The Best of the West. The Prettiest Lizard in the Kimberley.

First published in iHerp Australia Issue 14 September - October 2019.

Australia is a pretty big place- well no,  actually it's huge! You just need to take a look at a scale map that compares Australia and Europe, for example, to gain a bit of an understanding of just how immense this country is!

After finishing school, many of my school friends travelled overseas and spent time in places like England, France and Greece. On the other hand, I have no real interest in ancient structures and seen it as some what pointless to travel Europe, especially when you can experience bitterly cold weather in Canberra and old buildings simply by visiting your nans house! 

My idea of travel was seeing more of Australia, since I originally hail from New South Wales, that meant roaming through much southern Queensland,  and parts of Victoria.

It wasn't until I moved north to Darwin that I considered a trip to Western Australia- it is only a mere ten-hour drive, so why not! 

I have now made three excursions across the border, the first of which was a flat out three-day dedicated herping trip. Our destination was the gorgeous Kimberley ranges, where there was pretty much only one major target species in mind - the Kimberley Rock Monitor (Varanus glauerti). This stunning animal which amuses itself by chasing small skink lizards and insects around vertical cliff faces.

Of course the Kimberley Rock Monitor is certain not the only herp worth viewing in the Kimberley region, and there are also endless magnificent landscapes to experience along with other wildlife that dwell within the Kimberley.

Now you would assume when you plan a herp trip that everyone involved would be liked-minded individuals and thus would get on harmoniously. Well that was not true on this occasion; there were three of us on this trip and I'm afraid to admit I spent as much time mending fence with the other parties as I did photographing wildlife! The trip was still fun  (for me) but there was to much bickering, which was petty to say the least.

We spent the majority of the first morning in hilly country where an Agile Wallaby allowed us to get close enough to have its portrait taken. It had no fear of us; and we were probably the only people it had even seen. Whilst still amongst the rolling hills we also managed to spot a Spiny-tailed Goanna (Varanus acanthurus) from the Toyota Landcruiser window. It was basking on a rock and we managed to get a quick snap with the camera.

Then, on our way back down a rough dirt road, we must have jagged a rock and ended up with a flat tyre. This was during the middle of the day and peak heat. What were we going to do? Wait for the temperature to cool down and miss potential herping opportunities? Call for roadside assist in the middle of no where? The Black Kites in the trees around us would have been chuckling to themselves as we three tried to navigate the situation while temperatures and egos sweltered. This was day one and the beginning of the adventure- talk about off to an awesome start!

This trip wasn't overly successful as we only had a short time to herp, however while on the drive home we came across a very confused Black Headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus) in the middle of the road at about 2pm. Considering this species is nocturnal, it quite a surprise to see this lost soul out so early.  We moved him of the road and into the shelter of some boulders before continuing out journey back to Darwin.

A number of months later, I was to return to WA with two different friends to explore the Kimberley escarpment. 

This trip was during the 'build-up'.... real smart on our behalf! The pre-monsoonal build up is the time of year when the Top End is at its hottest as well as its most humid. Just before the big rains hit, conditions are especially inhospitable for humans, but the reptiles love it! If you plan poorly during the build up you will pay dearly, as you need to maintain at least two litres of water per person per day, and that's if you aren't active and sitting in the air-conditioned comfort. If you plan to be hiking you would want about six or seven litres each. During the peak heat of the day there's not much to do but make the most of some shade, rehydrate and relax until it cools off.

We  spotted a range of animals on the road during the drive across, including a Spiny-tailed Goanna (Varanus acanthurus) out basking on bridge which seen a lot of traffic considering the location. We decided to move the animal off the road to safety. Sand Goannas (Varanus gouldii) also scurried across the road narrowly being missed by traffic! We had seen about four goannas (Three sandies and the spiny-tailed) before we even crossed the border, and already had a good feeling about this trip!

We pulled up down a dusty dirt track for the first night and refuelled on tinned food and water. Despite the mozzie dome, a decent night sleep wasn't easy with 100% humidity.

Day two saw us deep in the Kimberley escarpment. After a long hot morning herping we were feeling a bit deflated as we hadn't seen much except a few skinks, including one very robust Leopard Skink (Ctenotus pantherinus).

We were hot, tired from a rough night's sleep and ready to pull up for morning tea was when our luck suddenly changed! I was a head of the rest of the group by a fair distance- some might say I was in a rush to get back to camp (I could taste about taste the ice cold red Poweraide), but I don't care I was the one who spotted the animal! It was moving down an old dead tree and then jumped across onto some rocks. I froze! This was the second wind I needed! There right in front of me was this incredibly sleek, beautiful, Kimberley Rock Monitor (Varanus glauerti)! Having kept a pair of these animals in captivity, it had been an ambition to see them in their natural habitat for quite some time now. The trip was made! As I write this article it takes me back to that isolated terrain, with eucalypt trees and spinifex grasses and surrounded by rocky escarpment. A couple of quick photos, and then the lizard disappeared into the cracks in the cliff's with the greatest of ease, leaving us filled with awe!

Morning tea was taken in the shade of the cliffs and near a very slow trickling waterfall with a small pool at its base. We shared this spot with one of Australia's most striking frogs, the Magnificent Tree Frog (Ranoidea splendida). A group of these exquisite amphibians was discovered in some dark cracks and crevices in the freshwater, sharing a swim in this isolated billabong with these large, spotted frogs was absolute magic!

That night was spent in Kunanarra. With a population of just over 5,000, this coffee capital of the north is far from a sleepy little outback town- there are six cafes in the main street! It's enough to rival the coffee connoisseurs of Lygon Street in Melbourne.

We booked a cabin at a caravan park, and the shower, chicken schnitzel and mozzie free sleep was a welcome contrast to the night before.

The next day we headed further west, deeper into the ranges. Early on, about 7am, the first snake of the trip slithered leisurely across the road. It was an Olive Whipsnake (Demansia olivacea), a small elapid endemic to the region, with mildly toxic venom and a taste for small lizards. Whip snakes are fast moving reptiles and my guess is that this one was still warming up, as it really didn't exhibit the burst of speed we expected. We escorted it off the road and took a quick photo.

Unfortunately, little else was seen for the remainder of this trip, but as the fisherman says, 'when its on, its on'. Although the second part of our journey was unproductive, we had had an amazing couple of days to start with. It's interesting how things work out sometimes.

My most recent trip west was with a former co-worker, to the cattle country on the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

One thing I really enjoy about herping is being able to get out of the creature comforts of phone service, beds and showers. I like camping! On this occasion, we made camp next to a small creek, the creek was home to a menagerie of animals including a Mertens' Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi).

This expedition was full of dragon lizards of all sorts, including a Lally's Two Line Dragon (Diporiphora lalliae) around the stock yards, Ring Tailed Dragons (Ctenophorus caudicinctus )around some of the escarpment and a Chameleon Dragon (Chelosania brunnea) which was spotted in the rolling hills.

The Kimberley is such a huge ecosystem, and sadly its under threat from the destructive cane toad, like much of northern Australia. Native wildlife all over the country is also threatened by feral animals, and as a society we need to continue to promote responsible pet ownership (or just feed the neighbour's cat to your pet carpet python) or just spreading the awareness that goes with being a responsible pet owner. I really enjoy native wildlife as I'm sure most if not all of you reading this will agree and it really is a responsibility to us all to preserve it. I hope you have enjoyed reading this article - I have enjoyed writing it. 

Cheers guys!