before sunset, but they will
respond to a feed of bread, fish or meat or better still floating fish foods or insects.
In the cooler months they can often be seen sunbathing on rocks or logs poking out from
the creek where they can drop back into the water if disturbed.

A Fresh Water Turtle Catchment Field Guide will be on the MCCG website shortly.

Platypus on the move

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It looks like a bumper year in Platypus activity in Gold and Moggill Creeks this year.

After several years of poor rainfall and little flushing out of the creeks, more consistent water flow has restored the aquatic habitat and the animals appear to be responding.

Platypus Photo: Ed Frazer

Ed Frazer has been monitoring part of Gold Creek that includes two large stretches about 400 metres long and 8 metres wide that were the local swimming holes in past years.

There have consistently been three breeding females in these ponds that have regularly been monitored in the annual Platypus Survey carried out each September. He suspects that they didn’t breed last year because of the poor condition of the creek.

“There has been a lot of activity up to mid-July with mating season starting” Ed said. “I regularly see the females feeding as late as 8am as they build up their condition for the egg laying and raising their two young. The good water conditions have resulted in a plenty of food, especially the Dragonfly larvae which I think is a major part of their food in our area.”

The females tend to move around the snags in the creek where there has been a considerable build-up of rotting down leaf matter where the insects feed. Luckily we haven’t had a strong flood in the creek that cleaned out this habitat as often has happened after a period of drought in the past. The females sighted had thick tails a sign of good condition for raising their young.

“The male Platypus behaviour is quite different at this time of year. I see them travelling through at impressive speed, sometimes on the surface, but often in shallow dives coming up for air every 45 seconds at a distance of about 30 metres. They are looking for mates at this time of year”.

By July 17 sightings suddenly ceased and Ed thinks that early egg laying had started and the females were in their dens incubating the eggs that take about 10 days to hatch.

In August the activity will slow down while the young are small and the females are using their reserves built up in the tails to supply food for the small puggles. 

By September the young will be more demanding and the females will be out more in the early morning and before dusk to keep up their food. This is when the MCCG Platypus survey is held while the activity is at its height.

There is plenty of other activity in the creek to watch while waiting for the Platypus to put in an appearance. There are a number of Striated Pardalotes building their tunnels in the banks of the creek this year as the soil is nicely moist from the recent rains. They are lining their nesting chambers with feathers and trying to out-compete their neighbours with their distinctive three note call.

Azure Kingfisher Photo: Ed Frazer

The beautiful Azure Kingfishers are flying rapidly along the length of the pools stopping to perch on overhanging branches ready to strike on any fish near the surface. Their activity seems to be co-ordinated with the Platypus as they appear to be taking advantage of the fish disturbed by the strenuous stirring up of the fish on the bottom of the creek. They too will start building their nesting chambers in the banks of the creek and they should have a good chance of raising 4 young with the ideal conditions this year. There is also a beautiful Grey Goshawk that patrols along about 2km of the creek looking for prey just under the overhanging trees.

Grey Goshawk Photo: Ed Frazer

There are a lot of good photo opportunities around the local creeks and MCCG holds its annual Photography Competition in October each year, so a good turnout should be expected after two lean years of near drought.

 

Words and all photos by Ed Frazer

Ladybirds, Ladybirds and more Ladybird Beetles!

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When I started on this project of producing a Ladybird Field Guide for the MCCG I thought I might find about 8 species on my property. In a relatively short time I found over twenty species, some of which are very small and can only be reliably identified by taxonomists looking at their minute differences with a microscope.

The really colourful ones are relatively large, but are easily overlooked. Ladybirds are just as prevalent in the gardens in Kenmore as the large properties of Brookfield and Pullenvale so they are easy to find if you look closely.

Many are important beneficial insects helping control pests of citrus and some organically grown vegetable crops such as broccoli and cucumbers. There are also two species locally that eat plants, but their damage is minimal and one, the 28-spotted Ladybird, seems mainly to eat Deadly Nightshade on my property and while it should also be interested in Tomatoes and Potatoes though I have never seen one on my Tomatoes.

The rarer, almost identical 26-spotted Ladybird eats leaves of Pumpkins and I found one and a larva on a neighbour’s pumpkin patch.

28-Spotted Ladybird showing marks where it has been rasping the surface of a Deadly Nightshade weed. The big piece cut out of the leaf was probably by a grasshopper.

