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Just Hangin'


Just Hangin'
Photo Information
Copyright: Mattias Johansson (sarastro) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 197 W: 157 N: 62] (587)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1990-10
Categories: Humorous, Nature
Camera: Nikon F-301, Nikkor 50mm, Skylight
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Road Creatures, Australian wildlife [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2003-11-15 8:46
Viewed: 1501
Points: 2
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I decided to let this weekends postings go in the sign of "small Austrailan reptiles that I found on the road".

This picture was taken on the same trip out bush as my previous Emu picture. We spotted this guy basking on the road, so instead of running him over we stopped and took a closer look.

Meet the Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa)(Thank you Lawrie for the correction). These guys still have a distinctive blue tougue that they display when they feel threatned, just like their relatives the blue tongues.

This guy was a cool customer though, we where obviously not intimidating him at all because I never got to see his tongue. He was just hanging there, allowing me to take his picture before we released him on the side of the road.

This is a pretty common lizard and they don't mind settling in urban areas. They eat snails, maggots, insects but also some vegetables.

Tomorrow we take a look at the Thorny Devil.

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To killhim: Age of the handsarastro 2 04-21 15:25
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Good 
  • zto Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 890 W: 247 N: 24] (292)
  • [2003-11-15 9:30]

This is one lucky guy Mattias, who meet pepole who apriciated it and stopped rather then ran it over.
Good sharpness and DOF. Guess that he would run away as soon as you put it on the ground. :) To bad you can't see the eyes of it but otherwise it's technically verry good.

Hahaha, a blue tongue lizard. These guys live in gardens and sheds and love to eat pinkys, which are baby rats and baby mice. They are relatively calm and harmless otherwise. I suppose this guy was pleased to absorb some heat from your hand, seeing that you found him by the side of the road basking. Sometimes they do go onto the bitumen and absord double heat, from the sun and from the road. Snakes do the same thing, perhaps you will be able to find a snake next time. I would have liked to see its face more clearly.

It's actually not a Western Blue-tongue, but a Shingleback _Tiliqua rugosa_ (aka Trachydosaurus rugosa in some books). But a great critter by any name!

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