Australian Frog and Reptile Show Sydney (Lots of Pictures!!)

[Zach]

Amazing spread, Ruth!

I'm actually pretty sure this is an Eastern:

[Pike]

and the huge eastern is a northern

[mouseinamilkbottle]

Fixed, Zach. I'm pretty sure it was the same exhibitor that submitted them, so them both being Easterns would make sense.

Pike, what makes you think that it's a Northern?

I'm certain this was actually labelled Eastern, because I double checked when I saw how big it was. I also had a conversation with another show-goer next to me about his size, and that person actually replied that it might be big for an Eastern, but that I should see how huge some of the Northerns they'd worked with were.

[Zach]

and the huge eastern is a northern

Pike is correct. I missed that one as I was taken with the patternless eastern!

[mouseinamilkbottle]

What makes it scream Northern? It isn't a great pic for identification.

[Colin Hamilton]

Great lot of photos ruth,those baby alpines look like they were recent arrivals,mine are all quite big now,looks like you had a good time i was too busy to make it there.

[Zach]

What makes it scream Northern? It isn't a great pic for identification.

It's difficult to explain as Northerns and Easterns can look very similar -- I've just seen and compared so many pictures I can tell the difference fairly well....

I wish I had a more helpful explanation!

[mouseinamilkbottle]

What makes it scream Northern? It isn't a great pic for identification.

It's difficult to explain as Northerns and Easterns can look very similar -- I've just seen and compared so many pictures I can tell the difference fairly well....

I wish I had a more helpful explanation!

It's tricky because this was one I was certain was labelled Eastern. It looked like a no question Eastern on the day. The trouble with the picture is that it doesn't show how dark the eyebars were, and makes the side stripes look a lot brighter than they were. If those elements are the things determining your identification, then don't trust them - the photo's a really poor one.

The other factor is that I don't know how it could get into the final stage of the judging labelled as an Eastern if it wasn't one. This Expo's more or less the biggest herp thing to happen all year. There were retailers there from as far away as Victoria and Queensland, and I'd imagine the judging of the blueys was pretty picky, considering how common they are here.

[Bird_Brain]

Yeah, I think it may be.

reptileking, WallflowerGirl actually tells me that snake I wasn't sure of is a Rough Scaled Python, not a Woma. It was a prize that you could win, along with a turtle enclosure, a hypermelanistic and an albino juvenile Eastern BTS (all donated by Snake Ranch, I think). We took pictures of the hypermelanistic and albino BTS, but the pics didn't come out.

Sorry about a late response. I missed this for some reason.

I would put $1000 on it being a woma. The nice banding and orange head give it away. Also the black "eye brows" are another indication. Also, the shape of the head. Another thing, although not shown in your picture, is womas and Black headed pythons are primitive species and lack the heat sensing pits that other pythons have. Womas and BHP have a more colubrid shaped head.

Here is a picture of a rough scaled python. IMO, it looks nothing like the one in your picture.

[Pike]

Hi Mouse,the lack of eyebands and the orange blazes on the side are a big part, coupled with its extra big size and overall appearence all scream northern.But as you say its not a good pic,maybe someone has a better one(i dont I checked).When I went through nothing was labelled,maybe cause it was after hours.I may have video , I will check. Also reptileking is right, its a woma, the first monitor with a ? is a bells phase lace monitor,the water snake with the? is a keelback or fresh water snake,the spiny tailed monitor is a northern ridgetailed or whites monitor and the last monitor with a ? is a spencers monitor.
hope this helps.
Mike

[Tigergenesis]

Awesome pics! thanks for sharing!

I have to agree with Brad - screams Woma to me. Gorgeous nonetheless.

The pic labeled "?Central? Carpet Python" is a Centralian Carpet Python aka Bredl's Python.

[mouseinamilkbottle]

Pike and Tigergenesis, fixed all of those up except the Spiny Tailed Monitor.

The tank that it was in on the day listed both "Spiny Tailed" and "Ridge Tail" as correct names - I just picked one to use on the album. Also, googling it, websites seem to use the names interchangeably. For example: http://www.pilbarapythons.com/ridgetail.htm

I couldn't find a photo of a White's Monitor, so I couldn't compare it.

[Pike]

Hi Mouse, look up Varanus baritji, its a close relative of the ackie, but spiny tail is fine, its one of the spiny tailed group.

[mouseinamilkbottle]

Checked out a few pictures. Some looked too dark to be the same, like this:



but this one looked just like my photo.



So I don't know. I think I'll leave it as "Spiny Tailed Monitor" but put "possibly White's Monitor" in brackets in the description.

[Pike]

Mouse, that is the one from the show. I have a pic of it on the same rock.

[mouseinamilkbottle]