‘Lost world’ of new species discovered in Australia - in pictures

Scientists from James Cook University and National Geographic were dropped by helicopter in March this year into a remote mountain range on Cape Melville, to explore a pristine rainforest strewn with huge black granite boulders Photograph: Conrad Hoskin

They discovered three new vertebrate species, among them the 'fascinating' blotched boulder-frog (Cophixalus petrophilus). Its species name means 'rock-loving' as it lives deep in the labyrinth of the boulder field where conditions are dark, cool and moist during the dry season. In the summer wet season, the frog emerges on the surface rocks to feed and breed in the rain Photograph: Tim Laman

Herpetologist Conrad Hoskin, who led the expedition, holds the newly discovered Cape Melville leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius eximius) 'The second I saw the gecko I knew it was a new species. Everything about it was obviously distinct,' said Hoskin. This gecko hides in the boulders in the day and emerges at night to hunt on rocks and trees. Highly camouflaged, its huge eyes and incredibly long and slender body and limbs are thought to be adaptations to life in the dimly lit boulder fields Photograph: Tim Laman

Conrad Hoskin explores the massive boulders of Cape Melville range. Surveys had previously been conducted in the boulder fields around the base of Cape Melville, among 'millions of giant, piled up boulders the size of houses and cars' but the plateau had remained largely unexplored, fortressed by a 'monstrous wall' of boulders accessible only by helicopter Photograph: Tim Laman

The beautiful golden-coloured Cape Melville shade skink (Saproscincus saltus) is also restricted to moist rocky rainforest on the plateau. It is also long-limbed, but unlike the gecko is active by day, running and jumping across the mossy boulders Photograph: Conrad Hoskin