The Reptiles of Cussen Park
An amusing character, which can be found from time to time in Cussen Park, is the long neck turtle. These are true turtles, which spend the majority of their lives in water, living on worms and other invertebrates, small fish or whatever else takes their fancy.
These turtles are a common sight in wetlands creeks and rivers across Eastern Australia. In Cussen Park you may see them sunning themselves on a log, or simply lounging around in the water watching the passers by.
You may often come across these turtles around Cussen Park, especially after rain. If you find one on the side of the road please drop them back in the water off Ross Street J .
For more information:
Olympic Ecology Program Site (Snake Neck Turtle)
As a legacy of the disappearance of the natural environment across much of Northern Victoria, one group of animals that has suffered substantially are the lizards.
Under natural conditions, species such as the Blue Tongued Lizard, Shingleback, Lace Monitor, Bearded Dragons and a range of smaller species including Legless Lizards would have been common in the area that now makes up the park. These species are not found in the park today. The occasional specimen of these species may be found on roadsides in summer in the area but are locally very rare.
Currently there are only two species of lizards known to occur in the park. These are an as yet unidentified small skink (found from only a few specimens) and the Marbled Gekko.
The marbled Gekko is a very widespread and adaptable species who's range extends from Eastern Victoria to the extremities of Southern Western Australia. It is generally associated with Redgum (Eucalyptus camauldulensis) woodlands and forests but is equally at home in your garden shed. In fact, if you live in Northern Victoria there is a good chance you have a population living somewhere on your property.
These lizards live communally and can often be found huddled together under a single piece of bark. Gekkos can often be heard calling to each other in a short sharp barking sound, not unlike a frog call.
Because this species hunt insects by night it forms an important part of the food chain for other nocturnal carnivores such as Owls which can pick them off from trees. The fat stored in the base of the tail provides a tasty meal. The tail of this Gekko is shed if the lizard is attacked as a sacrificial meal to a "would be" attacker and regrow over several years.
Water Skinks
Unfortunately these interesting and comical little creatures are absent from the park although it is likely that they once occurred in the Mosquito Depression in large numbers prior to European settlement. Water Skinks are a common site along the banks of the Murray and lower Goulburn Rivers amongst the tangled roots of River Redgums.
The Committee of Management will investigate the opportunities for the re-introduction of this species to the park. This will depend on the ability to supply suitable habitat, in the form of wood fringing the lagoons.
For more information:
One of the facts about having a bushland park, especially one containing wetlands is that they will have snakes. Cussen Park is no exception.
Cussen Park is home to at least 2 species large bodied venomous of snakes, the Eastern or Common Tiger Snake, and the Common Brown Snake. The Red Bellied Black snake has not been observed in the Park, at least in recent history but may be an occasional visitor.
The following links "very briefly" describe these species and their habits.
For More Information:
Living With Snakes (This is a Great Page by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service)
Museum of Victoria Snake Database - (all you'll need to know about the distribution Victorian Snakes)
Sydney University Snake Page -( a good reference on snakes identification and treatment of bites - follow the links to a number of other sites)
The Authors Biased Views on Snakes