The goal for Darwin was to see some mangrove snakes, but we thought we’d try our luck at a real beast first: Cryptoblepharus cygnatus. We ended up finding it on a retaining wall in the carpark at the Museum and Art gallery of the Northern Territory.
Swanson’s snake-eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus cygnatus). Reptick!
That night we met up with some mates and headed into the mangroves. Within about five minutes we’d found all three mangrove colubrids species we were chasing. Well, I should say that they found them – I was still up at the car struggling into my wetsuit booties.
Richardson’s mangrove snake (Myron richardsonii)
Richardson’s mangrove snake (Myron richardsonii)
White-bellied mangrove snake (Fordonia leucobalia)
White-bellied mangrove snake (Fordonia leucobalia). While all other Australian colubrid snakes have a loreal scale, this species lacks one.
Bockadam (Cerberus australis)
Bockadam (Cerberus australis)
Orange-naped snake (Furina ornata)
Orange-naped snake (Furina ornata)
You can’t visit Darwin without stopping in at Fogg Dam. Excellent bird watching during the day, and awesome reptile action at night. While walking along the dam wall during the day, we were reprimanded by a local tour guide who told us the local saltwater crocodile would have no troubles leaping out of the ankle-deep water, launching itself up the 6-foot dirt embankment, and swallowing us whole. We thanked him for his concern, but assured him that we were trained professionals and that our tetanus injections were up-to-date. We hung around until nightfall, which is when the area really comes alive. Just on dusk, Glaphyromorphus douglasi start to run around the forest floor. I managed to see a heap of them, but I didn’t get a single photo of the species.
Water python (Liasis mackloti)
Water python (Liasis mackloti)
Water python (Liasis mackloti)
We’d been given some information about a nearby creek that was brimming with Arafura file snakes, a species I desperately wanted to see. We found the spot during the day, but no file snakes were to be seen. After cruising around Fogg Dam in the evening, we went to the file snake spot. We weren’t disappointed. A bridge had been constructed over the creek, with a narrow culvert underneath it. The narrowness of the culvert meant the water was flowing very rapidly through it. Apparently too rapidly for the snakes to swim against, as they were piled up on the downstream side of the culvert. There were hundreds of file snakes, ranging from giant females the thickness of my arm (actually, my arm is not a good comparison, what with me being unnaturally scrawny. I should say the thickness of a normal male’s arm), down to little babies the thickness of a finger (which would be about the same width as my arm). Hundreds of crayfish and fish were also joining in on the party, along with a lone northern long-necked turtle. Both the file snakes and the turtle were new ticks for me.
Arafura file snakes (Acrochordus arafurae) piled up against a causeway.
Arafura file snake (Acrochordus arafurae)
Northern long-necked turtle (Chelodina rugosa)
slaty-grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus)
slaty-grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus)
We went snorkelling again in the nearby Berry Springs, where we managed to get yet another turtick.
Northern yellow-faced turtle (Emydura tanybaraga). Turtick!
Along with the file snake spot, we’d been given information about some good habitat for Macleay’s water snakes (Enhydris polyleps). We scoped it out during the day and went back there at night to look for the snakes. We’d been warned about a local croc, and elected not to get too close to the edge. While we did manage to see (and tick) a Macleay’s water snake, the ominous thought of the croc prevented us from getting a good look (or good photos).
Adelaide River floodplain. Habitat for Enhydris polylepis, Crocodylus porosus, Amphibolurus temporalis, and an awful lot of mosquitoes.
Macleay’s water snake (Enhydris polylepis)
Swamplands lashtail dragon (Amphibolurus temporalis)
Swamplands lashtail dragon (Amphibolurus temporalis) back pattern
After we’d ticked the bejiggery out of Darwin, we headed to Kakadu.
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Repticks:
Cerberus australis
Fordonia leucobalia
Myron richardsonii
Cryptoblepharus cygnatus
Acrochordus arafurae
Emydura tanybaraga
Glaphyromorphus douglasi
Enhydris polylepis
Chelodina rugosa
wonderful photos, cant wait till I can return to Aussie,have done lots of tours in Aussie but not that region,pat