It is certainly the season for the Northern Leaf-Tailed Gecko (Saltuarius cornutus) at Paluma.
My previous posts during December 2019 have reported the movements of a rather superb specimen at the eastern end of the village between the residences of 13 and 17 Mount Spec Road.
Linda Venn has now contributed a photograph of her resident Gecko, also at the eastern end of the village. Linda reports that this specimen has been sighted regularly at her home over a period of some years. She describes this individual as about 7 to 8 inches in length (or about 20 cm).
Don Battersby says that he has numerous specimens living at this property on Hussey Road. They favour the shed walls and appear nightly to forage for food.
As mentioned by Michele a couple of days ago, there is currently a rather spectacular orchid flowering on the H-Track. It is the Giant Climbing Orchid (Pseudovanilla foliata) Apart from its beautiful flowers (in copious quantity), this orchid is also special in that it has no leaves. It is one of several species of saprophytic orchid that derives its food from rotting wood rather than from photosynthesis. This particular species is not often seen around Paluma since it spends most of its life as an inconspicuous tangle of stems climbing up dead trees – it flowers only briefly. Once the logs and dead trees that it feeds off have fully rotted away it dies off. Wilfred Karnoll informs me that after cyclone Yasi these orchids made a brief appearance in a few locations along the walking tracks near the village.
Flowers are produced in great numbers for a limited period. they have a faint but pleasant scent.
The roots penetrate rotting wood
While this orchid has green stems and may be able to make a small amount of food for itself, it is unlikely to able to grow and produce masses of flowers on this energy source alone. Most saprophytic orchid lack any green colour, and thus do not need (and cannot use) sunlight to obtain food. One group of these orchids has completely forsaken sunlight and spends its entire life, growing, flowering and fruiting underground – never seeing the light of day!
Technically saprophytic orchids do not directly feed off decaying wood and vegetation, but derive their food from a close symbiotic relationship with fungi that do all the hard work of breaking down the fairly indigestible wood and then provide it directly to the roots of the orchid. Whether this is a mutualistic relationship (with both obtaining benefit from the exchange) or a parasitic one (with the fungi being robbed of fuel it would prefer to use for its own growth) is not fully understood. So far, research on this matter appears to have failed to show any clear benefit to the fungi.
After reading a bit more about orchids on the web I discovered that the relationship between fungi and orchids is widespread and devilishly complex. Virtually all orchids rely on fungi for seed germination. Orchids produce seeds that are microscopic in size (they make up for this by producing prodigious numbers in each seed capsule). These seeds are so small that they do not have the energy reserves that all other seeds use to fuel the cell division needed for germination and subsequent growth of the first green leaves that will manufacture new fuel from photosynthesis. These tiny seeds rely entirely on fungi for that germination energy. Some orchids have been shown to have an ongoing obligate relationship with fungi, while others shrug off this reliance once fully developed. A further twist in the orchid-fungi story occurs in some species, where the fungi that the orchid derives its food from, is itself deriving its fuel from the roots of certain tree species. Thus we have sunlight being turned into food high up in the forest canopy and then being transferred down to the forest floor, into fungi and then into the saprophytic orchid!
On Saturday afternoon (28 December 2019) we decided to take a stroll along Paluma’s H-Track. The main impetus for the walk was a tip-off from Jan Cooke that the giant climbing orchid, the ‘Pseudo Vanilla Orchid’ (Pseudovanilla foliata) was in flower along the track. Having never seen this orchid in bloom I was keen to observe and photograph it.
The Pseudo Vanilla Orchid in full bloom.
More information and photographs of this spectacular and unique orchid will appear in a future post by Jamie Oliver.
We started our walk at the eastern end of the H-Track off Lennox Crescent. After some showers of rain in recent days the rainforest appears refreshed and revitalised after the long dry spell. Fungi of several colours, shapes and sizes has sprung from decaying wood along the track.
