# Tasmania, Australia pt1



## moloch (May 6, 2010)

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to work on a project in Hobart, Tasmania.  I flew down every week or two for nearly a year and had opportunities on the weekends to head up into the hills.  I really enjoyed my time there and loved the unusual plants and natural features.  Hobart is situated at latitude 42 degrees south so it is a cool to cold place in the winter.  It did not have a great variety of either reptiles or invertebrates but much of what I saw only lives in Tasmania.  I decided to put together a couple of posts of this place since I think it to be a beautiful place to visit.

The following shots are of Hobart.  Mt. Wellington is the mountain located just behind the city.  Many of the old buildings of Hobart are constructed with sandstone blocks.  Some areas, such as Salamance, are beautifully restored.  There is a market at Salamanca every Saturday. 
















Hobart is a coastal city on one of Australia's oldest.  It is situated on a protected bay and was used as a whaling port in the 1800s.  It now is the port from which boats leave for the Australian antarctic research stations. 


























I sometimes drove up to the Pinnacle Track near the summit of Mt. Wellington.  The track was a scenic one that skirted along huge spires.  It often was cold here but if it was sunny, skinks would venture out and bask on the rocks.
1 Organ Pipes along the Pinnacle Track.
2-3 Tasmanian Snow Gum -- the bark of these trees was colourful.
4 Common Pinkberry (_Leptecophylla junipera_), Epacridaceae.
5 Pink-bells (_Tetratheca sp._), Tremandaceae.
6-7 Copperleaf Snowberry (_Gaultheria hispida_), Ericaceae.
8 A common, pretty shrub but I could not find its name.
9 Mountain Eyebright (_Euphrasia gibbsiae_), Scrophulariaceae
10 View along the Pinnacle Track.















































I spent much of my time in the foothills or the summit area of Mt. Wellington.  This mountain is not far from the city centre of Hobart but the habitat is quite different and includes many montane species.   Here are a a few photos of the mountain and its habitat.

















I enjoyed exploring this area since there were numerous bogs with many strange plants.  Damp areas were surrounded by Pineapple Grass (_Astelia alpina_, Liliaceae), cushion plants and many members of the Australian heath family, Epacridaceae.  

Cushionplants were a real feature of these moist alpine areas.  These plants provide a good example of convergent evolution with members of several families including Scrophulariaceae, Lamiaceae, Donatiaceae and  Epacridaceae having adopted this growth form.  I could not identify the cushionplants since none were flowering at the moment. These plants all look the same superficially.  Cushionplants are actually colonies of many plants that grow tightly together.  This growth form is thought to be an adaptation that helps protect the plants from the snow of the Tasmanian winter.  Other plants often germinate within the mound of a cushionplant so the cushion is multi-coloured and textured.
1-3 habitat on plateau of Mt. Wellington.  
4 Pineapple Grass (_Astelia alpina_), Liliaceae. 
5 Rock Daisybush (_Olearia ledifolia_), Asteraceae.
6 lichens like this were thick in some areas.
7 Fruiting bodies of a moss.  These were bigger than any that I have seen before.
8 Alpine Cheeseberry (_Planocarpa petiolaris_), Epacridaceae.
9 Cushionherb (_Ewartia sp._)?, Asteraceae
10 Cushionplant with Pineapple Grass and others in the background.
















































It was often windy and cold at the summit of Mt. Wellington.  Snow was frequent in the winter.
















I am not certain but think this to be a Southern Smooth Froglet (_Geocrinia laevis_).  I found it in a rocky area on the lower slope of Mt. Wellington. 







Blotched Blue Tongue Skink (_Tiliqua nigrolutea_).  These big skinks lived right in the suburbs of Hobart.







Metallic Skink (_Niveoscincus metallicus_) – by far the most common skink in much of Tasmania.  When seen well, their enlarged paravertebral scales were distinctive.  These little skinks lived from coastal areas up to through the mountains.  Metallic Skinks are also found in southeastern Australia.
































Southern Snow Skink (_Niveoscincus microlepidotus_).  These Tasmanian endemics were common on the summit plateau of Mt. Wellington.  I found many skinks along bogs and small streams on the summit plateau of Mt. Wellington during warm weather.  The skinks would swim and even dive beneath the surface when disturbed. They often basked on exposed rocks in the stream bed. 
































Ocellated Skink (_Niveoscincus ocellatus_) – These skinks were common in rocky areas.  This species was another of the Tasmanian endemics.  I found them from Mt. Knocklofty in Hobart to the upper slopes of Mt. Wellington. 



























(_Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii_) – I encountered a few of these skinks in the dry grasslands of Mt. Knocklofty, a small reserve near our accommodation in Hobart.  I observed a few on rocks after sunset one warm evening.

















Grass Skink (_Lampropholis delicata_) – I saw a few of these skinks that are widespread in eastern Australia in moist areas.








White-lipped Snake (_Drysdalia coronoides_).  I only found one of these small elapids at Mt. Knocklofty.  It was sombrely coloured like so many of the Aussie elapids.
















