Taipan Territory
First published in iHerp Australia Issue 4 January - February 2018.
It's one of those animals that every field herper dreams of seeing and every elapid keeper has on their wish list. The world's most venomous snake: the Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), also known as the Fierce Snake.
The first time I consciously remember seeing a 'Fiercy' was when I watched my icon and role model Steve Irwin go nose to nose with the snake in one of his television programmes. At 10 years of age, I already had a strong passion for reptiles, and I knew then and there but I had to see a wild taipan just like Steve.
I was 15 when I first saw a taipan in the flesh, I was at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. The keeper had to separate a trio on display to feed them individually. I was in awe of how calmly and casually he hooked the two snakes out. My career path was realised!
Fast forward the clock ten years and that same teenager has now become a seasoned snake catcher and is working with his first Inland Taipan. The snake is a massive specimen, well over the average metre and a half total length. I was told the old reptile was approximately 15 years of age; he was a dull caramel colour with prominent black markings. I remember it like it was yesterday, the first time I tailed that big old captive Taipan at the Canberra Reptile Sanctuary. All I had learned about snake catching was based on the Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis), the second most venomous snake in the world, which is common around my hometown in rural NSW and known for being a real handful when it gets defensive. I knew that the Taipan I was getting ready to catch could blow the Brown Snake out of the water in terms of venom toxicity, yet I had heard stories from other sneakies about the placid nature of this oddly titled fierce snake, and I felt ready! I was nervous, a little sweaty, my knees were a little weak, and my arms a little heavy. I took a deep breath, composed myself and prepared to hook the snakes tail out and around into position. Suddenly, it bumped the hook out and spun around, hissing defensively. It's safe to say I needed to check my underwear after this initial encounter!
I'm now 30 years old and currently working at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, where I'm the manager of the reptile department. We have over 70 different species of Australian native reptiles on display, all from the Northern Territory and Kimberley region of Western Australia. That includes a pair of inland taipans, and it was while working with these animals that I decided I needed to take a wild fiercee off from my bucket list, and head to Taipan territory.
The destination was a 24-hour drive away, directly South Down the Stuart highway. Coober Pedy in South Australia had been the subject of several sightings, it was closer for me to get to then the Queensland population. I plan to meet up with my close friend Gary Vas on route in Alice Springs, where he lives, so the first part the trip was a solo effort. The night drive from Darwin to Tennant Creek was spectacular, as I happened upon several species of Python simply laying on the road. I move the snakes to safety so that they weren't hit by traffic. An ugly looking Black Headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus) had obviously seen its fair share of battles, judging by the scars on its body, and one incredible Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus) spanned an entire lane! The changes in habitat are amazing as you drive from tropical Darwin into the semi-arid interior, and then to the desert of Central Australia, and as the habitat changes, so do the animals you're likely to encounter. I came across several Gould's Monitors (Varanus gouldii) and Central Bearded Dragons central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) soaking up the early morning sun as it warmed the black tar of the road. It is always great to see animals that are so common in captivity in the wild. I ended up stopping for a total of six Gould's monitors, and that of course was just the live ones, as there was also a fair few roadkill animal along the way; an unfortunate consequence for lizards that cannot resist a warm patch of road. The closer you get to Alice Springs, the more Central Netted Dragons (Ctenophorus nuchalis) become visible. I love these animals and have spoken about them on more than one previous occasion, so will leave them alone and hurry along to the second leg of the trip.
Eventually I arrived in Alice Springs, keen for a good night's rest and a refreshing shower. 'Hotel Gaz' it is- I'm crashing on Gary's couch. That's fine by me I've got Gary's German hairdresser/ backpacker housemate and a cattle dog to keep me company (the dog understood me more, but the hairdresser smelled better)! While Gary works his last night shift before our week away. Next morning comes and we are off in Gary's Land Rover for the solid days drive South. The outskirts of Coober Pedy look like something out of Mad Max movie- a barren wasteland with nothing for miles around. I start to wonder how a snake could possibly exist in this harsh terrain, and why anyone would want to live there? Man, there must be some seriously pretty rocks around! We cheque into a caravan park and enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown Coober Pedy.
