| Appeared in 'Reptile Care' Volume 3, Issue 3 | | | | them was certainly a scary thought! The night was |
| The northern territory is well known for being 'the | | | | topped off by a find I was desperate for, a Northern |
| real bush'. It has a population of less than 200'000 | | | | Death Adder (Acanthophis praelongus)! An absolutely |
| people, over 90% of which live in Government areas. | | | | beautiful one too, camouflaged so well into the road |
| These government areas only cover 5% of the | | | | we nearly turned it into another piece of 'road-kill'. |
| Northern Territory, which leaves over 1.2 million | | | | This was a successful night! |
| square kilometres virtually deserted. This area is | | | | I later found out, 'Fogg Dam' has the largest |
| nearly five times the size of the UK! As you can now | | | | concentration of predatory animals in the world! The |
| imagine, this is an incredibly large and diverse | | | | water pythons on their own, represent the largest |
| landscape! There are approximately 300 species of | | | | density of predatory species in such a concentrated |
| reptile, and 50 species of amphibian in the Northern | | | | area. Their prey is the dusky rat, which are said to |
| Territory. Slightly more diverse one might say, than | | | | be in numbers of 15'000 per square kilometre. From |
| the UK's species count of only 6 reptiles and 6 | | | | these numbers of prey, it is easy to understand their |
| amphibians! | | | | success. |
| I spent the entire year of 2005 travelling around | | | | Darwin is a small capital city, with just over 100'000 |
| Australia. I went to every State, every major city, | | | | people, over half the population of the entire |
| drove across the longest straight road in the world, | | | | Northern Territory. You only have to drive an hour |
| twice, and travelled the complete circumference of | | | | out of the city centre to reach Litchfield National |
| this beautiful country. But the Northern Territory was | | | | Park; a 1'500 square kilometre oasis of Northern |
| in my books, by far the most fantastic place I have | | | | Territory habitat, including one of the most famous |
| ever been. I spent 3 months in Darwin, and several | | | | termite mound spectacles in the world, a number of |
| more weeks travelling around the NT, going as far | | | | amazing water falls, rock formations and forested |
| south as Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru in | | | | areas. A couple of hours due East is the even larger |
| Aboriginal terms). I knew the place was for me | | | | Kakadu National Park, covering nearly 20'000 square |
| when, only a few days after I drove through, I saw | | | | kilometres of land, nearly the same size as Ireland! |
| my first wild Black Headed Python (Aspidites | | | | This is one of the most famous National Parks in the |
| melanocephalus) crossing the road. What a shock! | | | | world and it certainly should be. Home to thousands |
| This was the first snake I had seen in Australia and I | | | | of species of flora & fauna. |
| had already driven thousands of kilometres. I nearly | | | | It was nice to get out to Litchfield National Park on |
| ran it over, but swerved suddenly, missing it by | | | | weekends, being only a short drive away. I went |
| millimetres! I turned around and went back, moving it | | | | several times during my stay in the NT. It has an |
| off the road before the 50 metre oncoming road | | | | abundance of wildlife visible during the day, but at |
| train ploughed straight through us all! It was a | | | | night it really comes alive! Litchfield is famous for it's |
| beautiful, 2 metre female in perfect condition. It was | | | | Magnetic Termite Mounds, so called because they are |
| different seeing such an animal in the wild, after | | | | all north - south facing. The structures are |
| seeing many of them in friends' collections, it did not | | | | approximately 3metres tall and built so that the |
| compare to the wonderful feeling of seeing her out in | | | | narrowest edge is facing the extremely intense sun |
| the bush and lending her a helping hand getting | | | | for the midday heat. With so many termites, come |
| across the road. This was definitely for me! I knew | | | | so many predators. Many species of skinks and other |
| there was plenty more where she came from, and I | | | | small lizards are common here. The Northern |
| would definitely find them! | | | | Territory is home to approximately 100 species of |
| During my time in the Northern Territory, I spent 3 | | | | skink, many rely on small insects such as termites. |
| months working at 'Crocodylus Park'. A crocodile | | | | With so many small lizards, come many reptiles that |
| research and education centre, home to | | | | feed upon these lizards, including the Burtons Legless |
| approximately 8'000 saltwater crocodiles and a | | | | Lizard (Lialis burtonis). This is one of the larger species |
