Nth QLD

[bundy_zigg]

Hi all,
I was wondering how many north queenslanders there are on here?. I live between townsville and cairns and was hoping to meet some fellow northerners. Has any one been up the cape and been Green tree python hunting?, id love to go up there and spent a couple of days looking around so if any one can tell me of a good place up there to start my search it would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[eladidare]

Im a northerner.
Greens have been caught as far south as Innisfail, but the cape would be the place to go, Iron Range, Macillwaith Range etc... Theres not much chance of getting many specific spots from people on this site due to "catch and keep", but (unfortunately) theres a few articles in Reptiles Oz mag Vol 3 Issue 6 that give away a few secrets...

 

[TrueBlue]

the only wild greens found in Innisfail would be green tree snakes not pythons.
If a gtp was found in that area it would be an escaped animal as they DONOT occour there.

 

[mrmikk]

the only wild greens found in Innisfail would be green tree snakes not pythons.
If a gtp was found in that area it would be an escaped animal as they DONOT occour there.

Exactly right, you will find them at Iron Range and no where else in Australia.

 

[bundy_zigg]

thanks for that eladidare, i didnt think they would be as far south as innisfail.

 

[TrueBlue]

they are found in a few other areas other than the Iron Range, but they are pretty much restricted to not far south of Coen.

 

[bundy_zigg]

you should come on a hunt one day with me TrueBlue, i could do with an experienced guide

 

[TrueBlue]

yeah we might just have to do that. Its always good fun having a look around.

 

[eladidare]

thanks for that eladidare, i didnt think they would be as far south as innisfail.

neither did I, I had to see photos to believe it for myself. I'm not saying go to innisfail to catch Greens, your chances would be 1 in a million, however they have been seen there as well as port douglas, but if you really want to catch greens you have to go north of cape trib... staying around areas with high rainfall...

 

[bundy_zigg]

thats true you never know what your likley to come across.

 

[mrmikk]

I'd be keen to see any evidence of GTPs being found wild outside of Iron Range. I am not proposing myself as a GTP expert, but I have seen nothing that suggests any wild populations of GTPs in Australia anywhere other than Iron Range.

 

[Jungle_Freak]

Green Tree pythons found at innesfail , ? ha ha ha ha
what a load ,,,

 

[smacdonald]

I'd be keen to see any evidence of GTPs being found wild outside of Iron Range.

Wilson, D. and Heinsohn, R. (2007) Geographic range, population structure and conservation status of the green python (Morelia viridis), a popular snake in the captive pet trade. Australian Journal of Zoology, 55(3):147-154.

The largest population is certainly at Iron Range, but they've also been found at McIlwraith Range (two reports in the last 150 years) and the Lockerbie Scrub (another two records) on the tip of the peninsula. That's not to say that they still exist in those two area.


Stewart

 

[bundy_zigg]

I think we have established that there ar'nt any in (or near) innisfail unless they are escapees. I would like to do some herping in kuranda and the tablelands, what am i likely to find?

 

[craftsman]

Iron and MacIllwraith Ranges are one continuous track of rainforest and green pythons inhabit the whole stretch. There is NO green python population at Lockerby, despite the two reports (one very dubious one) and they are not found ANYWHERE south of MacIllwraith Range, certainly not at Port Douglas or Innisfail.
Wilson & Heinsohn identified suitable habitats elsewhere (through computer modeling) on Cape York Peninsula but that does not mean these habitats are occupied by GPs.

 

[bundy_zigg]

thank you all for your input, it gives me a starting point

 

[Justie]

What?? isnt it illegal to just go and catch them?? So we are not allowed to catch maccies and coastal's, but were allowed to catch GTP's???:shock:

 

[smacdonald]

There is NO green python population at Lockerby, despite the two reports (one very dubious one)

So are you saying that there were green pythons at Lockerbie but not anymore, or are you saying that those two reports are erroneous?

Stewart

 

[Kitah]

Mhmm im in FNQ (Townsville) at the university. All I've found so far is 2 spotteds, a slatey grey and a common tree snake.. would love to find more though!

would be brilliant to go further north to find some GTPs, only issue is the cost of doing so

 

[mrmikk]

Wilson, D. and Heinsohn, R. (2007) Geographic range, population structure and conservation status of the green python (Morelia viridis), a popular snake in the captive pet trade. Australian Journal of Zoology, 55(3):147-154.

The largest population is certainly at Iron Range, but they've also been found at McIlwraith Range (two reports in the last 150 years) and the Lockerbie Scrub (another two records) on the tip of the peninsula. That's not to say that they still exist in those two area.


Stewart

Hi Stewart,

Thanks for that, I will have a read of that paper, but after a brief perusal it seems to me that Iron Range remains the most definitive and proven range of Morelia viridis in Australia. I feel more work would be needed to prove that a sustainable population exists in both the suggested McIlwraith and Lockerbie areas.