Phil Wise and Jane Dermer are the owners of Mountain Pepper, a property situated in Neika, approximately southwest of Hobart, Tasmania. The property is primary residence, wildlife sanctuary that is also used for recreation. The sanctuary is an undulating partly forested block in the Northwest Bay River Valley on the edge of Kunanyi/Mount Wellington. Mountain Pepper is also additionally registered with Land for Wildlife. Owners Phil and Jane plan to undertake regeneration work on the property.
The property spans 3.2 hectares. Ecosystems on the property include Eucalyptus obliqua, Eucalyptus regnans forest with some cleared pasture areas slowly regenerating with Acacia dealbata and Pomaderris sp. An extensive and growing number of wildlife is found at Mountain Pepper including Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii), eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus), eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii), southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus), long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus), bettongs, little pygmy possums (Cercartetus lepidus), sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) brush-tailed possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), ring-tailed possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus), platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), swamp rats (Rattus lutreolus), multiple insectivorous bats, swift parrots (Lathamus discolor), masked owls (Tyto novaehollandiae), wedge tailed eagles (Aquila audax), grey goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae) and a variety of other bird species. Reptiles found at the property include tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus), white-lipped snakes (Drysdalia coronoides), copperhead snakes (Austrelaps superbus), blue-tongue lizards (Tiliqua nigrolutea), casuarina skinks (Trachylepis casuarinae), metallic skinks (Carinascincus metallicus) and others. Frog species found at Mountain Pepper include brown tree frogs (Litoria ewingii), southern toadlets (Pseudophryne semimarmorata), common froglets (Crinia signifera) and others.