Many of the most colourful species feed almost exclusively on Aphis on a wide range of plants including Roses and Hibiscus and several vegetables. They lay their eggs usually on the underside of the leaves near the Aphids and when the larvae hatch they also feed on the Aphids and consume up to about 50 a day as they grow larger. The adults also eat other small insects and some supplement their diet on pollen during hard times.

A Common Spotted Ladybird feeding on Aphids which are oblivious of the danger and even climbing over their predator.
The upright standing eggs of a Three-banded Ladybird under a Milk Thistle leaf.
A final instar larva of the Variable Ladybird that has just shed its exoskeleton.

 

Another important group of Ladybirds eats scale insects which are important pests of Citrus, Roses and other crops and several native plants. They eat the young scale before they develop their hard waxy coat. Where scale are present they are usually attending ants that feed on the “honey dew” that scale excrete. The ants protect the scale from predators, including Ladybirds, but the Ladybirds pull in their heads and feet under their domed exterior and the ants can’t get to them. They lay their eggs under the scale to protect them and their larvae have many spines.

A Red Chilocoris Ladybird feeding on young scale insects on a grapefruit leaf. This species is sold for biological control of several varieties of scale in their citrus industry.

The fourth group feed on Mealybugs, which are an important pest of a wide range of commercial crops and even native plants.

A Mealybug Ladybird on a Ficus leaf searching for mealybugs.

They are most easily found on some of our Brisbane Box trees. Their larva are an amazing imitation of a mealybug.

The larva of a Mealybug Ladybird, which looks almost identical to the Long-tailed Mealybug but moves much faster.

The Fungus-eating Ladybird is the sole fungus specialist and eats Powdery Mildew a major crop disease of a number of vegetables and other plants when temperatures fall and moisture condenses on the leaves in the mornings. It is commonly found under the leaves of pumpkins as the fruit are ripening. It is thought that the beetles can detect powdery mildew by smell.

A Fungus-eating Ladybird grazing on powdery mildew under a pumpkin leaf.

A number of Australian Ladybird species have been distributed to New Zealand and the U.S.A. to control pests in horticultural crops. One of our Ladybirds (which are called Ladybugs in the U.S. but they are really a beetle not a bug) has saved the U.S citrus from the particulaly destructive Cottony Cushion Scale.

 

The only problem is that we exported the Cottony Cushion Scale to the U.S in the first place!

 

Photographing such tiny animals with a high powered macro lens in the field has been a challenge. I found mid-morning was best as the Ladybirds were warming up in the sun and not moving around as they do later in the day when they tend to hide on the back of the leaves when they detect movements and shadows. I collected some of the 1 to 2mm black ones on the native trees by shaking the branches over an upturned umbrella and staging the photographs on a leaf while they are playing dead but that doesn’t last long before they take off and they are hard to keep in focus. It is possible to collect the Ladybirds and cool them in the fridge and stage the photos with good lighting to allow well focussed photos with a full depth of field. I prefer not to as I enjoy the challenge of using the natural light and conditions in the field and, if possible, show them in action feeding.

All photos and text by Ed Frazer.

Plant up the dams and creek sides.

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The Moggill Creek Catchment is not well off for water to supply the district’s wildlife. Apart from the Gold Creek Dam and Gold and Moggill creeks there is little other permanent water. Even then the upper parts of Moggill Creek have dried out in recent droughts. The non- permanent creeks dry out rather quickly as most have porous, rocky bases in the upper reaches.

Little Pied Cormorant, Great Egret and Royal Spoonbill attracted to a well planted farm dam.  Photo: Ed Frazer

There were a few farm dams left over from the dairy and fruit farms in past times and recently a few dams have been built on private acreage. Unfortunately sites are often difficult and many have leaking problems and their water holding capacity is small. To make the most of what is available to encourage the wildlife and especially the small birds, reptiles and mammals that are dependant on reliable water sources, we need to improve the habitat around those existing water sources.

Dams with clear areas around their shores are only attract a range of aggressive birds such as Magpies, Butcherbirds, Magpie Larks, Ibis and Kookaburras. The same is true of the creeks where they have been cleared of overhanging vegetation. Ideally creeks should be planted with overhanging trees such as Sandpaper Figs, Mellalucas and creek Lillipillies. The trees should be reinforced with extensive plantings of shrubs, and patches of sedges, grasses and Lomandra.

Farm dams need similar treatment, but only the high side of the dam and where the water comes in need to be planted. Wattles make a useful planting higher on the banks and Grevilleas also do well around dams. Planting in the dams should include some broad-leaved plants for the frogs as well as sedges. Be careful with water lilies particularly if the dam is shallow.  Avoid Hardy waterlilies and use Tropical Waterlilies and Night Bloomers as they don’t spread and choke out the dam.

