ABSTRACT Chameleon Dragons Chelosania brunnea Gray, 1845 are well known amongst naturalists of northern Australia as being one of the most cryptic and least frequently observed of Australia’s large, iconic lizards. Despite their broad distribution across the savanna woodlands that dominate northern Australia, very few records exist of this species and, as a consequence, nearly nothing is known about their natural history. Here, we present records of 19 Chameleon Dragons, detected during clearing activities of a small area of semi-arid woodland at Delamere Air Weapons Range, Northern Territory. Additionally, we provide notes on sexual dimorphism, antipredator behaviour and shelter site use in this species. We discuss how some of this novel information may explain why this species is so rarely detected and suggests that this cryptic agamid may be much more common in savanna woodland than currently appreciated.

ABSTRACT Urban freshwater wetlands have been identified as a potential source of mosquitoes of pest and public health concern in Australia. Mosquitoes most commonly associated with these habitats include Anopheles annulipes , Culex annulirostris , Culex quinquefasciatus , Coquillettidia linealis and Mansonia uniformis . However, adaptive management of freshwater wetlands for wildlife conservation or vegetation management can alter the local environmental conditions and may provide opportunities for other mosquito species to exploit these habitats. A series of small wetlands at Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, were drained in spring 2016 and allowed to refill via rainfall to improve conditions for the endangered green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea . Below-average rainfall was experienced that summer and the wetlands did not fully refill until early autumn. Surprisingly, immature stages of the estuarine mosquito, Aedes vigilax , were observed in the freshwater wetlands in exceptional abundances during this period. Adjacent to these freshwater wetlands there are extensive saltmarsh and mangrove habitats where highly abundant populations of Ae. vigilax are common. Observations of use of freshwater habitats by this estuarine mosquito have implications for urban freshwater wetland management and rehabilitation strategies, which currently do not consider the potential pest and public health issues associated with estuarine mosquitoes.

ABSTRACT This short note presents field observations of a pair of adult threatened Little Whip Snakes Parasuta flagellum and a pair of juvenile Common Eastern Brown Snakes Pseudonaja textilis in an aggregation beneath artificially placed Masonite board used in the Turallo Nature Reserve long-term Little Whip Snake monitoring program. The observation represents the first documented record of an interspecific aggregation between these two species. Presumably, there may be thermal or anti-predatory advantages for the Little Whip Snake by aggregating with other snakes, particularly when both species are of a similar size. However, similar behaviours may also have fitness disadvantages including food competition, and potentially predation as the Common Eastern Brown Snake neonates grow and surpass the substantially smaller Little Whip Snake and warrants further experimental research.

ABSTRACT Aerial surveys are a powerful means of collecting ecological data in terrestrial and marine systems that may otherwise be difficult to acquire. Increasingly aerial observations are made with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), such as drones. As this technology has improved in reliability and affordability it has replaced the traditional use of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Drones do, however, have limitations; primarily in their limited flight duration, potential to disturb wildlife and concerns over safety. Here we introduce an aerostat, a ground tethered blimp, as a logistically simple and economical alternative to drones and other aircraft. Blimps differ from drones by using helium for lift, thereby conserving battery life. This technology offers the advantage of near-continuous coverage of locations, as well as providing a safe and accessible alternative aerial platform for a range of applications. We demonstrate the viability of blimp-mounted cameras in a notoriously difficult area to conduct research: the high-energy nearshore marine zone. Specifically, we sought to determine the likelihood of encountering marine megafauna using real-time video and whether their presence was correlated with the occurrence of baitfish. Stingrays were observed more often than other species and the occurrence of seals was correlated with the presence of baitfish. The continuous coverage allowed the observation of foraging behaviour in sharks and seals for extended periods. This demonstrates the utility of this novel technique to improve human safety and enhance ecological research.

ABSTRACT The Eastern Pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanu s is a small arboreal marsupial in the family Burramyidae that is threatened in parts of its range. Considered a generalist omnivore, its diet is known to include invertebrates, seeds, nectar and pollen. Tree sap has never before been recorded as a part of the diet of C. nanus . Here, we report on two observations of C. nanus feeding on eucalypt sap in south-eastern New South Wales.

Mobbing is an anti-predator strategy in which prey animals, notably birds and mammals, aggravate a potential predator to either distract or drive them from the vicinity. The Powerful Owl Ninox strenua is a large forest owl endemic to eastern Australia that preys mainly on arboreal mammals and birds. We identified records of 30 species of birds and one mammal known to mob the Powerful Owl from scientific literature and unpublished studies. In our study in southern Sydney, Powerful Owls were most frequently mobbed by Noisy Miners Manorina melanocephala and Pied Currawongs Strepera graculina , followed by Grey Butcherbirds Cracticus torquatus and Australian Magpies Cracticus tibicen . We observed mobbing by three species of bird and one mammal that were not previously recorded as mobbing species, including agonistic responses by a Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides and Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula during the time owls were active.

