Lord Howe and Philip Islands

11801-68812 Grey ternlet (Procelsterna cerulea albivitta) adult on nesting cliffs, Phillip Island, Norfolk Group *

11801-68902 White tern (Gygis alba candida) pair 'apparently' perched on a branch in a Norfolk pine, although in fact the nearer bird is incubating a single egg - which is characteristically laid on a bare branch. Norfolk Island *

11801-68901 White tern (Gygis alba candida) egg which has been characteristically laid on the bare branch. Norfolk Island *

11701-31001 Red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) pair on breeding ledge *

11701-31004 Red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) head of adult on nest

11801-31001 Red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) adult in courtship flight. Lord Howe Island *

11801-33008 Masked or Tasman booby (Sula dactylatra tasmani) adult with young chick. Spin Bay, Phillip Island, Norfolk Group *

11801-33001 Masked or Tasman booby (Sula dactylatra tasmani) adult with young chick. Spin Bay, Philip Island, Norfolk Group *

11801-33023 Masked or Tasman booby (Sula dactylatra tasmani) head of adult. Spin Bay, Philip Island, Norfolk Group *

11001-12504 Flesh-footed shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) adult in palm forest. Lord Howe Island *

11001-12501 Flesh-footed shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) head of adult in palm forest. Lord Howe Island *

11801-19503 White-naped petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis) pair. A recent colonist on Philip Island where this photograph was taken *

11801-19501 White-naped petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis) pair. A recent colonist on Philip Island where this photograph was taken *

11801-20002 Black-winged petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) adult. Philip Island *

11801-20004 Black-winged petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis) adult. Philip Island *

11801-20609 Kermadec petrel 'summer' (Pterodroma neglecta neglecta) a polymorphic species, with a confusing array of plumages - this is a 'dark-phased' adult on nest on forest floor. Philip Island, Norfolk Group *

11801-20604 Kermadec petrel 'summer' (Pterodroma neglecta neglecta) a polymorphic species, with a confusing array of plumages - this is a 'light-phased' adult on nest on forest floor. Philip Island, Norfolk Group *

11801-73001 Norfolk Island Red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii) male perched in canopy foliage. Norfolk Island National Park, Norfolk Island. This rare species may well be the same parakeet which became extinct on Lord Howe Island, although as yet no phylogenetic reconstruction using DNA sequences as been undertaken *

11701-36209 Lord Howe woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) male 'sunning' during a break in the clouds, on the summit of Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island *

11701-36203 Lord Howe woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) male at edge of palm forest, on the summit of Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island *

11701-36201 Lord Howe woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) male in Blechnum fern at the edge of palm forest on the summit of Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island *

11701-36103 Lord Howe woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) pair with male on left, resting beneath Blechnum ferns at the edge of palm forest on the summit of Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island *

11701-75103 Lord Howe Currawong (Strepera graculina crissalis) on lichen covered branch in the palm forest on the summit of Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island *

11703-00102 Lord Howe horned turtle (Meiolania platyceps) reconstruction of an extinct species from Lord Howe Island. Similar animals once lived in New Zealand, and New Caledonia, and were much smaller than their giant relatives from the Australian continent.

11803-25004 Norfolk Island Skink (Oligosoma lichenigera) although Norfolk and Lord Howe islands are Australian territories, their plants and animals are closely related to many species native to New Zealand. This skink occurs on both Norfolk and Lord Howe Island Groups and belongs in the same genus as our New Zealand skinks. Phillip Island, Norfolk Group *

11803-25006 Lord Howe Island Skink (Oligosoma lichenigera) although Norfolk and Lord Howe islands are Australian territories, their plants and animals are closely related to many species native to New Zealand. This skink belongs in the same genus as our New Zealand skinks. Phillip Island, Norfolk Group *

11803-17013 Guenther's Island gecko (Christinus guentheri) adult taking nectar from Lagunaria flowers. Phillip Island, Norfolk Island Group *

11803-17011 Guenther's Island gecko (Christinus guentheri) adult taking nectar from Lagunaria flowers. Phillip Island, Norfolk Island Group *

11803-17012 Guenther's Island gecko (Christinus guentheri) adult taking nectar from Lagunaria flowers. Phillip Island, Norfolk Island Group *

11803-17001 Guenther's Island gecko (Christinus guentheri) adult with eggs in leaf litter. Phillip Island, Norfolk Group *

11805-14508 Phillip Island Centipede (Cormocephalus coyneii) large adult feeding on a Guenther's Island gecko (Christinus guentheri) in a 'white oak' tree (Lagunaria patersonii). Adult centipedes such as this can grow to almost a foot in length and they are a significant predator of vertebrates such as reptiles and seabird chicks on the island. Centipede venom is encased in two swollen pincer-like appendages or forcipules, on each side of the head. With these forcipules, the centipede envenomates its unsuspecting reptile or petrel chick prey and slowly consumes it whole, leaving behind only a cleanly stripped skeleton. Phillip Island, Norfolk Island Group *