| number of other crocodilian and animal species. This | | | | of legless lizard, and has the unusual, snake-like |
| was certainly an experience of a lifetime. Not only to | | | | characteristic of being able to un-hinge it's jaw to |
| work with such a large number of large crocodiles, | | | | allow an easy passage for their larger food items. |
| but also to meet a whole group of brilliant ozzies! | | | | These are very common in Litchfield, and I was |
| Myself and my girlfriend Eirlys stayed with an | | | | fortunate enough to see many. All of which varied in |
| Australian couple; Cade & Holly. Cade knew the | | | | colour. |
| area and had been working at the park for a couple | | | | Orange-naped snakes (Furina ornata) are plentiful in |
| of years. He told me of a place he goes to on a | | | | the Northern Territory, although they are not seen |
| regular occasion. He said to me; "We drive out after | | | | nearly as often as other species. I was lucky enough |
| the sun sets, about 45 minutes out of town and just | | | | to spot this guy slithering across the road one night. |
| cruise for snakes." Well, that just sounded too easy | | | | My tour guide for the night was Maddy, one of |
| for me, but I definitely wanted to give it a go! | | | | Cade's mates. He had been herping for years around |
| Only a few days later, Cade had organised a few of | | | | the Territory, and was familiar with the different |
| his mates to join us on a night out 'herping'. We set | | | | species of reptiles you might find on the different |
| off in convoy, Cade and 3 others in his car, closely | | | | nights, at certain times of the year. He thought I |
| followed by Maddy's car with me in the back and | | | | must be a good luck charm, as this was the first |
| another couple of people! 45 Minutes later and we | | | | Orange Naped Snake he had ever caught here! |
| arrive at Fogg Dam. This place wasn't what I | | | | I have dealt with hundreds of species of snake in the |
| expected, it didn't look so amazing. We started | | | | last few years, but I really wanted to get a taste for |
| driving very slowly along this road, which soon turned | | | | the 'lethal' stuff. The Northern Territory was certainly |
| quite narrow, with a 2 metre drop off either side into | | | | the place to do it; and at this point I had already |
| dense, wet marshland. This was however, the dry | | | | encountered a Death Adder in the wild. That though, |
| season. In the wet season this road is not even | | | | wasn't enough. The Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus |
| visible, being completely submerged in water. Only a | | | | scutellatus) was a rare sight and although I hoped to |
| few seconds after driving along, comes our first | | | | catch a glimpse of one, the opportunity never came. |
| catch of the night; a Yellow-Bellied Water Python | | | | I was more fortunate however with the Brown |
| (Liasis mackloti)! This was very closely followed by | | | | Snakes! I saw 2 Western Brown snakes (Pseudonaja |
| another, then another, then another. Within half an | | | | nuchalis) within a few kilometres of each other in |
| hour we had picked 14 water pythons off the road, | | | | Litchfield National Park. Unfortunately though, my one |
| even catching 2 or 3 at a time! Of course, all of | | | | and only sight of a wild King Brown (Pseudonaja |
| these were released straight back into the marshes. I | | | | australis), was a juvenile victim of a car tyre. It had |
| certainly had second thoughts about this place, it was | | | | only just happened, we had passed the same spot |
| amazing! | | | | just half an hour earlier, yet on our way back |
| After our successful water python round-up, we | | | | through, the snake had appeared, dead. |
| took the time to sit by the road and see what we | | | | A number of reptile and insect species can be found |
| could spot. Out came our big torches, shining into the | | | | in and around the Darwin area. While living in Karama, |
| marsh either side of the road. The eyes of at least | | | | we had a number of visitors to our backyard. Green |
| 20 crocodiles shone back at us. Most were the | | | | Tree Snakes (Dendralaphis punctulatus), Two-Lined |
| freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni), but | | | | Dragons (Diporiphora bilineata), Striped Tree Dragons |
| some eyes were larger and further apart, these | | | | (Amphibolorus temporalis), Australian House Gecko's |
| were the bigger, saltwater or 'estuarine' crocodiles | | | | (Gehyra australis), Asian House Gecko's (Hemidactylus |
| (Crocodylus porosus). I had seen this on TV many | | | | frenatus), Garden Skinks (Carlia gracilis and Carlia |
| times, but it was quite different to see this naturally. | | | | munda)and Mertens' Water Monitor's (Varanus |
| I must admit, even working with crocodiles all day; | | | | mertensi). Huntsman and Redback spiders are also |
| knowing that we were surrounded by hundreds of | | | | common in households and gardens. |