If you establish a good habitat around the dam or creek side you will be rewarded by a large range of beautiful birds such as Azure Kingfishers and a wide range of water birds, small mammals such as echidnas and water dragons. A well plated dam or creek side with a good tree canopy will go a long way to keeping out invasive water weeds. It will also contribute to making the creek a more suitable habitat for Platypus.

Azure Kingfisher taking advantage of a perch on a dead flower stalk over a farm dam.  Photo: Ed Frazer

Persistence pays off – Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

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In the latest Bush Bites, Tim Spencer shares his recent experience with a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.

Loving birds is one thing, but photographing them is a completely different matter. It can be endlessly frustrating but once in a while something unexpected occurs.

Several weeks ago I wandered up the back of my place near the end of Savages Road, camera and 300mm lens on my shoulder. I heard a close-by noise and looked to my left and there, not more than 3m away and at head height was a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo. This bird had an agenda and was in no way concerned about my close proximity. A tall but narrow Wattle tree was the focus of attention. Half the tree had been stripped of bark and wood exposing a cavity within.

Went back to get my wife Carolyn, “hey, you got to come and see this”  We spent about 20 minutes watching as the bird diligently removed large fragments of wood and bark, there was no way I would put a finger anywhere near that beak! I stayed on another 10 minutes, had trouble lining up under trees as I was a bit too close for the camera lens focus.

Anyway, as I said, Persistence pays off and the bird was finally rewarded for this with a fat, juicy, Witchetty Grub. After devouring the grub the bird flew off in answer to a mate. Looking at the tree and damage, it was clear the bird had extensive knowledge about getting such treats. The amount of damage and a similar place on the other side but lower down where the bird had initially tried led me to believe that at least an hour had been spent in securing the grub! Yum!

 

Words and Photographs by Tim Spencer

Colin the Sparrowhawk by Ed Frazer

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Late one afternoon my grandson arrived at the door with a noisy bundle of feathers.  The bird, a Sparrowhawk was found on the road that is adjacent to our properties and services the Goldmont Estate off Gold Creek Road.  I warmed the bird up and placed it in a heated Lizard Terrarium to stabilize it overnight.  From its awareness of my movements and his screeching it obviously needed food, so I tried pinkie mice and de-frosted quail chicks which I halved. It didn’t need much encouragement and two hours after he was pushed out of its nest it was taking what seemed enormous amounts of food in relationship to its size.

Colin when we found him, 13/11/2019

I had heard the parents calling and had ideas of releasing the bird near them in hope they would continue to raise the chick.  I couldn’t get near enough to them mainly because the Mickey Birds (Noisy Miners) were seeking us out and making screeching runs on the parents. I found their nest which was very sparse for a hawk and inexplicably right over the roadway in the middle of Mickey Bird territory. I am pretty sure the Mickies were responsible for pushing the youngster out of the nest.

I have never experienced a bird eating so vigorously or so much for its size. A week later and it was exercising its wings and nearly ready for flying. I made a nest out of a used packing case with shade cloth, an approximation of a “hacking box” that the raptor people use. It was located not far from the house in a densely planted area of wattles and taller eucalypts.

Colin in the Hacking cage 21/11/2019

The bird took to it almost too quickly and after only one night in the bush it took off and left me worried it wouldn’t have enough time to adapt to the wild.  I find it difficult to write about “him” or more correctly “it” as I have no idea of its sex. I had such a close and intensive relationship with it that it was named Colin by Michelle Johnston with whom I shared my experience. Of course, it was just as likely to be a Coleen.

Later in the afternoon I heard the familiar vigorous calling, so I took out some defrosted quails and placed them in a hanging dish. A soon as I moved back, Colin came flying in and grasped at the food without stopping at all and made a clumsy landing in a dense branch of a large wattle.  This became a regular routine and Colin would cry from a high point until I came out with some food. He got better at grasping the food and landing and in no time, I would throw a half-grown quail in the air and Colin would appear from his hiding spot and catch the quail before it hit the ground. After about two weeks Colin would be missing in the early morning but turn up later in the day for a feed. It became clear he was gradually finding his own food.

Colin diving in to catch a defrosted quail before it touches the ground, 21/12/2019. This was one of the last times we saw him until his three appearances chased by the Mickey birds in October 2020.