11805-14503 Phillip Island Centipede (Cormocephalus coyneii) large adult feeding on a Guenther's Island gecko (Christinus guentheri) in a 'white oak' tree (Lagunaria patersonii). Adult centipedes such as this can grow to almost a foot in length and they are a significant predator of vertebrates such as reptiles and seabird chicks on the island. Centipede venom is encased in two swollen pincer-like appendages or forcipules, on each side of the head. With these forcipules, the centipede envenomates its unsuspecting reptile or petrel chick prey and slowly consumes it whole, leaving behind only a cleanly stripped skeleton. Phillip Island, Norfolk Island Group *

11805-14501 Phillip Island Centipede (Cormocephalus coyneii) large adult feeding on a Guenther's Island gecko (Christinus guentheri) in a 'white oak' tree (Lagunaria patersonii). Adult centipedes such as this can grow to almost a foot in length and they are a significant predator of vertebrates such as reptiles and seabird chicks on the island. Centipede venom is encased in two swollen pincer-like appendages or forcipules, on each side of the head. With these forcipules, the centipede envenomates its unsuspecting reptile or petrel chick prey and slowly consumes it whole, leaving behind only a cleanly stripped skeleton. Phillip Island, Norfolk Island Group *

11705-24501 Lord Howe 'land lobster' (Dryococelis australis) adult male, with heavily armed hind legs, foraging in Melaleuca at night. This remarkable Lord Howe Island phasmid, became extinct on Lord Howe around the 1920's following the arrival of rats, but was spectacularly rediscovered living on Ball's Pyramid in 2001 *

11705-24514 Lord Howe 'land lobster' (Dryococelis australis) adult pair (the female is larger) roosting together in tree hollow. This remarkable Lord Howe Island phasmid, became extinct on Lord Howe around the 1920's following the arrival of rats, but was spectacularly rediscovered living on Ball's Pyramid in 2001

11705-24515 Lord Howe 'land lobster' (Dryococelis australis) adults (females are larger), shown typically roosting together in tree hollow. This remarkable Lord Howe Island phasmid, became extinct on Lord Howe around the 1920's following the arrival of rats, but was spectacularly rediscovered living on Ball's Pyramid in 2001

11705-24509 Lord Howe 'land lobster' (Dryococelis australis) adult female, foraging in Melaleuca at night. This remarkable Lord Howe Island phasmid, became extinct on Lord Howe around the 1920's following the arrival of rats, but was spectacularly rediscovered living on Ball's Pyramid in 2001

11705-24519 Lord Howe 'land lobster' (Dryococelis australis) green juveniles, shown communally roosting on branch. This remarkable Lord Howe Island phasmid, became extinct on Lord Howe around the 1920's following the arrival of rats, but was spectacularly rediscovered living on Ball's Pyramid in 2001

IMG_0917 Lord Howe 'land lobster' (Dryococelis australis) Insect breeder Patrick Honan with two large females he has bred at Melbourne Zoo. This remarkable Lord Howe Island phasmid, became extinct on Lord Howe around the 1920's following the arrival of rats, but was spectacularly rediscovered living on Ball's Pyramid in 2001. Patrick has led the successful captive rearing program *

11711-00501 Ball's Pyramid, a rock pinnacle rising 548m high and located 19km south of Lord Howe Island, was the site of a remarkable discovery in 2001, when the Lord Howe 'land lobster', thought to have been extinct since the 1920's, was spectacularly rediscovered living here.

11711-00512 Ball's Pyramid, a rock pinnacle rising 548m high and located 19km south of Lord Howe Island, was the site of a remarkable discovery in 2001, when the Lord Howe 'land lobster', thought to have been extinct since the 1920's, was spectacularly rediscovered living here.

11705-33001 Lord Howe cicada (Psaltoda insularis) on palm frond, Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island *

11705-65004 Poinciana Longicorn beetle (Agrianome spinicollis) found in rainforest and open forest in eastern Australia, and common in Queensland and New South Wales, this species also occurs on Lord Howe Island where this adult was found in the forest at night. Lord Howe Island *

11705-65013 Flightless 'plague' soldier beetle (Chauliognathus apterus) mating pair on Mountain rose (Metrosideros nervulosa). Endemic to the main island of Lord Howe and now confined to forests on the summit of Mount Lidgebird and Mount Gower. Obvious and abundant, particularly when mating aggregations swarm over flowers and foliage. Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island *

11705-12501 Lord Howe freshwater shrimp (Paratya howensis) in streambed, Erskine Creek, Lord Howe Island *

11705-03013 Lord Howe Island Placostylus (Placostylus bivaricosus bivaricosus) in litter beneath closed canopy forest, on calcerenite soils on the main island. This large critically endangered, ground dwelling land snail has a brown shell that weathers to white with age. There are three recorded subspecies, the other two are P. bivaricosus cuniculinsiae from Blackburn Island (extinct) and P. bivaricosus etherigei (possibly extinct) although it may survive on 'Little Slope' and 'Big Slope' - the two steep, forested talus slopes on the eastern and western faces of Mt Gower. Old Settlement Beach, Lord Howe *

11705-03003 Lord Howe Island semi-slug (Howearion hilli) this semi-slug is widespread in the lowlands of the island, as well as on the lower slopes of the southern mountains. Old Settlement Beach, Lord Howe Island *