Working as a gardener I get to come across a fairly varied number of wildlife. In the gardens at our resort it is almost ideal for them to live as there is a constant source of fresh water, both in the ponds and watering system. It is also home to a large number of plants which attracts many different bugs and insects so food is in abundance. The only real threat to anything living there is accidental death (eg I found a green tree fog that had become trapped in a window sill and died) or the small family of wild cats that live under one of the decks.
There are no other predators around but since the cat had kittens it is slightly more dangerous. We are in the process of trapping them and getting them removed, hopefully since they are young they don't have any diseases and can be domesticated and rehomed rather than euthanised.
Reptiles.
There are heappppppps of reptiles here. The hot weather means they are active pretty much all year and never really have the need to brumate (a fancy version of hibernation).
Yellow spotted monitor.
So far the coolest thing I have seen is a Yellow spotted monitor or Argus monitor.
There have been 2 of these guys hanging around and they are just awesome. Much larger than standard lizards, monitor lizards are related to Komodo dragons.
The yellow spotted monitor is the 3rd largest species in Australia and they are quite impressive to see up close.
This one was wandering through the garden, likely looking for food or a mate. They are easily recognisable by the yellow circles that run in lines along their length. This one looked to be in the process of shedding and when done will look quite colourful and bright.
Blue tongues
There are heaps of blue tongue skinks around, I see probably 2 a day on average and they seem to thrive here. There was one the other day sitting near a monitor and I was worried he was about to get eaten. I know it's nature but I hate to see it.
These guys are pretty docile but I have been bitten twice so far moving them or picking them up. A lot of the people who work at our resort are from overseas so I enjoy showing them all the animals here and occasionally that results in being bitten.
Green tree snake.
So far as I know there is 2 of these guys hanging around. It's hard to tell the difference and there could be many more that I just can't see. They have amazing camouflage and unless you find them climbing around on the wood or crossing a path you are unlikely to see them.
We followed this one along and he climbed up into a cluster of bamboo. After that he was pretty much invisible and we lost him even though we were watching him.
Occasionally we will get a call from a guest that one has made their way into their room or is in their yard area. I generally just go out and slowly usher them off into the bushes but occasionally they have to be caught and relocated. I usually move them into one of the trees nearby and off the ground away from the cats.
Little dragons.
I say little dragons because it is hard to tell without catching them what species they are and they are super quick. I think most of them are Ta Ta lizards or Gilbert's dragons, if I ever manage to catch one I will get a better look.
Amphibians.
So far I have found a lot of green tree frogs but haven't found many other species around.
These guys are one of my favourites and their bright colour is just gorgeous. Just like green tree snakes these guys are super good at camouflage and can hardly be seen when sitting on a leaf or tree.
We often find them in bathrooms or close to water sources, one regularly hangs out in the staff bathroom in the corner of the room.
We even spotted one in the drain of a sink and another in a toilet. The toilet frog swam down the drain and we were worried he would get stuck but reappeared a day or so later and was relocated.
Other animals.
There are so many others it's hard to fit in one post, I did a whole post on the birds of prey around so I won't do birds again. There are still many more animals to discover and I am super excited because turtle hatching season is coming soon and the huge sea turtles will come onto the beach and lay their eggs.
Broome is also a known spot for migratory seabirds and every year thousands and thousands of different species come here to mate and lay eggs.
I am a reptile enthusiast first and foremost so I am super keen to see more snakes and lizards, especially the monitors or a black headed python. This is one of the best parts of the country to see wildlife and only recently did the whale migration finish. It is a world class destination for all sorts of nature tours and has some of Australia's least disturbed land. Invasive species like foxes and cane toads haven't made it here yet so the reptile population has a good chance to thrive still.
Definitely a highlight of the job, being able to spot wildlife while doing it! Those argus are awesome! !BEER
haha if they knew how long I spent chasing lizards and other animals around the resort they might not be super happy, definetly a perk though :D
Ahahahahha can relate! 😁😉
that is a damn nice post and so many great pics from all you "friends"
Thanks! I'm not a great photographer and only have my phone but my partner takes some good ones and with all the ones I take I'm bound to get a couple that are alright :D
Broome is a part of Australia which I never saw and which is on my travel list.
What is the best time to be there, means out of rainy season?
April through to around October is the "popular" season but it can get very busy. It's a nice place though, isolated but lots to do and see.
and have a !BEER on me....
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