Forty-two days after Colin was found he didn’t come back and I thought that was the end of a brilliant interaction with one our wildest predators that I’m sure I will never forget.  I wondered what impact my rescuing him was. Was he taking one duckling a day? I see several Black or Wood Ducks which usually start with about 12 day-old ducklings and every day this reduced until they have only 2 or 3 survivors. Sparrowhawks would be number one suspect for these losses. My act of saving Colin in the last year would possibly be responsible for more than a hundred ducklings, finches, wrens, and even rarer ground birds such as Button Quails, Pittas and Thrushes dying every year.

But I thought he may not have survived.

However almost exactly a year after Colin released himself, I was out in the garden near the Hacking Cage and I heard the unmistakable strident call from the Wattle clump near the tray on which I used to feed him. It was the same bird. I was just about to go and get Colin some food when the Mickies came in and pushed him from one perch to another until he had had enough and flew off. This has been repeated twice since, so I am sure he is doing well, but he is just another bird that the Mickies can run off. By planting trees and mowing or grazing the grass underneath we are encouraging Mickies and other vigorous birds. They are excluding less dominant species such as finches, wrens and small honeyeaters and making our enjoyment of our flora poorer.  However, I didn’t realize their impact on larger birds although I regularly see them chasing other raptors including the closely related Brown and Grey Goshawks.

Small acts like mine in saving this Sparrowhawk or larger programmes of removing weedy habitat and planting mainly trees, have rather large and not necessarily positive impacts on the fauna of our catchment. It is rather humbling to be involved but it is very clear that we must be careful when we choose to be involved as we are not in control of the consequences.

Three Gorgeous Birds by Ed Frazer

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We have three spectacularly coloured birds in the Moggill Creek Catchment that have similarly beautiful colours, but very different lifestyles.

 They are the Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, The Noisy Pitta and the Rainbow Bee-eater.

Rose-crowned Fruit-dove – © Ed Frazer

The Rose-crowned Fruit-dove visits from the end of September and leaves around Easter each year to move to warmer areas up the coast of Queensland although I have experienced one overwintering in Brookfield. They breed while here in a nest that is not more than a few sticks in the fork of a tree 5 metres or more off the ground. They lay just one egg.

The diet consist mainly on native fruit and they prefer small purple/black fruit which they swallow whole. They also will take small figs and Lillipillies.

Despite their brilliant colours they can be well camouflaged, and they crawl through the branches of the trees in which they are feeding. They are surprisingly abundant in the catchment and have two quite distinctive calls that give their presence away. I am sure they are prey of some raptors such as Sparrowhawks and Goshawks and unfortunately, they are frequent victims of our window strikes.

Noisy Pitta – © Ed Frazer

The Noisy Pittas don’t live up to their name in the Catchment as they seldom call during the winter months when they are here. They come down from places like the Toowoomba Range and the Bunya Mountains where they breed in the summer and where they call incessantly while raising their young.

The Noisy Pitta is always associated with dense leaf litter where they forage for insects and worms. They are a very wary bird as they have to be on the lookout for danger which is unfortunately mainly domestic cats in the Catchment. By September they have gone back to higher ground and I am not aware of any staying in our area over the summer.

Rainbow Bee-eater – © Ed Frazer

The Rainbow Bee-eater is the only one of the trio that frequents the Catchment all-year-round. In the 1970s and 80s they were very common around our paddocks and often lined up along the fences from which they made darting sorties to catch the bees that make up the main portion of their diet. By 2000 they were seldom seen or heard so I encouraged my family to keep beehives and now we see them frequently and we also get a plentiful supply of honey.

They breed communally in tunnels made in the sandy banks of the Brisbane River. They are often heard before they are seen, and they make an attractive rolling drrrrt sound as they gracefully dart around catching bees. They are said to eat other insects such as wasps and dragonflies, buy I see them only eating bees. I am not aware of any serious dangers to the species and they are widely spread around the coast of Australia.

Platypus watch August 2020 – Ed Frazer

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In November 2019, Ed Frazer introduced us to a young Platypus family who also call his property home. As breeding season commences in August 2020, Ed updates us on his playful residents:

It has been 12 months since I started monitoring the platypus in the two big pools in Gold Creek, which borders my property in Adavale St.

I have regularly observed and photographed the two youngsters that were bred in the 2019 season. They emerged from the den in November 2019. One was attacked and wounded and it has now repaired its wounds.

