Author Archive
Posted on June 18, 2010 - by admin
Turtle, Tortoise, or Terrapin?
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What is the difference between a Turtle, a Tortoise, and a Terrapin?
The main difference is based on physiology. Tortoises are terrestrial (land dwelling) and possess thick legs and toes and require water for drinking only. There are no tortoises indigenous to Australia.
Posted on June 18, 2010 - by admin
Black Snake Envenomation
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The First Aid for black snake envenomation is pressure-immobilisation
Black Snake Envenomation: Signs and Symptoms
The venom of mulga snake is somewhat less toxic than that of many other Australian venomous snakes, among them the black snake. Mytoxicity is a major feature, and the venom also contains anticoagulants and possibly neurotoxins. Swelling and pain at the bite site may be seen, and are unusual in bites by other Australian snake genera. (more…)
Posted on June 18, 2010 - by admin
Bearded Dragon: Australia’s Goodwill Ambassador
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Bearded Dragon by Peter Weis
The Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) has become one of the most popular pet lizards, and it’s easy to see why. It is a very tame lizard, and can be extremely personable. Bearded dragons also have a complex set of social behaviors – head bobbing, arm waving, posturing and extending their beards – that make them very interesting lizards to keep. The ready availability of captive-bred bearded dragons has made them a staple for the pet trade, and selective breeding creates an ever-increasing number of interesting color morphs. (more…)
Posted on June 17, 2010 - by admin
Spotted Mulga Snake
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Pseudechis butleri or Spotted Mulga Snake
Did you know…
- Spotted mulga snake, sometimes called Butler’s mulga snakes, are found in a small area in central Western Australia.
- Spotted Mulga Snake is named after Harry Butler, well-known TV naturalist.
- Spotted mulga snake is related to common mulga snakes, or king brown snakes. the same antivenom is used to treat bites from both species.
Posted on June 17, 2010 - by admin
Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko
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Saltuarius cornutus or Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko
The Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko lives in rainforests in Queensland’s wet topics around Cooktown. During the day the Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko shelter under peeling bark and in crevices. This is one of Australia’s largest geckoes, growing up to 22 cm long.
The patterning of the Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko allows them to blend in perfectly with the lichen- and moss-covered tree trunks they inhabit. The female will dig a nest in the soil, lay two eggs, and then cover the eggs over with dirt and leaves. Females will sometimes lay multiple clutches of eggs per season, and many females have been found laying their eggs in a communal nest. (more…)
Posted on June 16, 2010 - by admin
Mulga Snake
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h2<>Pseudechis australis or the Mulga Snake
The Mulga Snake is the heaviest of Australia’s venomous snakes, and they also have the widest distribution. A large adult can reach a length of 3 metres. They have the largest venom output of any Australian snake. A 1.65 metre specimen once delivered 5 mL in one bite, which equates to 600 mg of dried venom. The Mulga Snake is in the Black Snake family, but because of its brown colour these animals are often thought to be in the Brown Snake family. Mulga Snake venom affects the skeletal musculature, being mainly haemolytic and cytotoxic, but it’s also mildly neurotoxic and myotoxic. (more…)
Posted on June 16, 2010 - by admin
Common Scaly-foot Lizard
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Pygopus lepidopodus or the Common scaly-foot lizard
While it looks like a snake, common scaly foot is in fact a legless lizard. The common scaly-foot can be found right across the south of Australia, where it lives in open forests and woodlands. the common scaly-foot like to eat spiders and insects, and will even feed on soft fruits. As the largest of the legless lizards, the common scaly-foot can reach up to 85 cm long, of which about 55 cm will be tail. (more…)
Posted on June 15, 2010 - by admin
Coastal Taipan
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Oxyuranus scutellatus
The Coastal Taipan is Australia’s longest venomous snake. The maximum length recorded was from a 3.3-metre-long snake caught at Tully in the early 1960s. The average length of a Coastal Taipan caught nowadays is about 2 metres. The venom of the Coastal Taipan contains a potent procoagulant, and a presynaptic neurotoxin called taipoxin. This toxin also attacks muscles, releasing myoglobin and muscle enzymes, such as creatine kinase. The Coastal Taipan is mainly diurnal (active during the day) and crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), though is sometimes nocturnal. The only record of a Taipan from Brisbane was in 1958 from the suburb of Runcorn. (more…)
Posted on June 15, 2010 - by admin
Inland Bearded Dragon
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Pogona vitticeps or the Inland Bearded Dragon
Inland bearded dragon can be slightly smaller in size than their Coastal Bearded Dragon relatives. They are highly variable in colour, depending on what part of Australia they come from. They can range anywhere from cream to yellow to orange. These animals also rely on colour for camouflage in the light reddish sandy environments of inland Australia .
Posted on June 14, 2010 - by admin
Inland Taipan
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Oxyuranus microlepidotus or the Inland Taipan
The world’s most toxic snake venom belongs to the animal you are now looking at. It is 50 times more lethal than the venom of the Indian Cobra. An average bite from an adult Inland Taipan is enough to kill 250,000 mice. This venom is
strongly neurotoxic and has been shown to produce presynaptic ultrastructural changes in the rat diaphragm, preventing the animal from breathing.
