‘Chappell Island is
literally moving with big Tiger Snakes.’
snakes are meagre and the summer is short. Judging by
the number of adults with stumpy tails, I suspect the
gulls are attacking them, and of course if they happen to
pick up a snake that is small enough, it goes straight
down the gob. In the past there were also feral cats on
the island, which contributed to predation on young
snakes, but according to the rangers, after a successful
trapping program there is only one left. In addition, Tiger
Snakes are known to be cannibalistic, so the juveniles
avoid the muttonbird rookeries where most of the adults
reside, and instead mainly inhabit areas of grassy tussock
and large shrubs, which serve as refuge when danger
approaches. So, whilst the adult Tiger Snakes have no
predators, the young ones are constantly under the pump.
Many of the adult snakes have scarred necks from ticks,
which doesn’t add to their good looks, but they don’t
seem to be infested to the point where they can not
function. Apart from a small spring on the southern side,
there is no permanent water on the island, so the snakes
don’t have the opportunity to soak themselves to get rid
of the ticks. No water means there are no frogs, and
hence likewise there are no copperheads on Chappell
Island. The Tiger Snakes feed largely on muttonbird
chicks during the breeding season, but once the chicks
are too big it’s the end of the feast. Rats and mice
provide little supplement to the snake’s menu; it’s the
fatty, oily and smelly chicks that constitute the main
course. The window of opportunity only lasts about six
weeks in the summer months before the chicks are too
big for the snakes to swallow.