Leaf -Taied Gecko

(Phyllurus platurus) 100-150mmThis is found in the sandstone areas on the Escarpment and is nocturnal Mt Kembla and Helensburgh have a few colonies of them. They are light brown with a motley blotched back to look like lichen so it can camouflage on lichen cover rocks, it has a distinct triangle head and a tail in the shape of a leaf

Mountain Dragon

These are our smallest dragon in the Illawarra and are found in the Heath areas and open wood lands on top of the escarpment.
They have a short head and a blunt snout with a blue mouth lining;
they are a grey to brown to reddish brown with two stripes running down the body
and have a row of small spines running down the tail.
The underbelly is a whitish colour with dark motley specks through it.

Jacky Dragon

( Amphibolurus muricatus ) 12cm-35cm
This is a smaller dragon found mainly on the foreshores sunning it self on the walking tracks to the beaches. A fast moving dragon.
The Jack is brown to grey in colour with body stapes of lighter colour running the length ways along the back, tail often has bands on it.

Eastern Water Dragon

( Physignathus lesurerii ) 50cm -90cm
This lizard is very commonly seen basking around the waterway .
The water dragon has a row of spiny scales running from head to tail, and has a black stripe that runs from the ear to the eye. They are grey upper body with the male having a red chest; they are semi aquatic and very fast moving.

Weasel Skink

Red throated skink

Eastern Bluetongue

(Tilliqua scincoides ) 45cm-55cm
This is a very common lizard to the south coast found in many gardens eating snails and spiders and vegetables, a slow moving lizard and when threatened will raise its head and hiss with there blue tongue out.
The blue tongue has a triangular shaped head and wide body it has short legs and a stumpy tail and the obvious large blue tongue, the upper body has stripes running across ranging from black to yellow.

Shea - Oak Skink

(Cyclodomorphus michaeli ) 12cm -18cm
A slender skink with short limbs and a long tail , when threatened it will rear up all most looking like a young brown snake, its gets confused a lot with juvenile snake. Can be an aggressive lizard when caught,
Found in paddock and forest areas also in the gardens not as common as it was 10 years ago .
They range from a reddish brown to black or grey with an orange tinge underbelly
The scales have blackish edge to them.
Feeds on insects and other lizards.

Coppertailed Skink

(Ctenotus taeniolatus) 50-80mm
This type of skink is found in the sandstone heath areas of the Illawarra.
They are Brown with black stripes running down the uper body with white narrow stripes running down along side the black stipes , with tail having a copper to orange tail
throat has white stripes
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Eastern Water Skink

( Eulamprus quoyii ) 90cm -115cm
A small skink found in nearly every garden , park ,school , creeks on the south coast
A very social lizard.
They are a brown tan to a golden brown down the upper back with black flecks
Under body grey with dark flecks and a side stripe of black with brown to golden flecks. Feeds on insects and spiders.

Lace Monitor / Goanna

(Varanus varius ) 1.60m - 2m
This is the largest lizard on the south coast growing to 2m found on the escarpment
And often found at picnic ground scavenging for scraps .
They are very powerful and have very sharp claws and a bite can be very painful as the hold on and tear with there sharp teeth.
They vary in colour from grey to blue with cream to yellow spots and banding down the tail
Living in hollow logs of eucalyptus trees feeding on birds and small mammals

SNAKES

Diamond Python

( Morelia Spilota spilota ) 150cm -400cm
These are very common to the South Coast area and their colour is mainly black
on the upper body usually with a yellow to cream spot on the scale. The under side tends to be cream .they usually come out in the sun in the warmer months with mating around September.

Can be seen sunning them selves on roof tops

They are usually nocturnal hunters and harmless to humans.
NON VENOMOUS.

Golden Crowned Snake

( Cacphis squamulosus ) 45cm - 75cm
These snake are commonly confused with juvenile Red belly blacks.
The golden crown snake has a dark brown upper body with a pinkish
to red under belly the head has a yellow to golden crown or stripe around the top of its head but dose not join up.
This snake when threatened will sit in striking pose and lunging forward
similar to a brown snake. Found in gardens in leaf litter and under logs and rocks
they are a nocturnal hunter, hunting small skinks.
They are not regarded as dangerous to Humans or pets a bite may have some local swelling.
VENOMOUS BUT NOT REGARDED AS DANGEROUS.

Marsh Snake

( Hemiaspis signata) 40cm -80cm
This snake also gets confused with young Red belly blacks but has a very distinctive cream stripe from the eye to the neck and another along the top lip.
The upper body colour ranges from brown to a dark olive greyish colour and the head can be lighter, found around creeks and watercourses,mainly found when gardening in heavy mulched areas as they hunt for small lizards
Local swelling after a bite may occur.
VENOMOUS BUT NOT REGARDED AS DANGEROUS.

Small-Eyed Snake

(Cryptopis nigescens ) 40 cm-50cm
This snake also get confused with Red belly black snake
With a black to grey upper body and a shiny black head , under body is white to pinkish red, it has very small eyes hence the name found in sandstone areas
And lose leaf litter mainly in the mountain suburbs.

VENOMOUS AND REGARD AS DANGEROUS.

Red Belly Black Snake

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( pseudechis pophyriacus) 1m -2m
Probably the most common snake uncounted on the south coast
Found near the beach to the mountains.
It has a glossy black upper body with red to pink under side ,the snout often fades to a brown colour, a shy snake that will retreat when disturbed.
VENOMOUS AND REGARDED AS DANGEROUS.

Eastern Tiger Snake

( Notechis scutatus )1m-2m
With a wide head that is not always distinct from the body, this snake ranges in colour
From light brown to black on the upper body with some having cross bands of yellow,
Mostly active through out the day found in cooler areas on the escarpment around
Water course as they prefer frog to eat, when disturbed they will flatten there neck out and make a hissing sound. Can be an aggressive snake
VENOMOUS AND REGARDED AS DANGEROUS.

Eastern Brown Snake

( Pseudonaja textilis) 120cm -250cm
This is a very fast moving and aggressive snake can strike from up to half its body length.
Ranging in colour from light grey brown to dark brown on the upper body with cream to yellow on the underside with blotches of orange to grey .
Juveniles can have stripes and or a dark black head losing these as they mature.
When disturbed will stand its ground sitting in an S position and hissing.
VENOMOUS AND REGARDED AS DANGEROUS.

Turtles

Eastern long neck turtle
( Chelodina longicollis ) cl 250mm
These are the only native fresh water turtle to the region and found in many creeks
And swaps
They have a long slender neck dark grey to brown upper and white to cream under side. a short tail, the upper shell or carapace is brown to black , the under side or palstron is white to cream with back markings, juvenile often have bright orange markings on the palstron .
Will release a foul smelling fluid when handled .