It is a little hard to believe that I was getting paid to ride my trials bike through the pristine Kimberley Savannah. I would have done it for free. Blasting across the scrub is not usually the best way to observe fauna. However, trials bikes are geared low for maneuverability and not particularly obnoxious. They are the gentleman's dirt bike. Whatever the case, when you are riding for three days straight one is bound to come across something. Typically super elusive, the Green Tree Snake is usually found.....well, up trees. But today I saw TWO basking on rocks at the waters edge. I cut this little clip (click on the cover picture to connect to youtube) so you could share the moment with me. Though this one took to the grass, via the water, the second one dived underwater and hid under a rock. When I found him, and extricated him from his hiding spot, he shot straight back into the water and under another rock!! Far be it from me to point out the blatantly obvious, but perhaps it should have retreated to the trees? Prior to this trip, I would have been lucky to observe one individual in a week long survey. Two in one day? Six in total for the trip. I postulate that the disruption to the local ecology caused by the Cane Toads is causing an increase in the density of this species due to lack of predation by species the Cane Toads are wiping out, such as King Browns (Pseudechis australis).
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Curious Nature
AdventureSometimes when I am way out bush, and my mind is racing with all things business and a million other things to stress over, something will happen: it will be sometimes subtle and sometimes not so. But every time it happens, it reminds me of how luck...
