creatures , in spite of the universal acceptance that six feet was the ‘ typical ’ size Tiger Snakes grew to in Tasmania .
That was until April 1990 , when word got to me that a genuine six-footer was on display in the Bracknell shop . Bracknell is a tiny town near the foot of the western tiers about 60km west of Launceston . It is surrounded by a rich mosaic of farming land interspersed with remnant forest patches and regrowth . Just to the south of the town the Liffey River meanders through this habitat . Its edges were largely bordered by remnant forest and scrub ; big log jams from floods occurred along its length and rocks cleared from paddocks were dumped along its margins . The mix of natural and man-made habitats provided ideal conditions for a host of introduced and native small to medium-sized mammals to live in high densities . In other words , it was exactly the sort of place where big Tiger Snakes would live . As luck would have it , I lived nearby at an even smaller settlement called Liffey at the time and was soon able to get my hands on the snake . Dennis Chilcott was born in Bracknell and worked on several family farms in the district . Tiger Snakes were plentiful and he and his family had killed many in the timehonoured tradition in rural Tasmania . On the afternoon in question , he was horse riding through a rough , semi-cleared paddock beside the Liffey River when he noticed a very large snake making its way to a log pile . Without a moment ’ s hesitation he immediately dismounted , grabbed a hefty piece of eucalypt branch and clubbed the snake to death . One well-aimed blow just behind the head was all that was required and the snake was perfectly
Left : my record-sized tiger at three months of age . He was born a head and the rest of him grew on to it ! Photo : Simon Fearn .
Right : one of the giant tigers from Mick Thow ’ s clutch at three months of age , pictured with a typical Tasmanian neonate of the same age for size comparison . Both snakes were fed as much as they would eat . Photo : Simon Fearn .
Above right : Dennis Chilcott and daughters with the 1810mm male Tiger Snake he killed near the Liffey River at Bracknell in April 1990 . This was ( and still is ) the only Tasmanian Tiger Snake I have measured close to ' six feet '. It weighed 2kg and allowed me to dream the impossible dream . Photo courtesy of Dennis Chilcott .