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Wildlife

 
 

Dragons, brown snakes, blue-tongue lizards, skinks, kangaroos, magpies, ducks, all live on, or visit, Cooleman Ridge. Echidnas, rabbits and foxes only show themselves to the quiet, observant visitor. Kookaburras, falcons, rosellas, parrots, robins, cockatoos, magpie-larks, crows/ravens, kestrels and white-faced herons can also be seen. Then there are the millipedes, snails, beetles and centipedes, etc. Insects, frogs and even long-necked tortoises live in and around the dams.

We don't have many photos of these creatures as yet, so feel free to contact us if you have some we can use.

 
 
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Magpie.
 
Galah.
 
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Wood Duck.
 
Golden Whistler.
 
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Buff-rumped Thornbill.
 
Dusky Wood Swallow.
 
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Grey Fantail.
 
Magpie Lark.
 
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Yellow-rumped Thornbill.
 
Superb Fairy Wren.
 
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Weebill.
 
Scarlet Robin.
 
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Weebill.
 
Red-browed Finch.
 
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Pacific Black Duck and family.
 
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo.
 
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Ctenotus robustus - Striped Skink.
This reptile grows to about 300 mm, a third of the length being tail. It is extensively distributed over northern and eastern Australia. Here it is seen sheltering under Hardenbergia violacea.
 
Pseudechis porphyriacus - Red-bellied black snake.
Upper shiny black, with reddish lower sides and belly.
 
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Tiliqua scincoids – Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
This reptile is not venomous, and is often found in suburban gardens where it eats snails and other invertebrates, as well as fruits and berries. It may grow to 50 cm, and produces around a dozen live young in summer.

  Lizard on Kathner Street. At least 50 cm long. Presumably an Eastern Blue-tongue.  
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Dragon
Dragon lizards can vary in colour according to whether they are young or adult, and whether it's breeding season or not.
 
Dragon
Possibly Amphibolurus muricatus - Jacky Lizard or Tree Dragon.
If you can help with exact identification of the two dragons pictured here, please email ridge@inventivedingo.com.
 
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Crinia sp. – Froglet
Length: 2-3 cm.
Call: repetitive - crick-crick-crick
 
Frogspawn
 
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 Centipede Echidna 
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 Aprasia parapulchella – Pink-tailed Legless Lizard
1 adult and 1 young pictured, of a family of 4. Over the years this is only the fourth time members of our group have reported finding Aprasia. According to Dr Will Osborne of Canberra University they are most likely to be found in rocky outcrops in native grassland on north-facing slopes of the Ridge where exotic grasses have not been encouraged by application of fertiliser, and there has not been extensive grazing. When there is moisture in the soil, and before the ground has warmed above their comfort level they may be found under shallowly embedded rocks, in association with colonies of small black ants. They produce two young. Listed as vulnerable.