Where are the best herping areas around Cairns? (but not as far as daintree)

[PythonOwner25]

Ok Guys, i am going to Cairns on Tuesday to go herping for a week. Any suggestions on places to go? (within 1 hours drive of cairns) I am Interested in finding snakes of any sort, especially tree snakes, DeathAdders and pythons like carpets and scrubbies. What are the best times of the day/night to see reps? etc etc...suggestions and help appreciated Cant wait!

 

[GeckPhotographer]

No offence mate just thought I should let you know people don't like giving out there best spots for good reason and personally there is no way I would ever tell you my best spots and the same goes for a lot of people.

 

[PythonOwner25]

Yes i agree with you completely mate haha, i live in Vic and i have some fantastic spots...all never to be revealed to anyone but you never know..no harm in asking!

 

[noved]

not sure on the the death adders but you will find the rest within 1 hours drive in any direction around cairns.

 

[Hopper]

pm me!

 

[Mace699]

hey mate go for a drive up to kuranda and back around 9 or so and you might find a few scrubbies along there or neat the bush tracks always something out and about around there most of te time crossing the road

 

[Waterrat]

hey mate go for a drive up to kuranda and back around 9 or so and you might find a few scrubbies along there or neat the bush tracks always something out and about around there most of te time crossing the road

That's how it it used to be 30 years ago. Now days, drive slowly and keep your eyes on the road so some stoned junky doesn't wipe you out. That's after dark. During business hours watch out for the tradies in their utes.

 

[leamos]

Pretty much pick any quiet road going through a bit of bush after dark and you'll find heaps of snakes. I doubt you'll find death adders but after 6 years of herping around townsville and cairns I have never seen a death adder out on the road, seen pretty much everything else but

 

[Waterrat]

Pretty much pick any quiet road going through a bit of bush after dark and you'll find heaps of snakes. I doubt you'll find death adders but after 6 years of herping around townsville and cairns I have never seen a death adder out on the road, seen pretty much everything else but

I think road is the only place to see death adders - where else? The bottom section of Gillies, through Orchid Valley ... and other places I won't mention are good but it's quite wet now and adders don't like wet roads. The best time to see them is Sep and Oct. Heaps on males crossing the roads looking for sex.

 

[leamos]

I stand corrected, but I have never seen one on the road in probably over 100 herping trips

I had a great spot for death adders near townsville, remember one time there were a big group of backpackers camping there, that was until we started pointing adders out to them only metres from their campsite, never seen people pack up a tent that quick hahaha

 

[Waterrat]

Herveys Range used to be good, also Maggie Is. To my surprise, I saw a death adder on the road between Paluma and Hidden Valley (in the dry forest about half way). I spent 10 years driving through there at least once a week and then one night - bingo!

 

[Cockney_Red]

Kuranda was good for Scrubbies for me, in 2000....hope it still is

 

[GeckPhotographer]

If you see any centipedes in kuranda catch em and send em too me.

 

[Waterrat]

You can actually drive now on the Black Mt. road through to Julatten. It has been re-open to 4x4 but I am not sure what it's like right now, we had heaps of rain lately. It cuts through the rainforest all the way and Julattes is not a bad place for night driving too.
Eubenangee Swamp and the road to Bramston Beach through to Graham Range NP is good for water pythons et al.

 

[Radar]

Some of the largest adders I have seen have come from the dry sclerophyll forest over the back of paluma, I've seen a number on the road up the front of the range as well, haven't managed any on Herveys range yet though...but this is the wrong city here we're talking about.

If you've got the time to head north from Cairns are a few spots where you'll find boyds at night, this includes across the river into the Daintree, which is really worth it if you have the time.

 

[snakebag]

Wangetti is good for adders

 

[PythonOwner25]

Geck photographer i have herping spots near me that have hundreds huge scorpions and centipedes lol

ok thanks rednut

 

[SouthSydney]

I think road is the only place to see death adders - where else? The bottom section of Gillies, through Orchid Valley ... and other places I won't mention are good but it's quite wet now and adders don't like wet roads. The best time to see them is Sep and Oct. Heaps on males crossing the roads looking for sex.

I've seen plenty of adders on wet roads... One night in particular, the most common things on the road were keelbacks and adders, all on rainy wet roads...

And also only really ever seen them on the road or side of the road...

I was up there just recently and saw a freshly hit adder on the road in the mountains north-westish of Cairns. It had also been raining on and off that night too...

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Hehe but Kuranda has a special sub-form of Australias largest centipede which has really nice colours if you are a pede nut. Just don't give the pedes to richoman_3 whatever you do.

 

[richoman_3]

lol funny geckphototototgrapher
kurunda has some awesome pedes, quite a few variants of E.rubripes..., and the only rhysida carinulata was recorded there, really hoping someone can find one one day !! otherwise hard to believe they exist

@pythonowner: large pedes and scorps in melbourne ?, sounds like black rock scorps and C.aurantiipes