Well, there were a few more guesses around the tail in my WIIW.
Unfortunately although Oz is a land of marsupials this creature is from a group that are arguably more dominant Downunder… 50% for being on the right continent.
Linda G tried to build on her 50% with: “Hmm...stingray, maybe?”
I can see why you might guess that given the shape, but although this is a critter that is associated with water it isn’t a fish.
Our closet guess was Susan with: “A skink? Horseshoe crab?”
A marine creature it ain’t, but like a skink it is a lizard so I guess that earns 70%!
SO here is the critter, an Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii).
These guys are common up and down the east coast. This fellow is about average size at about 60cm (2 feet). You will sometimes see males up to about a metre long (39 inches). Usually they hunt small creatures around rivers and up into trees over hanging the banks, when they get a fright they will jump into the water.
I have to say these guys are one of my favourite Oz animals. Further north they are active all year round, normally in sub-tropical Port Macquarie you wouldn’t see these guys in winter. But this fellow has worked out that the central heating of the hotel I stayed at is warm. So he/she hunts moths and other insects that come in to the foyer and hangs out by the inside fish pond!
3 comments:
He's a handsome devil!
He's cute! And big! I would never have guessed that was a tail belonging to someone.
I get excited when I see a measly little skink in the wild; I'd probably squeal like a little girl if I spotted one of them! He's a beauty.
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