Author Archive

Posted on July 29, 2010 - by admin

A Croc Called Casey

It was about two years ago when Steve – funny there is another bloke of that name who mucks around with crocs too – ran a fishing camp on an island in the Adelaide River, a known breeding ground for crocs.

Steve Timmons was pretty new to the area, he knew there were plenty of crocs in the river and that they were dangerous, but he didn’t know much about them. And he wasn’t prepared for his first meeting with Casey.

We’ll let Steve continue the story. (more…)

Posted on July 28, 2010 - by admin

The Alabama Red-bellied Turtle

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by John E. Marshall

Alabama is home to one of the richest and most diverse herpetofauna in the United States, especially in regards to turtle species. Not counting sea turtles, at least 22 species of chelonians reside in the Heart of Dixie.

Three species – the black-nobbed “sawback” or map turtle (Graptemys nigrinoda), the flattened musk turtle (Sternotherus depressus) and the Alabama red-bellied turtle (Pseudemys alabamensis) – are endemic to the state. (more…)

Posted on July 27, 2010 - by admin

The Wonderful World of Water Dragons

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by Michael Spears

In the fall of 1995, I was browsing at a local pet store that had a rather large selection of reptiles (for small town in Mississippi, that is). There were iguanas, bearded dragons, various common geckos, savannah monitors and large constrictors, but one lizard seemed to beg for my attention. It literally came to the front of the enclosure as if to say, “Please buy me.” It was an interesting lizard, with a roosterlike crest, half inch spines running from the top of the head to almost the end of the stub tail, big eyes and puffy jowls. This was the first time I’d ever seen the magnificent Asian water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus). (more…)

Posted on July 26, 2010 - by admin

Try Some Tree Frogs

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By Gerold, Cindy and Walter Merker

Tree frogs can offer entertainment and enjoyment – and, of course, challenge.

From the dry Gran Chaco region of South America to the icy waters of Alaska, frogs and toads have been found in nearly every environment. With nearly 4,000 species – more than 10 times the number of salamander and newt species – anurans are by far the most successful group of the amphibians. (more…)

Posted on July 25, 2010 - by admin

Carpet Pythons in Captivity and Nature

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These Australian beauties weave a spell over all who see them.

Carpet Pythons In The Wild
by Charles Acheson

Australian carpet pythons are unquestionably popular pythons among the general public, and most Australians have at some stage seen one of them in the wild. Usually, these people can recollect seeing one while on holiday – often, unfortunately, as roadkill. Throughout much of Australia, people in the countryside report seeing carpet pythons on ceiling beams in old sheds, in chicken roosts or even draped over their balconies. (more…)

Posted on July 24, 2010 - by admin

Leopards and Beardies

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By Joe Hiduke and Bill Brant

Long considered your best bet if you’re a beginner, bearded dragons and leopard geckos remain favorite pets.

Younger readers of reptiles may be surprised to know that few captive-bred lizards have been available in the recent past. While there are far more species and specimens available now than there ever have been, those species, that have been with us the longest are still among the best pet reptiles. (more…)

Posted on July 23, 2010 - by admin

Venomous Snakes: Steer Clear

by Graeme Gow

Most Top End’s venomous snakes are not considered deadly.

But the northern half of Australia is home to many species whose bite requires medical treatment – so it is wise to steer clear. (more…)

Posted on July 22, 2010 - by admin

The Biter Bit For A Bush Breakfast

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Gold Coast naturalist David Fleay recalls the time, collecting snakes for Commonwealth Serum Laboratories anti-venene research, he and his companion hit on the idea of the snake as food.

Moira Lakes upstream from Echuca, along the big bend of the Murray crawls with snakes.

Only droughts knock their numbers back and even these natural disasters serve merely as temporary checks.

I first came across this ‘snakiest’ place in all Australia in 1926 as a wandering kid on a push bike marveling at first of the river swamps and their mighty flocks of birds. (more…)

Posted on July 21, 2010 - by admin

Snakes Alive! (No wonder Alice Springs)

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The snake-catchers of Alice Springs rush to answer residents’ cries for help – to ensure the safety of the reptile causing the panic.

Story by Liz Johnswood
Pictures by Peter Watkins

If you discover a snake at the bottom of your garden and you live in Alice Springs, don’t panic – just send for the snake-catchers of the Alice. There’s Bruce Munday, an incredibly laid-back, fiercely mustached chap who will come to the rescue as quick as a flicker of fang. Or there are the rangers of the Northern Territory Conservation Commission (NTCC), big willing fellows who’d rather face a snake any day than a nasty bush litterer. (more…)

Posted on July 20, 2010 - by admin

King Of The Croakers

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by Steve Van Dyck

It’s hard for many of us to look back on the invention of septic tanks, sewerage farms and reticulated water without shedding a few tears for auld lang syne and a few for old green tree frogs.

For there, among the galvanized clutter of overflow drains, slimy tank stands, thunderboxes, stink pipes and dripping taps, dozed the king of croakers, the mighty green tree frog, undisputed lord of the outside loo. (more…)