Tiwi Food: Animals

This table provides information about animals Tiwi people use for food. For a more comprehensive list please refer to Tiwi plants and animals: Aboriginal flora and fauna knowledge from Bathurst and Melville Islands, northern Australia (2001) Puruntatameri, J., et al. Non-Tiwi are banned from hunting or fishing on the Tiwi Islands without a permit.

Tiwi Name	Common Name	Scientific Name	Tiwi Season	Use
Arlaminga	Barramundi	Lates calcarifer	All seasons	Arlaminga flesh is eaten after cooking. It is very tasty and highly sought after.
Dalyngini	Sugarbag Bee	Trigona spp.	Kumunupunari	Yingwati, sugar bag, is collected in the dry season. Dalyngini (bees) are followed through the bush and the tree containing sugar bag is chopped down.
Jipwajirringa	Agile Wallaby	Macropus agilis	All seasons	Jipwajirringa are a much sought-after source of meat. In the past, they were hunted by men with spears and throwing sticks but are now hunted with guns.
Jukwarringa	Mud Mussel	Polymesoda erosa	All seasons	Jukwarringa are an excellent food resource.
Jurriyl	Whistling Duck	Dendrocygna spp.	Kumunupunari, Tyiari	When the water holes dry up it is easier to hunt Jurriyl. The flesh is eaten after roasting on hot coals.
Kawarri or Muwani	Sand Goanna	Varanus panoptes	All seasons	The flesh is eaten after a light roasting on hot coals.
Kawukawuni	Bustard	Ardeotis australis	Kumunupunari	The flesh, which is cooked on coals and eaten, is considered excellent food. Kawukawuni are easier to hunt in Kumunupunari.
Kipopi	Northern Brown Bandicoot	Isoodon macrourus	All seasons	Kipopi is considered excellent meat. They are roasted on hot coals.
Kirilima	Orange-footed Scrub-fowl	Megapodius reinwardt	All seasons	Kirilima are roasted on hot coals and eaten all year round.
Kitirika	Green Turtle	Chelonia mydas	All seasons	Turtles are collected whenever possible, although Jamutakari seems to be the most fruitful time. The flesh is eaten after the whole animal has been roasted in a fire. Karaka (turtle eggs) are a very popular food source and are eaten raw or boiled in water for 5 to 10 minutes
Kurumpuka	Mud Crab	Scylla serrata	All seasons	The flesh of the claws, body and legs of Kurumpuka is eaten after a quick roasting on hot coals. It is considered a delicacy and is much sought after.
Mantuwunjini	Dugong	Dugong dugon	Tyiari	Mantuwunjini are hunted when they come in close to the coast to feed and breed. The flesh is eaten and is considered an excellent food.
Marripukarli	Mangrove Jack	Lutjanus argentimaculatus	All seasons	Marripukarli are often found in near mangroves, and are known for their dangerous bite. The flesh is eaten after cooking and is very tasty.
Martapaka	Crested Tern	Sterna bergii	Jamutakari	Martapaka lays eggs at the end of Jamutakari, the wet season. The eggs are collected, cooked and eaten. They are considered an excellent food.
Mapulinka	Partridge Pigeon	Geophaps smithii	Kumunupunari	Mapulinka are found on the roadside when grasses are seeding. The flesh is eaten after roasting.
Mayimampi	Magpie Goose	Anseranas semipalmata	Kumunupunari, Tiyari	When the water holes dry up it’s easier to hunt Mayimampi. The flesh is eaten after cooking and is considered excellent food. It can be dangerous collecting Mayimampi eggs as Yirrikipayi (Saltwater Crocodiles) are in the same habitat.
Mirnangini	Cockle (ridge shell)	Anadara granosa	All seasons	Mirangini are lightly roasted in hot coals, allowed to cool then eaten.
Mirninguwuni, Piliwuni or Piliwunga	Oysters	Saccostrea spp.	All seasons	Oysters are eaten raw, roasted briefly on coals or boiled for a short period. They are considered an excellent food resource that promotes good health.
Piranga	Long Bum	Telescopium telescopium	All seasons	Piranga are lightly roasted on hot coals. They may also be eaten uncooked and are an effective hangover treatment.
Pwampungini	Black-footed Tree-rat	Mesembriomys gouldii	Kumunupunari	Pwampungini flesh tastes good in Kumunupunari, the dry season, because they have been eating flowers and nectar.
Tarnikini	Black Flying-fox	Pteropus alecto	Kumunupunari	Tarnikini flesh is eaten after roasting on coals. Tarnikini taste better in Kumunupunari, the dry season, because they have been eating flowers and nectar.
Tirrintirra	Burdekin Duck	Tadorna radjah	Kumunupunari, Tyiari	Tirrintirra flesh is eaten after roasting on coals.
Wakatapa	Cheeky Mangrove Worm	Bankia australis	Tyiari	Wakatapa is a small ‘cheeky’ mangrove worm that cannot be eaten at most times of the year. However, after it has been boiled it makes a soup that is good medicine for coughs and colds, and is used by nursing mothers to increase milk production. If Wakatapa is accidentally only be eaten raw it causes throat irritation and coughing. It can only be eaten without cooking if collected from freshwater areas of mangroves and during Tiyari.
Wuninga	Northern Brushtail Possum	Trichosurus vulpecula	All seasons	Wuninga are an important and highly regarded food source. They are roasted on hot coals.
Wurripiti	Cockle	Tapes spp.	All seasons	Wurripiti are lightly roasted in hot coals, allowed to cool then eaten.
Wujirrima	Periwinkle	Nerita balteata	All seasons	Wujirrima are lightly roasted on hot coals and the flesh picked out with a stick and eaten.
Yilinga	Carpet Python	Morelia spilota	All seasons	Yilinga are boiled for several hours or placed on hot coals. The cooked flesh is a popular food.
Yirrikipayi	Saltwater Crocodile	Crocodylus porosus	All seasons	Yirrikipayi is only eaten by old people. The tail is the tastiest part. The eggs are hard to harvest because they are closely guarded by adult crocodiles.
Yuwurli	Mangrove Worm	Bactronophorous	Jamutakari	Yuwurli is a large sweet-tasting worm eaten raw after chopping them from the branches, stems and roots of dead mangrove wood. Yuwurli taste similar to oysters, and are given to people who are sick or unhealthy. They are especially good for pregnant women and nursing mothers and as a hangover cure.  Yuwuli cannot be eaten in Tiyari.