To the west of where I live is an area called the Devils Wilderness. There are numerous fire trails in this area for obvious reasons- being in the national park also means being in an extreme fire risk area. The last time a Bulldozer cleared the trails was about 2003. Here is a short clip of the trail which is now very overgrown. Lucky my Landcruiser has brush guards to protect the body work. There is one section where you can see the camera bounce a round a bit as a rock gives way under the tyres and rolled over the edge.
In the area at the end of the trail an interesting lizard can be found. These are called Mountain Heath Dragons, and are found usually where the heath meets the sandstone outcrops. Harmless and full of energy,(when its sunny),They add a bit of colour and action to the bush! They also change colour to blend in with the rocks and darker hues of burnt timber.
This is one David caught and is a larger example than most.
the path does seem pretty chunky.
ReplyDeletethat little guy is cute
~laura
Laura- yes you are right! Beautiful views at the end too!.. this dragon was a handful so we let him go!
ReplyDeleteThat looks an exciting ride mate. Do you ever see wallabies alomg those trails?
ReplyDeleteI bet those lizard things would go well on a BBQ.
Shriek.
ReplyDeleteSimon, Simon, Simon. Such a boy, lol.
OK, well I had a salamander once that I adored. Also, I really like frogs...but this looks a little bit scary. The word 'dragon' + a handful = makes me wonder. But it is a very cool name, Mountain Heath Dragons.
That is an interesting looking lizard. Glad you are finding time to get outdoors with David.
ReplyDeleteMaalie- yes we see Skinky Swamp Wallabies! You might recall thats the track we walk to the end of.
ReplyDeleteSusan! thanks :o) You like frogs? I will send you a picture of one, and you had a salimander? thats V. cool!
Kiwi- thanks, wait for the next episode!! :o)
That is a female Jacky Lash-tail Lizard they are commonly mistaken for Heaths as they are similar in patterns and colours but larger in size they are both found on the Great Dividing Range. I'm a reptile breeder and breed these two species for a living, they are extremely energetic lizards but the Lash-tails, love to put up a fight :P . But honestly thats a very cute picture!
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