Top End Trip

[oskarpryor]

I will be going on a trip to the Top End region of the Northern Territory in late Nov to early Dec, this will not solely be a herping trip but I'll also be birdwatching, mammal watching & fishing. I will be targeting quite a few endemics & other specialties found in region. The hotspots I will be visiting are Darwin (East Point, Darwin Botanic Gardens, Buffalo Creek, Lee Point, Howard Springs NP, Berry Springs NP & Fogg Dam), Kakadu (Bird Billabong, Jabiru Lake, Mamukala Wetlands, Bardedjilidji, Ubirr, Cahills Crossing, Yellow Water & Nourlangie Rock) & Katherine (Pine Creek, Umbrawarra Gorge NP & Edith Falls).
Here is what I'll be targeting at some of the hotspots (some mammals & insects in there two):
Howard Springs Nature Park: Arafura File-Snake, Barramundi & Merten's Water-Monitor
Berry Springs Nature Park: Arafura File-Snake, Freshwater Crocodile & Merten's Water-Monitor
Fogg Dam: Dahl's Aquatic-Frog, Freshwater Crocodile & Water Python
Ubirr: Wilkin's Rock-Wallaby
Cahills Crossing: Saltwater Crocodile
Yellow Water: Asian Water-Buffalo & Saltwater Crocodile
Nourlangie Rock: Black Wallaroo & Leichhardt's Grasshopper
Some of the target species, which I don't have particular hotspots for:
Reptiles
Bockadam
Dragons (Chameleon & Gilbert's)
Geckos (Giant Cave-, Jewelled Velvet-, Northern Knob-Tailed & Northern Spiny-Tailed)
Lizards (Burton's Legless- & Frilled)
Mangrove-Snakes (Richardson's & White-Bellied)
Monitors (Blunt-Spined, Mangrove, Mitchell's Water-, Spiny-Tailed, Spotted Tree- & Yellow-Throated)
Northern Hooded Scaly-Foot
Pythons (Black-Headed, Children's, Northern Carpet-, Oenpelli, Olive & Water)
Rock-Monitors (Black-Palmed & Kimberley)
Rough-Scaled Death-Adder
Skinks (Northern Blue-Tongue & Obiri Rock-)
Snakes (King Brown-, Lesser Black Whip-, Little File-, Macleay's Water- & Slaty-Grey)
Turtles (Arnhem Land Long-Necked & Northern Yellow-Faced)
Mammals
Antilopine Wallaroo
Brush-Tailed Phascogale
Ghost Bat
Nabarlek
Northern Hopping-Mouse
Northern Quoll
Rats (Arnhem Land Rock-, Black-Footed Tree- & Brush-Tailed Rabbit-)
Red-Cheeked Dunnart
Rock Ringtail-Possum
Savanna Glider
Wallabies (Northern Nailtail- & Spectacled Hare-)
Once I've completed the trip I'll make a trip report post & show everything I found.

 

[Snapped]

Now that's what I call a trip! It would be amazing to see what you do find, looking forward to your report and pics, have a great holiday and enjoy the herping!

 

[oskarpryor]

Now that's what I call a trip! It would be amazing to see what you do find, looking forward to your report and pics, have a great holiday and enjoy the herping!

Thank you,
I'll post a report & pics about my trip. I'm really wanting to see an Arafura File-Snake & Frilled Lizard so hopefully I do.

 

[Sdaji]

Frillies are very easy to see in many areas, if you know how to look. I have to admit, I drove and wandered right past them for a long time (years!) and rarely saw them until someone showed me how to spot them, then suddenly they were popping out like neon signs all around me.

I can't say I've ever found Arafura File Snakes, at least partly because I don't want to spoil my perfect track record of not getting eating by any crocodiles. I'm sure I've been within 10 metres of them plenty of times.

Good luck with the Nabarleks, and maybe you'll also see Floobledonks and Kwumpledumps.

 

[oskarpryor]

Frillies are very easy to see in many areas, if you know how to look. I have to admit, I drove and wandered right past them for a long time (years!) and rarely saw them until someone showed me how to spot them, then suddenly they were popping out like neon signs all around me.

I can't say I've ever found Arafura File Snakes, at least partly because I don't want to spoil my perfect track record of not getting eating by any crocodiles. I'm sure I've been within 10 metres of them plenty of times.

Good luck with the Nabarleks, and maybe you'll also see Floobledonks and Kwumpledumps.

& how is it that you spot them? Last time I was in the Top End I saw a few at East Point & along the Arnhem Highway.
If Berry Springs is open I'll snorkel around the pandanus looking for the file-snakes
Yeah, I'm probably dreaming about seeing a Nabarlek in Kakadu.