East Timor Expedition

[nycherper]

Photos from June-July 2010 East Timor survey with Dr. Hinrich Kaiser and Mark O'Shea.

Polypedates leucomystax

Cryptelytrops insularis (Island Pitviper)

Fejervarya sp.

Lamprolepis smaragdina (Emerald Tree Skink)

Hemidactylus frenatus (house gecko)

Draco timorensis (Gliding lizard)

Carlia sp. (Four fingered skink)

Gekko gecko (tokay gecko) hatchling

The abundant, timid jungle dog!

Liasis mackloti (Macklot's water python)

Coelognathus subradiata (Lesser Sunda racer)

Scolopendra centipede. Big and feisty!

New Crytodactylus sp. (Bent toed gecko)

Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Black-spined toad)

Interesting looking Hemidactylus sp.

Gehyra mutilata

Laticauda colubrina (Yellow lipped sea krait)

Python reticulatus (Reticulated python) taking a shower!

Crocodylus porosus (Salt water crocodile)

Eutropis multifasciata (Sun skink)

Nephila vitiana (Femail orb weaver) on my back for comparison!

Huntsman spider. Gone in the blink of an eye!

Timorese children playing high up in the mountains!

 

[oswald]

Thanks for sharing

Lamprolepis are absolutely stunning

 

[Geitje]

Thanks for sharing! Very cool photos and animals. I think that your "Gehyra mutilata" is in fact a Hemidactylus of some sort. G. mutilata has completely smooth skin, without any enlarged dorsal tubercles on the body, and the snout of G. mutilata is much shorter and broad.

Jon

 

[nycherper]

Interesting input Jon, what lead me to believe that this is a Gehyra is the enlarged tubercles, large claws that originate at the base of the toepad, and the fact that there was evidence of dermal autotomy. Another interesting point is that the two specimens we did collect that are labeled "G. mutilata" were both rather bitey compared to all the hemidactylus that were caught. I would like to have a proper ID for this species.

 

[danscantle]

I agree with Jon; your Gehyra mutilata is without question a Hemidactylus. It's probably H. brookii, or some close relative. An exciting find nevertheless- how that thing is hanging on in the face of H. frenatus and H. platyurus is impressive.

Several species of Hemidactylus (particularly Indian/SW Asian species) can shed their skin.

Gehyra mutilata are smooth, velvety, and have much smaller claws. Furthermore, the toepad is more distally dilated in G. mutilata and the head is more rounded (almost circular in appearance, and not elongated like the Hemidactylus you've photographed.

Also, where did you find it? If you found it at night in front of lights that's further evidence it was not Gehyra. I've caught dozens of them and they were all in the shadows, well removed from any light source.

 

[Sgvreptiles]

Sick pictures man.
I think you should get a tattoo of that orb spider on your back. Same position as in that photo. That would be bitchen. haha
Did you bring anything back for studys?

 

[nycherper]

Dan thanks for the input. One specimen was found during the day sleeping and the other was found at night close to a light source. I'll take another look and make sure that gets properly identified.

Here are a few more images...
Only Varanus timorensis found DOR

Another DOR we found, macklot's python... I think the we found 3 DOR

Another shot of the spider for perspective because many people have asked me if the spider was actually a tattoo!