As a result of the country's well-deserved reputation for deadly snakes, visitors to Alice Springs are wary of the area's dry landscape, which provides the ideal breeding ground for reptiles in Australia.
To be sure, Alice Springs is an excellent place to visit, but even if you see one of the city's many deadly snakes, you won't regret your trip. There are no crocodiles in central Australia but it is home to numerous types of lizards.
There's no mistaking the bearded dragon's appearance: it's covered in spiky reptilian scales, including a puffy "beard" beneath its chin that changes shape according to its mood.
The ground-dwelling Sand Goannas are located in northern and eastern Australia. They prefer open forests and grasslands. Ringed yellow patches adorn their greenish-grey bodies. On their tail and lower body, these patches form patterns and bands. Despite its snake-like appearance, the Sand Monitor's head is covered in yellow spots.
The Perentie is Australia's largest monitor lizard. It is also the fourth-largest lizard that is still alive on Earth. It has a strong tail and strong legs with five claws on each toe. The pattern is brown with large rosettes of yellow or cream.
Tiny Australian lizard the thorny devil is also known as thorny dragon, and moloch, among other names. It is a slow-moving lizard that mostly eats ants. To trick predators, it has a "fake head" behind its neck. The way this 20-centimetre-long lizard walks is also interesting: with its tail up, it moves backwards and forwards in slow, jerky steps.
One of the most distinctive features of the legless lizard Delma is the presence of ear holes, as well as a wide, fleshy tongue.
One of the most renowned snakes of the NT is a Centralian Carpet Python that has a distinct head and jaw, and orange to brown coloration with black and cream patterns.
Stimsons Pythons are distinguished by their cream to dark brown coats with darker splotches (mottled coloration), distinct heads and jaws, and a lighter underbelly.
Mulga Snake (King Brown) is a large snake with clearly defined scales and a hefty weight.
Scales are clearly defined in the Western Brown Snake, and the underbelly is often orange, but the colour and pattern of the snake's body can greatly differ.
This species of venomous snake, the curl snake (Suta Suta), is found only in Australia's woodlands and grassland areas. Its head and neck are darker, and it has a sturdy build.
The largest reptile exhibit in Central Australia can be found at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre. Terry the Saltwater Crocodile is one of many fascinating reptiles on display in their Gecko Cave, along with Thorny Devils, Perentie Goannas, Frill-neck Lizards, and many more.
The Reptile Show is a must-see, running daily at 11am, 1pm, and 3:30pm. The show begins with an educational and entertaining presentation on a variety of lizards and pythons, followed by a hands-on experience with the animals.
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