Fogg Dam has perhaps the world’s highest density of water pythons, which makes it a must-visit destination for Top End herpers. According to the proprietors of the nearby Eden bed-and-breakfast where we were staying, the population dropped off dramatically a couple of years ago when flooding wiped out much of the habitat of the pythons’ main prey item, the Dusky Rat (Rattus colletti). I had heard stories that in earlier years one could see a python every ten feet along the dam, but on this night we saw only this one.

I’ve written up an account of this three-week trip to Australia here.

The next night we saw one more, which spent a little bit more time in front of my camera before heading back into the water. These snakes are featured in aboriginal legends as “Rainbow Serpents”, a name that reflects the iridescence visible in these photos.