Reptiles, amphibians and fish : going with the flow

![CDATA[Australia's inland environment is rightly renowned for the rich variety of lizards that it supports and for the many species of impressively large and often venomous snakes that call it home. In the Desert Channels, residents and researchers have uncovered around 125 species of lizards, 43 species of snakes and three quite distinctive turtles - more reptile species than occur in any other desert area in the world. The region also supports some 26 species of frogs and 29-30 species of fish -another world desert record. Why do so many species persist? What do we know of the way they live and the strategies they use to cope with the vagaries of the climate? We have been privileged to seek answers to these broad questions during many years of research in western Queensland and, while the private lives of many animals remain elusive, we have some general understanding of their ecology. Unlike their high-octane and frenetic relatives the birds and mammals, the fishes, frogs and reptiles adopt the 'she'll be right mate' attitude. They go with the flow, and exert themselves only when conditions allow.]]