Reptiles - Class: Reptilia
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There are more than 135 species of Reptiles in the 'Northern River' region, 85 of which are Lizards. These are found in a variety of habitats and a close look amongst the leaf-litter or amongst the rocks may cause the odd one to show it's self, even if only briefly. Of the eleven Turtles, one is an introduced species, five are found in rivers and creeks, and for the other five, you'll need some snorkeling gear. There are some small islands, just offshore, where the large sea turtles may be seen.
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Of the 40 species of snakes in the region, 30 are regarded as poisonous and in amongst that lot you may find such Australian icons as the Taipan, the Common Brown Snake and the Common Death Adder. The three rank highly in the top-ten most poisonous snakes in the world. Snakebites are rare, however, as these creatures tend to shy away from us as much as we do from them.
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Checklists of the of the various types of Reptiles of the Northern Rivers will soon be available from
the 'CHECKLISTS' page under the 'INFO' tab.
the 'CHECKLISTS' page under the 'INFO' tab.
References and links:
Cann, John and Sadlier, Ross (2017) Freshwater Turtles of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Victoria.
Cogger, Harold C., (2014) Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia (7th Edition), CSIRO publishing, Collingwood, Victoria.
Wilson, Steve and Swan, Gerry, (2013) A Complete Guide to the Reptiles of Australia (4th Edition), New Holland Publishers, Sydney, N.S.W.
Text:
Erik Beringen.
Erik Beringen.