The rock art sites are home to creatures of all shapes and sizes...from the huge Guwaarga, lace monitor, to tiny lizards and pretty bugs and beetles.

1. Guurrbi’s
bush
creatures
Guurrbi Tours, Cooktown
www.guurrbitours.com

2. Gugaa – a pretty little Blue-winged Kookaburra.

3. Gabul – the carpet snake or children’s python.

4. Daan-gaay – a legless lizard.

5. Daan-gaay is born
with four legs and
loses them when he
gets older.

6. He freezes when he feels threatened.

7. Gulgul – the blue-tongued lizard. This lizard will
fight with taipans.

8. Say Ahhh! The Gulgul showing off its blue tongue.

9. We have many
types of goanna at
Wangaar-Wuri. This
one we call
Gubuy, the tree-
climbing goanna.

10. Gubuy – tree-climbing goanna.

11. Gubuy – tree-climbing goanna

12. This is Guwaarga – the black tree-climbing goanna
or lace monitor.

13. Guwaarga can grow up to 2 metres long...

14. …and weigh up to 20 kgs.

15. This lazy Guwaarga
ran ahead of us on
tour, then stopped
and leant against the
base of this tree, as
if to say, ‘You come
any closer & I’ll
climb this tree!’

16. We know summer is on its way when we hear Wabul, the
Torres Strait Pigeon.

17. Thiibuul – bats – near the Birth Site.
Photo: Bernd Jonkmanns

18. Bunyjul – frill-necked lizard.
He tells us when it’s going to rain.

19. We found this baby bunyjul near the
Rainbow Serpent Cave.

20. There are lots of
Guugu Yimithirr
stories about
Bunyjul. They’re
usually the mischief
makers!

21. Here’s a really big
one we spotted on
the way to the rock
art sites.

22. When bunyjul feels threatened he hisses and opens his
frill to look bigger.

23. The frills are usually brightly coloured.

24. Here’s a happy guest overcoming his fear of lizards.

25. This praying mantis has taken on the colour
of the rocks.

26. Bungga-ga – the edible grub found in the trunk of
the bungga (black boy).

27. This photo of
Burriwi, the
emu, caused much joy
and excitement, as we
hadn’t seen Burriwi in
our area for 25 years or
more. Now they’re
coming back.

28. Walanggar – a sleepy looking death adder.

29. Walananggar trying
to hide himself in
the earth.

30. He shows all his colours when threatened.

31. A newly-born Walangaar, just 10 cms long.

32. A beautiful, young female Golden Orb spider who lives
near the Birth Site.

33. Pretty Cotton Harlequin bugs.

34. We often spot the beautiful Brolga amongst the cattle
on the way to the rock art sites.

35. Duguulmburr, the small grey lizard. Also known as
Little Tommy Roundhead.

36. He stays close to
people for
protection against
birds.
Photo: Kai Ostermann

37. Wandaar – the white cockatoo – tribal totem for the
coastal Guugu Yimithirr.

38. Ngurraarr – black cockatoo. This is the tribal totem for
the inland Guugu Yimithirr.

39. My tribal totem is Ngurraar – the black cockatoo..

40. Here’s a pretty dragonfly that lives in the Rainbow
Serpent Cave.

41. A beautiful Australian Tarantula. The species is
threatened as so many people take them for pets.

42. This one has just moulted. He can bite, so best admired
from a distance.

43. Gamuru – the
freshwater python
– on the move to
another water hole.

44. A pretty little Jewel Beetle. He feeds on flowers.

45. Rattle ants make
drumming noises to
frighten predators
away. They make the
noise by tapping
their bottoms.

46. Manuya, the sand goanna. We believe his fat is good for
preventing arthritis.

47. He stands on his back legs when searching for a mate.
Photo: Mari Carmen Pineda

48. Gadaar – the agile wallaby.

49. Guybarr – red lizard – drinking from a leaf.

50. Willie shows you
how to do this – but
don’t try it with
snakes!