First thing in the morning, we head away from town in search of something slithering. Within 20 minutes of driving, we found a snake on the road. We pull over and get out to inspect the animal and move it to safely before realising... it's a Taipan! It's actually... a roadkill Taipan! Unbelievable, we locate a Taipan almost immediately, and it's been freshly run over, possibly only an hour or so before hand. Shattered! Heartbroken! Now doubly determined to find a live specimen. After about another 10 minutes of driving, we start to notice what looks like shattered glass covering the landscape. Upon closer inspection, it proves to be salt, which has crystallised in the dried-up creeks and dams. While we were looking at the salt, we found recent snake shed, another sign that we had arrived in Taipan Territory. The rest of the morning passed without incident, and it was soon time to head back for lunch. Gaz decides to do a U turn and swings the vehicle off the track, before we know it, we are up too our axles in deep, thick, black mud. We are parked, in the middle of nowhere, in a wasteland inhabited by highly venomous snakes. Obviously, we are destined to die! We are stranded for well over an hour without seeing a single car drive past, and all attempts to push us free proved futile (even my incredible calves can't dislodge the Land Rover). It was hot, we were running out of water, and the flies were killers- absolutely ruthless. I've never previously experienced hatred for anything like I did that day; towards Gary for getting us stuck, of course! Finally, two hours into being marooned on the side of the road, a car comes pelting along the track, and pulls over to offer assistance. Unfortunately, it's not able to get the Land Rover out, but it can take one of us back to Coober Pedy to arrange for help. I draw the straw and jump into the back of the air-conditioned sedan, free from flies, and head for town. Within another hour I'm reunited with Gaz, and $300 later we are removed from our sticky situation. Back to the caravan park for lunch, a beer, and a shower. It was much needed.
Next day we head back out on the same track (without deviating off road this time) and within 30 minutes we spot something long and thin stretched out almost across the width of the road. It was moving! It was alive! It was a massive Inland Taipan! Gaz was driving, and he's pulled on the handbrake and left the car to skid to a halt, as he's out of the door before it pulled up. I was quick to follow, to admire this beautiful animal as it slithered along the road. A huge cattle train was bearing down fast in a cloud of dust. We had to act fast! Gaz tails the snake and moves it off the road to safety while the Truckie is on the air horn tearing down the road (apparently not to impressed). I know for sure if we hadn't moved that animal off the road it would have been annihilated.
With a few photos on our camera, we were more than happy to call the day a resounding success and decided to head back into Coober Pedy. A stroke of luck saw us find a Western Blue Tongue Lizard (Tiliqua occipitalis) strolling across the road and typical nonchalant pace of a Blue Tongue. I was out of the car before Gaz could stop and couldn't contain my excitement over the unamusing Skink. 'Find of the trip'! I exclaimed to Gary, whilst clutching at the animal and moving it to safe on the other side of the road.
It was time to return to Alice Springs, and we were feeling very satisfied with our time spent in SA. I really wanted to top off my trip in the best way possible. Gaz had mentioned seeing Thorny Devils (Moloch horridus) along the southern part of the Stuart highway, and I was yet to see one alive, as previously I had only seen the remains of roadkill animals. I ask Gaz to keep a close eye out on the way back. It was disheartening to begin with, as I counted five squished Thorny Devils in a row, but the sixth was alive and well, bang in the middle of the road. Boy, was I keen to move this unique little lizard to the safety of spinifex and sand! It truly amazes me how many animals become roadkill here in Australia. It's a surprise we have anything left when you factor in feral predation and other anthropological environmental issues. Coober Pedy was incredibly harsh yet extremely rewarding for us two snakies. As much as we wanted to kill each other while being stuck in the mud, we also had an amazing time searching for something fierce.