One of the platypus hatchlings from late 2019

 

I haven’t seen or its sibling since July 3, and my overall sightings have greatly reduced since the end of June. Before then I regularly saw platypus every day.

Lately their behaviour has been different, with the platypus travelling large distances between each dive. Their usual feeding pattern is a series of short dives about 45 seconds apart or feeding half out of the water where the leaves build up along the edge of the creek without any rapid change of position.

I assume the change of behaviour is due to the start of the breeding season.

Some of the large platypus I have observed have possibly been males travelling the creek to find mates.

I am pretty sure the youngsters from last year have been driven off, probably by their mother who is preparing for the next family. She would not be inclined to tolerate the youngsters as from now to November as she will need all the food she can get to produce the huge quantities of milk she will need for the next batch of growing babies.

I think last year’s youngsters will have moved to find un-populated territories of their own.  I did see what could have been one a few days ago in the pools near the junction of Gold and Moggill Creeks. I would not be surprised if they work their way to repopulate the upper reaches of Moggill Creek.

Our last MCCG Platypus Survey showed that there were no platypus in this part of Moggill Creek because the water level had been depleted by drought and excessive pumping. Hopefully this year will see a return of the platypus to the area.

The female that raised the two last season has used the same birthing den for many years. It is directly below one of my hides so I can keep a good track of her. Even if I don’t actually see her, I can often detect her movements from the bubble trail she often leaves on the surface.

I did not detect her between July 5 and July 20. I think she will have laid her eggs and is now curled up in the den hatching them. Even after they hatch she will only leave the den for a short time to feed and that will probably be in the middle of the night so I doubt I will see her over the next month.

The platypus mother, November 2019

By September the young will have grown enough that she will have to go out feeding regularly and I’m sure when we have the 2020 Platypus Survey in early September she will be observed as she has been nearly every year. Last October she was out late in the mornings and once I saw her at 2pm on an overcast day.

Hopefully I will see the young again as they emerge from the den in November. It’s quite likely they will add to the population of platypus we are monitoring with our Annual Survey of the Moggill Creek Catchment.

Ed’s previous Platypus observations:

Platypus pictorial December 2019

Will our platypus families survive?

Family life Platypus style! November 2019

To find out how to register for the 2020 survey, follow this link: PLATYPUS SURVERY Sunday 13 Sept – Register NOW!

All photos are the copyright of Ed Frazer

Butterfly bonanza – Ed Frazer

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Lately we are having a Butterfly Bonanza! The seasonal conditions have been perfect for a build-up of butterflies to numbers we haven’t seen in years.

What is adding to their presence is they are being concentrated on the few plants that are in flower at this time.

There is the usual big influx of migrant species such as the Lemon Migrant and the Caper White.

Caper White – © Ed Frazer

The Caper Whites are very variable and all colour forms are present. The migration seems to be much later this year as they usually one of the first butterfly species to arrive.

The Lemon Migrants are also very variable and both the light and dark forms are present this year.

Lemon Migrant – © Ed Frazer

In 2020 we are seeing a few Yellow Migrants that are far less common. They have yellow underwings and white forewings on the upper-side.

Yellow Migrant – © Ed Frazer

This year has again been a bumper year for Blue Tigers. They are infrequent migrators, but when they do come they appear in large numbers. A few seem to be permanent, but migrations bring in the big numbers such as we have this year. Little is known of their migration movements.

Blue Tiger – © Ed Frazer

Another migrant is the Scarlet Jezebel. Some breed locally on Mistletoes, but large numbers come in from the south. When they are flying their upperwings are visible and they look like a plain white butterfly. When settled their spectacular colours are on display. They prefer the Red Bottlebrush flowers whose scarlet flowers show up that the butterfly’s colours are more crimson than scarlet as their name suggests.

Scarlet Jezebel – © Ed Frazer

Of the resident species the Varied Eggfly is doing well, with lovely blue rings on the male’s upper wings.

Varied Eggfly – male (left) female (right) – © Ed Frazer

 

Another spectacular resident is the Blue Triangle.

Blue Triangle – © Ed Frazer

Among the less common species that are around in good numbers this year is the Glasswing.

Glasswing – © Ed Frazer

There are two day-flying moths with the butterflies that are interesting. The Hawk Moth flies with very rapid wing beats – so fast that even with my camera on a shutter speed of one two thousandth of a second there is still some wing movement in the photo. It hovers less than a second at each flower and sucks nectar with its exceptionally long proboscis making it very difficult to photograph.