Here are a few of the species of birds that I encountered.  Tasmania has a number of endemic birds and I saw most of these during the months that I spent on the island.
1 Scarlet Robin -- common at Mt. Knocklofty
2 Green Rosella -- common on the slopes of Mt. Wellington.  Tasmanian endemic.
3 Musk Lorikeet -- these usually greeted me at the airport where they fed in flowering gums that lined the parking lot.
4 Black Currawong -- common on the upper slopes and plateau of Mt. Wellington.  Tasmanian endemic.
5 Black-headed Honeyeater -- a few at Mt. Knocklofty.  Tasmanian endemic.
6 Yellow-throated Honeyeater -- common at Mt. Knocklofty and Mt. Wellington.  Tasmanian endemic.
7 Crescent Honeyeater -- common from Hobart to upper forest of Mt. Wellington.  
8 Yellow Wattlebird -- this is the largest of the honeyeaters found in Australia.  Tasmanian endemic.








































I did not see many invertebrates.  I think the weather was just too cool.  Here are a few that I photographed.
1 A cryptic flightless grasshopper that lived in the alpine areas of Mt. Wellington.
2 This “hairy” grasshopper with orange legs lived on rocks of the talus slope near the summit of Mt. Wellingtons.  These could hop but they usually ran and would plunge into a crevice if frightened.  Eventually, they would climb out and then have a look around like the one below.  
3 Green grasshoppers were numerous throughout the alpine areas.
4-5 Red and Black Spiders (family Nicodamidae).  These colourful spiders were usually encountered as they actively hunted on rocks along the trails.


























Pineapple Candleheath (_Richea dracophylla_) – These big heaths were in full flower in the mid and upper slopes of Mt. Wellington in November.  I saw many while I walked along the Pinnacle Track.
















Here are photos of more spring flowers.  November seems to be the best month for flowers near Hobart.
1 Heath (_Epacris sp._), Epacridaceae.
2 Heath (_Epacris sp._), Epacridaceae.

























Terrestrial orchids were abundant at Mt. Knocklofty.  Here are some of those that I observed.
1 Finger Orchid (_Caladenia sp._), Orchidaceae
2 Salmon Sun Orchid (_Thelymitra rubra_), Orchidaceae
3 Orchid (_Thelymitra sp._), Orchidaceae
4 Orchid, Orchidaceae
5 Wax-lip Orchid (_Glossodia major_), Orchidaceae


























Proteaceae is well represented in Tasmania.  My favourite was the Tasmanian Waratah that flowered in late November on the slopes of Mt. Wellington.
1, 2 Tasmanian Waratah (_Teleopia truncata_), Proteaceae.  Unfortunately, these stunning flowers had not yet opened.  These plants were common on the upper slope of Mt. Wellington.
3 Mountain Rocket (_Bellendena montana_), Proteaceae.
4 Mountain Needlebush (_Hakea lissosperma_), Proteaceae – abundant in the mountains and fragrant with a honey-like scent. The plant is well-named with stiff, sharply pointed leaves.
5.  _Banksia sp_., Proteaceae.


























More flowers:
1 Golden Bulbine-lily (_Bulbine bulbosa_), Liliaceae.
2 Slender Blanketleaf (_Bedfordia linearis_), Asteraceae.  These composites grow to the size of a small tree.
3 Hibbertia, (_Hibbertia sp._), Goodeniaceae.
4 Trailing Native-primrose (_Goodenia lanata_), Goodeniaceae.





















More flowers:
1 White Flag-iris (_Diplarrena moraea_), Iridaceae.
2 Blue Daisy (_Brachyscome spathulata_), Asteraceae.
3 _Stackhousia sp._?, Stackhousiaceae.
4 Dwarf Rice Flower (_Pimelia humilis_), Thymeliaceae.
5 Rigid Candleheath (_Richea sprengiliodes_), Epacridaceae.


























Kangaroo Apple (_Solanum lacinatum_), Solanceae.








Regards,
David


----------



## Teal (May 6, 2010)

*What a beautiful place! *


----------



## MaartenSFS (May 6, 2010)

Yes, looks just pristine. I need to move to Aussie or NZ ASAP. Or at least back to China and out of this desolate place.. :barf:


----------



## Paleofish (May 7, 2010)

Awesome! I really would like to have the Southern Snow Skink, It would be awesome to have a skink that goes under water.


----------



## Loudog760 (May 7, 2010)

Awesome thread!


----------



## moloch (May 9, 2010)

Thanks, all.

Maarten, 
"pristine" is a good word for describing many places in Tasmania.  It is an easy place to escape from civilization and often, I would walk for hours without seeing anyone else at all.

Regards,
David


----------



## tarcan (May 9, 2010)

wonderful series of pictures, thank you for sharing them!

That red spider is gorgeous!

Martin


----------



## syndicate (May 10, 2010)

Excellent photos!Really nice selection here!!Did you encounter any _Theraphosids _on your trips?
Thanks for sharing!
-Chris


----------



## moloch (May 11, 2010)

Thanks Martin and Chris.

Chris, I did not see any Theraphosids.  

Regards,
David


----------



## MaartenSFS (May 11, 2010)

moloch said:


> Thanks, all.
> 
> Maarten,
> "pristine" is a good word for describing many places in Tasmania.  It is an easy place to escape from civilization and often, I would walk for hours without seeing anyone else at all.
> ...


I hear that they want to make more roads up north, though.  Also, though there are species of mygalomorphae (relatives of the Sydney funnel-web spider, etc.) in Tassie, there are no Theraphosids, according to some research I did.


----------