Brilliant orange fungi growing from decaying wood on the forest floor. Fascinating fungi growing on a tree trunk.
It wasn’t long before we encountered a sizeable red-bellied black snake, actively foraging for food amongst the leaf litter. Upon detecting our presence it appeared quite agitated and retreated into a hole at the base of the buttress roots of a large tree. It immediately reappeared, head first, raised and in defensive mode. We quickly moved on, leaving it to its foraging.
My very blurry and unfocused photo of the red-bellied black snake. I have to admit to being more ‘focused’ on the movements of this snake, than on focusing the camera!
The walking track and surrounding forest floor is littered with numerous fruits and flowers at the present time. We observed the fruit of quandongs (Elaeocarpus sp.) and the brilliant purple fruits of the Paperbark Satinash (Syzygium papyraceum). Many of these fruits showed the distinctive nibble marks of rainforest marsupials and birds.
The bright purple fruits of the Paperbark Satinash.
There are some spectacular trees to see along the H-Track including many large specimens with distinctive buttress roots. There are also some splendid climbing vines weaving their way high into the rainforest canopy.
A stroll along the H-Track is always a pleasure with so much to see and absorb. Take the time for a wander along this short rainforest track and you are sure to be rewarded with many interesting sights, sounds and the wonders of the tropical rainforest. The bird calls alone are worth taking the walk! During our stroll we had the pleasure of listening in on numerous conversations high in the canopy, courtesy of the shrike thrushes, cat birds and whip birds.
Text by Michele Bird, Photos by Michele Bird & Colwyn Campbell.
The Northern Leaf-Tailed Gecko of my previous posts (2 December and 17 December) has been conspicuously absent from its usual home (my garage and laundry) over recent days. On Saturday, we discovered why…….
The Gecko has a second home and now resides at Colwyn’s place, two doors down from my home. We are certain it is the same specimen, given its large size of some 20cm or more. Colwyn checked its measurements just to make sure! Its statistics confirm it is very likely to be the same individual. It is now a different colour being a slightly darker shade of grey-brown, compared with the lighter-brown, coppery colour it had at my place. It appears the Gecko has moved on……!
The Gecko at Colwyn’s place with a darker shade of colour.
In an addendum to his recent post on the flowering Elaeocarpus reticulatus (‘Fairy Petticoats’) at Hussey Road, Michael Drew provides an update on some other flowering tree species on the acreage blocks to the west of Paluma Village.
The photograph below shows a fine specimen of Alphitonia petrieiin full bloom. Michael Drew writes:-
“Alphitonia petriei, also known by the common names of Pink Almond, Red Ash or Sarsparilla tree is a pioneer species, often growing where rainforest has been previously felled. It is found in high altitude areas bordering regenerating rainforest. This tree is not to be confused with Alphitonia whitei found on the banks of creeks in coastal areas.
Other trees such as Commersonia bartramia (Brown Kurrajong) or Commersonia fraseri should not be confused with Alphitonia petriei. The Commersonia spp. usually flower after the Alphitonia in this neck of the woods. There is a very big congregation of Commersonia bartramia out in the ‘Republic of Hussey Road’.
PS: The ‘Fairy Petticoats’ (of the previous post on 6 December) have been shed in the last week causing a thick layer of cast-off petals on the ground and in the birds water bowls…….too hot for fairies to wear petticoats at Christmas!”.
Alphitonia petriei in bloom, resembling ‘Paluma snow’!
This is an addendum to my recent post (2 December) on the Northern Leaf-Tailed Gecko (Saltuarius cornutus) and particularly the large specimen which has taken up residence in my garage. I am pleased to report that this fine gecko has been sighted three nights in a row, foraging in the garage, no doubt looking for spiders, bugs and other goodies to eat.
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to take some better photos of my friend (compared with the poorer quality iPhone photos in my previous post). At high resolution this gecko is even more spectacular. Check out the features in the photos below.