Hawk Moth – © Ed Frazer

The Crow Moth mimics the Crow Butterflies. The wing pattern is very similar and when encountered it will spread its wings to show its full pattern.

Crow Moth – © Ed Frazer

Photographing butterflies is not easy. I find it more of a challenge than photographing birds. I use a 300mm lens, but any zoom lens would be suitable. I find with my 500mm lens it is too difficult to keep the butterfly in view as they don’t stay still very long.

They are active when warm in the middle part of the day which makes shadows a problem on sunny days, so warm overcast days are the best.

I find that later in the afternoon some species are slowing down and easier to capture.

I recommend setting the aperture well open at f2.4 to f5.6. This will allow the butterfly to be in focus and the background will be less distracting as it will be nicely out of focus. If you can find flowers at the edges of trees so there is a nice even background some distance away as in the Scarlet Jezebel photo above.

Plenty of patience is needed so a take a chair and wait and soon some butterflies will arrive on your chosen flowers. Don’t bother trying to take photos of butterflies in flight. Even if you succeed they don’t have much appeal.

Right now is your best and probably last chance to get some good photos of butterflies for entering in this year’s MCCG’s Photography Competition.

Water dragons – the intelligent lizards – Ed Frazer

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Recently (April 2020), I have been trying to attract the platypus in our part of Gold Creek to come for a feed of crickets and mealworms.

No luck so far but I have an eager line up of six eel-tailed catfish, the gigantic eel, five short-necked turtles from penny size to dinner plate, one kookaburra and seven water dragons.

The water dragon is the MCCG’s emblem and Moggill Creek was named after the water Dragon – Magil in the local Yuggera (Jagera) Nation language.

The current scientific name for the water dragon is Intellagama lesueurii which translates to “Intelligent lizard”, a well-deserved name for an animal that has lived as long as the crocodiles – about 20 million years according to the fossil record.

I go down to the creek about 30 minutes before dawn most mornings.

Within minutes I hear huge splashes as the water dragons belly flop into the water off the branches high in the trees overhanging the creek, where they have spent the night.

Usually you see just their head protruding from the water as they swim eel-like to the bank powering mostly with their tails which are twice as long as the rest of their body. Climbing up the vertical banks is no trouble and by the time they reach my hide they have drip-dried with no sign they were just out of the water.

Usually there is one large male with his big triangular head, drooping yellowish jowls and bright red underside.

He is accompanied by the dominant female, usually three smaller females and a single juvenile male, just showing red, who keeps much to the periphery of the group.

If I keep up plenty of food they all get on well and think nothing of walking on each other or on me to get an insect.

When the food supply is a bit slow the male will chase off the young male who usually escapes back into the water. Sometimes a warning is given by the male “saluting” rapidly to the young one and he waves back slowly a gesture of submission.

The dominant female will also keep the younger females in check with head bobbing or a determined aggressive move in the transgressors direction.

The young here always emerge in the first week of January, so mating must be early October as the eggs take three months to hatch. They are laid in sandy soil on the creek banks and usually 8 to 10 in a batch.

The young avoid the older water dragons and feed on small insects among the leaf litter. Like the adults they climb the trees at night and rest on the smallest branches to avoid predators. Only a few survive the predators that include brown tree snakes, kookaburras and even older water dragons. Unfortunately I have also seen domestic cats using them as play things.

The larger Water Dragons are said to eat figs and Lilli Pillies, but I have never observed that, but I have seen them eating flowers.

They will often stay in the water with just their heads out when the air temperature is lower than the water temperature in the early mornings.

I can attest to their very sharp claws as a small one climbed up my leg leaving four blood spotted tracks.

I can also report that the smaller ones can “walk on water” when they want to cross the creek in a hurry. They are not as good at it as the Green Basilisks (Jesus Christ Lizards) I have witnessed in Costa Rica, but they are pretty impressive with the noise and effort they put into the performance!

When swimming they mainly have their heads out of the water, but they can go much faster fully underwater, which they do to escape the big male.

Wild water dragons are generally thought to be very hard to observe as they splash into the creek well before you manage to see them.  They will appear if you sit quietly and wait.

I find that they quickly are attracted to insects and they have very good eyesight.

They will watch from 20 metres away and I throw an insect towards them whenever they make a forward move.

I find it only takes about 15 minutes and I can attract them right up to me so I can feed them by hand.

By late May they disappear and I understand they hibernate in burrows they dig and seal up until they emerge in Spring.

Why not put on some insect repellent, take a seat down to their name sake creek and get to know our intelligent lizards?

 

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