Legless Lizards in the Land of the Flowering Mallees

Day 43, Ridge-fruited mallee, Eucalyptus angulosa, Lowlands Coastal Reserve, Sunday, 6 December 2020

Eucalyptus angulosa, Lowlands Coastal Reserve , 5 December 2020, looks far more spectacular in real life

You have to go there! Walk about one and half kilometres along the Bibbulmun track west of where it intersects with the Knapp Head Road 4WD sand track.

All of a sudden , in the valley , the vegetation changes, and you come across a profusion of Eucalyptus angulosa and Banksia praemorsa in flower (saving Banksia praemorsa for a later post). Quarral is the Noongar language name for Eucalyptus angulosa.

Singing our land stories, Quarral to the right , Praemorsa to the left, depending which direaction you walk

Singing my songs , dancing along “Praemorsa to the left, Quarral to the right, dancing in the middle with joy” to the tune of Gerry Rafferty’s (in the days of Stealers Wheel) “Stuck in the Middle” — you change the words around depending on whether you’re walking east west or west east. Thanks to my cool Zumba and Latin teachers, Julie, Claudia and Ainsley for extending my repertoire of dance steps.

Wide margins on the leaves, and ridged fruit, My copy of MIH Brooker and D. Nicholle book to compare leaf angle and margin

I have a wonderful book by MIH Brooker and D Nicolle, which helps me identify gum trees from their leaves, but with Eucalyptus angulosa , the main clue is the ridged fruit, of course.

Bee pollinators, heads down, bums up, working hard

Ants getting in on the act, and many buds still to come

Our Lowlands Reserve Eucalytpus angulosa are reputed to be a different subgenus, but I haven’t found the reference I’m looking for this. There is another population of Eucalyptus angulosa at the wind farm, 30 km east of here

Walking home, I came across a legless lizard lying in wait. But I’m too big to be its prey , even though it usually eats some very large critters (it mainly eats lizards, sometimes it’s a cannibal), it didnt stick around to pose for better photos.

Here she is, distinctive track-like stripes lengthways on the body is a the clue to this species, Legless lizard (Pygopodus lepidopus)

Writing this daily blog featuring a plant a day and walking daily is my fundraising effort for Bush Heritage #groundworkchallenge . To join my team or donate go to https://www.groundworkchallenge.org.au/fundraisers/sheilamurray/2020?fbclid=IwAR2HbNn0YsCCc3tiSK-_lbF5xLsssaD8wjGHaUwVYrRqYxM-kdJkijoj2N0

Lowlands Coastal Reserve is on Menang Boodja — country. I celebrate the strength, resilience and capacity of the Menang Noongar people who are the traditional owners of the land.

Lowlands Coastal Reserve is managed by the local community and the City of Albany. Bush Heritage Australia manage many other wonderful reserves.

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