Which end is which?? The head is to the left and the similarly shaped leaf-tail is on the right. A master of disguise for predators!A closer view of the broad leaf-tail.
To add to the story of this superb gecko, on Sunday morning I found that during the night it had shed the skin from its entire body and left it on the garage floor. A complete shedding, right down to the end of the toes!
The shedded skin from the Northern Leaf-Tailed Gecko.
I was thinking about it and I have to admit to being slightly envious of the reptilian ability to shed one’s skin. Wouldn’t it be great if after a hard day at work you could just slip your existing skin and start afresh the next day with a brand new, revitalised exterior??!!
Michele recently documented some plants that are flowering around Paluma late in the dry Season. One would normally not think of looking out for mushrooms at this time of year, with the forest floor about as dry as it ever gets, and most fungi either totally absent or, in the case of bracket fungi, persisting as dried-out colourless husks clinging to logs and tree trunks. However there is one group of fungi whose fruiting body (what we call a mushroom) make a regular occurrence at this time of year and they are really quite spectacular in their shape. They are called coral fungi (most of them in the genus Ramaria), and as a coral biologist I can attest that they bear a striking resemblance to true corals.
Ramaria sp
I have seen two fine specimens of coral fungi in the last few weeks. One on the track to Witt’s lookout (above), and the other at the cutting outside the gate to 28 Mt Spec Road. They are probably gone now but there should be others coming up over the month around the village and adjacent tracks.
Ramaria sp
Coral fungi, despite there impressive appearance have not been well documented in Australia. According to the Qld Mycological Society, there are only 19 described species of Ramaria in Australia, but “… it is quite possible that the total number of species of Ramaria found to occur in Australia will be over 100.” None of the 18 recognised species in Queensland looks similar to the ones in the photos here so it is quite possible that these specimens are are an undescribed species (or tw0)!
The latest news on ‘Leonard the Lizard’ from Lennox Crescent……
Len Cook has provided a new photograph of Leonard the Lizard, aka the Lace Monitor as it continues to frequent and forage in the gardens at the western end of Lennox Crescent.
Our post last week (02/12/19) prompted several other residents to respond with reports on Leonard’s whereabouts and activities, with some reports suggesting Leonard might have some Lace Monitor friends about the place!
Jamie Oliver notes that Leonard makes a regular appearance at his place (next door to Len Cook) and has made the garden and driveway its home. Lynda Radbone reports that she has seen a Lace Monitor at least three times over the past few weeks in Colwyn Campbell’s garden (watch out Flossy!!). Lynda thinks that this Lace Monitor might be a different individual to the one frequenting Lennox Crescent, as it is appears smaller and with more distinct markings. Lynda has also seen Lace Monitors at her place (last year) at the western end of the village. Lynda said that she regularly watched her Lace Monitor snacking on skinks in the back garden.
Are there any other sightings of Lace Monitors at Paluma? Let us know!
Text by Michele Bird & Photo by Len Cook.
Editors note: (May 1, 2020) Recent correspondence from a herpetologist at James Cook University indicates that Leonard is in fact a different species (Varanus panoptes – Yellow-spotted Monitor)
We all mourned the passing of Roy Mackay this year. He made a major contribution to Village life, and is perhaps best remembered for his regular articles in Turkey Talk under the banner of “Nature Notes”. These articles contained a wealth of information on the comings and goings of local plants and animals, but also wandered into philosophical musings and historical anecdotes. While its possible to use the online Turkey Talk archive to look up past Nature Notes articles, I thought it would be useful to compile all of them into a single document that can be perused at ones leisure or used to look up accounts of particular species or events. After a few stops and starts during the year, this compilation is now completed and available in our Documents Library in the Nature section.
The compilation lists all nature-related articles published by Roy from 2011 up til the end of 2018. Some of the early contributions had different titles, but the majority used the familiar “Nature Notes” banner.
