I'm about halfway through my trip, and have just returned to Cairns after a brief visit home to the USA for Christmas. I haven't been able to post before because the research station I'm staying at has a limit of 25 MB per device per day (and a lack of personal discipline). But I did take notes on things that have happened, so I'll be posting backdated info and photos over the next week while I'm in Cairns (the research station is closed until January 7th).
For now, here's a photo of an Amethystine python (more commonly referred to as a scrub python here in Australia). They're the longest pythons in Australia, which has about 14 species total, although this one was a mere 6 feet (1.8 m) or so! They have distinctive head scales that are symmetric on the left and right sides, as well as an awesome iridescent sheen when the light hits them. Although scrubbies aren't a part of my research project, they were close to the top of the list of things I wanted to see in Northern Queensland, so I'm glad I ran into this guy. After posing for pictures, my scaly friend here continued moving through the leaf litter, tongue flicking, occasionally pausing to sit in a patch of sunlight.
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