Archive for the ‘Australian Wildlife News’ Category
Posted on July 29, 2010 - by admin
A Crocodile Called Casey
It was about two years ago when Steve – funny there is another bloke of that name who mucks around with crocodiless too – ran a fishing camp on an island in the Adelaide River, a known crocodile breeding ground.
Steve Timmons was pretty new to the area, he knew there were plenty of crocodiles 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 crocodile story
Posted on July 22, 2010 - by admin
Tiger Snake for Breakfast
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Tiger Snake: an unlikely breakfast?
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
Snake Catchers Snakes Alive!
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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 June 18, 2010 - by admin
Traveling Snake Seeks Suburban Home
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“You can take the snake out of the backyard, but you can’t take the backyard out of the snake.”
Some snakes appear to have a distinct preference for living in suburbia – and are skilled at disguising their presence among us.
Research by a La Trobe University zoology student has revealed these unexpected findings, and other unusual facts about Melbourne’s Tiger Snakes.
Posted on May 13, 2010 - by admin
Cool Companions at the Gardening Australia Expo
DISPLAYS THE IMAGE URL SPECIFIED IN THE CUSTOM FIELDTania Carter from Cool Companions with Lucy the Rufus Battong
Posted on May 12, 2010 - by admin
Kangaroo hops into expo
DISPLAYS THE IMAGE URL SPECIFIED IN THE CUSTOM FIELDBettong kangaroo
Zane Jackson (The Queensland Times)
IPSWICH wildlife carer Tania Carter has a simple message – look after native animals in your backyard and they will look after you.
With native Rufus Bettong kangaroo Lucy by her side, Ms Carter will be spreading the wildlife gospel today and at the weekend at the ABC Gardening Australia Expo in Brisbane.
She said with so much natural habitat being destroyed for housing and other developments, looking after native animals in your own backyard gained extra significance.
“Take the Rufus Bettong kangaroo, they are a native species, that used to be common around Ipswich,” she said.
“You could find the Bettong kangaroo everywhere but with so many habitats now destroyed, you only find them around Greenbank, White Rock and out to Laidley.
“You don’t have to give up having pets or anything like that; it’s just a case of keeping an eye out, trying to preserve the habitat you find them in and socialising pets so they don’t attack.”
With her Cool Companions business the Redbank resident is spreading the wildlife gospel around Ipswich at shopping centres, schools and parties. This weekend her message will reach an even bigger audience.
Held from today until April 18, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the ABC Gardening Australia Expo will deliver Ms Carter one large captive audience.
“What I’d like to get across is that by living and working together with native animals in our backyards and properties, there are benefits for everyone,” she said.
Bettong kangaroo
Posted on May 11, 2010 - by admin
Pests threaten Queensland’s native animals
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Queensland’s native animals are at risk from unknowing residents trying to exterminate backyard ‘pests’.
KATE HIGGINS (Brisbane Times)
Matthew Osley, a wildlife keeper at Cool Companions, the education branch of the Dreamtime Wildlife Sanctuary, said Queenslanders often tried to rid their yards of harmless animals.
Queensland’s native animals on the loose
“A lot of people think that the backyard creatures are kind of annoying, but we’ve got snakes that keep rodents down in the backyards and we’ve got lizards that keep bugs down,” he said.
“We’re just trying to tell people, if they’re in the backyard, leave them in the backyard, they’re doing a good thing [and] they’ll help you out.”
Mr Osley said snakes were especially at risk of harm from scared suburbanites.
Queensland’s native animals: Wrong Thinking
“There is a big misconception out there, a lot of people see a snake and say `the only good snake’s a dead snake’,” he said.
“We’re kind of trying to promote a change around so people do leave these animals alone [and] respect them.
“They are here, we’re here, so we might as well live together happily.”
However, Mr Osley said it was hard to tell a dangerous snake from a harmless one.
“We do promote, if you see an animal in the backyard, leave it alone, don’t run up to it and try to touch it,” he said.
Queensland’s native animals: Warning 101
“No one will get hurt if you don’t go near it.”
He said the old adage that snakes are more afraid of humans than humans are of them was true.
“If you’ve seen a snake it’s definitely seen you, it’s smelt you, it knows your presence and it will try to find somewhere to hide,” Mr Osley said.
“Snakes aren’t an aggressive animal, they’re not going to come and strike at you for no reason.”
Mr Osley said noxious animals to watch out for included introduced species like cane toads and Asian house geckos.
Queensland’s native animals: Snakes and Rodents
Mr Osley said Queenslanders shared their homes with a number of harmless creatures, including non-venomous snakes, blue-tongued lizards, skinks, geckos and bearded dragons.
“The most common snakes you’ll see are your carpet pythons, they’re a harmless snake, they’re not going to do any damage to anybody,” he said.
“They will live in your roofs and keep your rodents down.”
Queensland’s native animals: A Plea
Mr Osley warned that rodent-plagued homeowners shouldn’t be tempted to buy a pet snake to keep the population down.
“You can’t feed rats in the wild to snakes in captivity, they have a lot of parasites that wild snakes can deal with but captive animals can’t,” he said.
Mr Osley said people needed to understand that animals’ native habitats were often in suburban areas.
Queensland’s native animals: A War on Space
“Humans have moved into their habitat so that’s why the snakes occupying that area,” he said.
“We are raising awareness of what these animals do for your backyards, there’s no point getting rid of them.
“Snakes [and reptiles] do have a purpose on the earth, we want to keep them here.”