Wild Wet Tropics tandan Tandanus tropicanus were collected from the Bloomfield River, Queensland, for examination by histopathology and bacteriology. This provided an opportunity to establish baseline information on the general health and parasite fauna of native freshwater catfish in a pristine river. Histology of gill tissue revealed epitheliocystis in one fish. This is the first report of epitheliocystis in T. tropicanus . Bacterial culture showed light growth of bacteria from the kidney of only two fish, and these were identified as Aeromonas veronii , A. jandaei and Bacillus / Lactobacillus spp. An unidentified monogenean infection was observed in the gills of four fish, and trematode metacercariae were observed in the extra-ocular tissue of four fish. Nematodes were observed in the tissues of nine fish, and sequence and preliminary phylogenetic analysis of PCR products using an ITS primer suggest that these parasites may be a previously unreported Contracaecum species.

In coastal New South Wales most frog species are observed calling and breeding in the warmer months of the year. One exception to this is the Jervis Bay Tree Frog Litoria jervisiensis, which displays a preference for calling and breeding in the cooler months of the year. There are some discrepancies in the published literature on this species, in part due to past taxonomic confusion and some present difficulties in identifying members of the Litoria ewingi species-group. At one site on the Kurnell Peninsula near the geographic centre of this species range, surveys conducted from 2008-2009 revealed that the core period for calling for L. jervisiensis was April to July. Opportunistic observations of territorial behaviour and dynamic sexual dichromatism were also recorded.

Two different hunting methods, used by domestic Dogs Canis familiaris , are described involving attacks on an Orange-footed Scrubfowl Megapodius reinwardt and Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae . The two observations were recorded in widely different habitats: one occurred in a botanical garden and the other on a beach. The two dogs adapted their behaviours for the habitat and the particular challenges presented. One dog used waves in a beach environment, which aided concealment and increased its momentum when springing at gulls. The other dog followed a dry ephemeral stream relying on a combination of scent-tracking and speed to attack the scrubfowl. Both attacks were unsuccessful, although human intervention in the latter may have affected the outcome. The widely differing methods show that dogs are capable of adapting their hunting behaviour to suit particular situations.

Sixteen Barking Owl Ninox connivens records, accounting for 29 birds were made by Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR) staff from 1996-2004 within the lower Macquarie River floodplain in New South Wales. Records suggest a strong association between owl presence and riparian River Red Gum E. camaldulensis forest / woodland. Nearest neighbour distances between records were similar to those found elsewhere on the NSW central west slopes and plains.

An extensive survey was conducted on Bowen Island, Jervis Bay National Park, to locate and describe the breeding sites of Litoria aurea . Five small potentially suitable wetlands were located from aerial photographs and systematic foot-based traverses of the island. Opportunistic monitoring of these sites was undertaken during the period early November 1995 to late January 1996. Low numbers of males were heard calling at three of the five sites, but no indication of successful breeding was recorded. All wetlands on the island were found to be naturally occurring and none contained fish. A preliminary description of the wetlands and observations on the seasonal extent of calling is presented. Because the island is effectively buffered from nearby mainland populations of L. aurea , the island population should be given a priority for conservation, and appropriate monitoring and management conducted to ensure its long-term survival.

The felling of a tree at Brightview, south-west of Brisbane containing a colony of 29 Saccoliamus flaviventris provided an opportunity to obtain data on morphology, ectoparasites, and sex ratios from 13 individuals killed during the tree felling. This is the largest known colony of this species. The limited availabilitv of roost tree may be the cause of this large aggregation bf bats. The importance of checking mature or dead trees prior to felling is demonstrated by the between the sexes, but significant differences occurred between bats from Brightview and Mt. Isa. Incidental observation on echolocation call structure and flight behavior are also presented. The dimensions of the wings of S. flaviventris are similar to Nyctinomus australis , resulting in similar flight patterns for these species, Both species fly straight and rapidly above the canopy, although observations suggest they fly at different times of night, possibly due to differences in prey type.

From a large data base on observer training gathered over 20 years of South Australian kangaroo survey (SAKS), it was estimated that approximately 40-48 hours in the air (including both survey and transport time) were required to train and calibrate a new observer. Training consisted of learning to see a consistent proportion of the population and calibrating this proportion against a "standard" trained observer. On a first survey flight, an untrained observer, even with prior ground survey experience, always saw fewer kangaroos than a trained observer. Proper training of observers is mandatory if aerial surveys for kangaroos are to continue to improve and remain a respected method of estimating kangaroo populations.

In a sample of 49 mature Litoria dentala from a single Sydney population collected over two consecutive nights in early autumn, males were significantly more common than females. Males and females had similar average weights, but females averaged larger in snout-vent length. Females had smaller fat bodies more frequently than did males. Amplexus was axillary. Females contained horn at least 512 to 3054 eggs. and averaged 1868.3 eggs in unambiguously complete clutches. There was no relationship between either clutch size or weight, and female snout-vent length or weight. Relative clutch mass ranged from 0.34 to 0.63, and averaged 0.41. The phalangeal formula for the manus and pes was 2.2.3.3/2.2.3.4.3 for all specimens. The left lemur was longer than the right femur both in terms of number of animals and in mean length.