Flying into Hummocky (Mount Chappell Island) and landing on the grass airstrip feels a bit like arriving at Jurassic Park — and just like in the film, mystery surrounds the island's reptile inhabitants.
"Really tiny islands like Chappell, any of the animals stranded on there would have died out quite quickly, so the tiger snakes would be losing types of prey."
Through survival of the fittest, the island's tiger snakes have evolved over thousands of years to have larger heads. "For the rest of the year they burn off fat, that's why Chappell Island is relatively unique … because there's no other food for the snakes," Mr Fearn says.The island's reputation for having Australia's biggest tiger snakes can be traced back through history.
"Chappell Island tiger snakes are amongst the least venomous tiger snakes, but because they're so big and have such big heads, they inject a lot more venom."
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