Spotlighting
Photo: Jeremy Lee Singapore Airlines
General Advice:
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Be
prepared with your equipment, but rather than shining the spotlight in all
directions which tends to frighten the animals, it is best to stand still in
the dark for at least ten minutes, simply listening to the sounds of the
rainforest.
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When
you hear a sound, such as consecutive falling leaves, it is often an
indicator of an animal moving through its habitat.
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Spotlight
the general area from which the noise came.
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Hold
the spotlight by your eyes, as the eye shine of the animals reflects back to
the spotlight. Thus, if the light is coming from your eye level, the
reflection will be returned to your eye level, making the animals easier to
see.
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When
you are looking up into the tall trees, you will get a greater angle by
slightly bending your knees.
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When
looking through binoculars, make sure you keep your eye on the animal, and
simply raise the binoculars up to your eyes, this will make it easier to
keep your focus on the animal.
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When spotlighting, it is a great opportunity to find luminous fungi.
General Knowledge:
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The
Lemuroid Possum has a yellow eye shine and makes a fairly loud crashing
sound when it moves from tree to tree.
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The
Coppery Brushtail Possum has a red eye shine.
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Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodge
has all the necessary spotlighting equipment for an interesting self night
walk.
Or......
 
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Wait-a-While
Environmental Tours: offer guests staying at Chambers Wildlife
Rainforest Lodge a wonderful mountain wildlife experience tour which
departs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
-
This tour offers a great chance to see many different animal species
with a particular focus on the animals found only in the mountainous
rainforests of the Wet Tropics.
-
These include:
the Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo and Lemuroid, Green
and Herbert River Ringtail Possums as well as many others.
-
You will be picked up from Chambers
Wildlife Rainforest Lodge at 5:30pm and taken to look for animals
such as the Musky Rat Kangaroo (the smallest and most primitive kangaroo)
and the platypus (an egg-laying mammal found only in Australia).
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Dinner is at a nice country restaurant.
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You will then be taken through both wet and dry sclerophyll forest to
rainforest at a higher altitude, and here, your spotlighting adventure will
begin.
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You will later have an opportunity to discuss what you have seen and
heard, and even find out more information about these fascinating creatures.
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You will return to the Chambers Wildlife
Rainforest Lodge a little after 11:00pm with a greater appreciation
of the rainforest, the life within it and the importance in assisting with
its preservation.
For guests staying at
Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodge, the price is only
$89.00 per person.
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