I enjoyed putting this booklet together and reading through all the past contributions. I learned a lot and got to feel I knew Roy better as a result. I hope you will take a moment to look through it. There is a subject index, but if you are reading the pdf file on your computer, you can use the Find function (Ctl-F) to look for occurrences of any word
Well, my weekend at Paluma was a very eventful one, thanks to the local reptilian population. No doubt the recent warm and dry weather within our little village has contributed to the flurry of activity for the local lizards and snakes.
It all started last week when Len Cook told me that he has a new tenant at ‘Len Cook Ceramics’ on Lennox Crescent. Indeed, a rather large goanna has recently appeared and made Len’s garden its home and regular foraging ground. Len has spotted the goanna daily over almost a week. It’s favourite place to forage is at the large concrete drain along the front of Len’s block. Len has named his new friend ‘Leonard the Lizard’.
Leonard the Lizard at Len Cook Ceramics.
Len (Cook that is) notes that he has not seen goannas in the village in the past, although Jennie Robinson told me that she has occasionally seen them at the back of her garden at the western end of the village. We were speculating as to whether the recent dry conditions might be contributing to this individual foraging over a broader territory, or whether it might be seeking water.
‘Leonard the Lizard’ appears to be a fine specimen of Varanus varius (Lace monitor). These ground-dwelling goannas are fairly common in the wet tropics region (https://www.wettropics.gov.au/dragons-and-monitors). They are diurnal and their diet includes insects, lizards, mice and snakes. Monitors are reported as being immune to most snake venom and they will readily kill and eat venomous snake species.
Editors note: (May 1, 2020) Recent correspondence from a herpetologist at James Cook University indicates that Leonard is in fact a different species (Varanus panoptes – Yellow-spotted Monitor)
Which leads me to the second reptilian encounter of my weekend………
Late on Saturday afternoon I encountered a rather large red-bellied black snake in my garage, happily checking out my gum boots . After I almost trod on it, it retreated to find refuge under some gear stored in the garage. A quick call to Len (Cook, not the Lizard) and he arrived with sturdy rake in hand to deal with the invader. The snake was expertly wrangled by Len with rake and wheelie bin and marshalled out of the garage and back into the garden. I, of course expertly directed the whole operation from a suitable but distant vantage point. Many thanks to Len Cook for his fine herpetological wrangling skills, which he seemingly took in his stride.
Lessons Learnt by me: 1). Don’t leave the garage door open. 2). Clean up the garage and reduce potential snake hiding places, and 3). NEVER put my gum boots on without first taking a look inside to see what might be in there!
Saturday evening the close encounters with reptiles continued, but to my considerable delight! In my laundry I found the most incredible specimen that I have ever seen of the Northern Leaf-Tailed Gecko. This lizard is an absolute stunner!
The Northern Leaf-Tailed Gecko (Saltuarius cornutus) is described as a large gecko with a triangular head, narrow neck and a broad, leaf-like tail. Unlike most geckos it has clawed toes rather than adhesive discs on its feet. The dorsal surface of the skin has sharply pointed tubercles (horns). All of these features are clearly seen in my photograph.
These geckos are nocturnal tree dwellers and they prey on large insects, spiders and cockroaches. Their colouration usually depends on their habitat and they are experts at camouflage. Because I disturbed this specimen at night by switching on the light, it clearly did not have time to adapt its colouration (camouflage) to the surroundings (the grey concrete laundry floor). I am pleased to report that it reappeared on Sunday night so it would seem the laundry and garage are now part of its regular foraging territory.
Most exciting of all is that the literature I have read indicates that the average body length of these geckoes is about 14 cm. This guy is therefore a giant at very close to 20 cm in length. It even allowed me to take some measurements as proof (see photo below). Perhaps I have found a new sub-species of this gecko? The Giant Paluma Northern Leaf-Tailed Gecko? Sounds very good to me!
You just gotta love where we live!
Text by Michele Bird. Photos by Len Cook and Michele Bird.
