Water Dragons 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. [...]
Moloch horridus or the Thorny Devil This is one of Australia’s most interesting and unusual animals. People often mistake the Latin word horridus for meaning ‘horrible’ – it does in fact mean ‘bristly’. This describes the lizard’s erect stance, with the tail and head held high. The thorny devil eats only ants, usually the black [...]
Coastal Taipan: An Introduction Text by Brian Barnett (Originally published in Thylacinus in 1986. Reprinted in Monitor Vol.10 Issue 2/3 1999) The Coastal Taipan is one of Australia’s largest venomous and most dangerous snakes, occurring widely in northern Australia with an endemic sub-species in New Guinea (Cogger, 1983). In recent years its popularity in reptile [...]
Morelia spilota variegata or the Carpet Python Did you know… Darwin carpet python dwells across the north ofAustralia. Carpet python is common in urban parts of Darwin. Adult Darwin carpet python eats mainly mammals, such as rats and possums. Juvenile carpet python eat mainly lizards, such as skinks and geckos.
Hypsilurus spinipes or the Rainforest Dragon This fierce-looking rainforest dragon lives in warm temperate rainforest and sclerophyll forests along the mid-eastern coast of Australia. They feed on insects and spiders, which they hunt ambush in the canopy, on tree trunks and vines, or the forest floor. Rainforest dragon drink from the water that runs down [...]
Kids and reptiles! Can they mix and should they mix? by Kerrie Alexander In my opinion yes and sometimes no. In this article I will express some ideas and tips on how to keep the harmony with our kids and reptiles, and also perhaps when we should draw the line.
Keeping Turtles: An Introduction A decade ago or more, except for a handful of pioneering enthusiasts, genuine breeders were virtually non-existent. Their patience, improved husbandry techniques and record keeping has paid off. Many of the commonly encountered problems are rarely seen today, and captive breeding is a regular event on the calendar. Today we are [...]
The lesson from the talks of Tania Carter is that, as gardeners, it is our duty to plant native plants to provide habitat and food for our unique wildlife. Tania Carter gave a fascinating talk about our local native animals. Tania brought a number of her “Cool Companions” with her and gave members the opportunity [...]
Morelia spilota variegata or the Carpet Python Meet Tully. Tully is an albino Darwin Carpet Python. Tully’s mum was found in a caravan park in Darwin about ten years ago. A resident of the caravan park saw Blondie one day. When the Parks and Wildlife Commission head about it they took Blondie to the Territory [...]
Guide to Pythons by Andrew Owen Pythons are increasing in popularity as pets in Australia and many species are now available. Keeping native species as pets is a good option ecologically and if the animals’ basic needs are met they can thrive in captivity. And so, the following discussions (guide to pythons) are strongly recommended. [...]
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A lungless frog, a frog that flies, an orange snake, and a slug that shoots love darts are among 123 new species found in Borneo since 2007 in a project to conserve one of the oldest rain forests in the world. A report by the global conservation group WWF on [...]
Water Dragons 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. [...]
Carpet Pythons – 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 [...]
Carpet Pythons – 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 [...]
Most Top End’s venomous snakes are not considered deadly. by Graeme Gow The northern half of Australia is home to many species whose bite requires medical treatment – so it is wise to steer clear.
Just wanted to write and say thank you for providing such a fabulous service. Caitie was just delighted. Your animals are beautiful and obviously well cared for. The balance of fun and education was perfect, game time was great for preparing the food. Everyone was very impressed, the children were very excited and yet, completely [...]
I would like to thank everyone at Cool Companions, and especially James, who attended our party on the 15th November. Very professional service, and all the kids had an absolutely fantastic time. Everybody loved their loot bags, and people are still talking about the party. It was a great way to celebrate a birthday, which [...]
Today we welcomed our newest sugar glider, Lola, into the world. Her mum, Pixie, is a doting parent and it won’t be long before Lola can come out to schools with Pixie and us to start meeting a whole bunch of new faces.
You know, even though we have an amazing variety of cute and cuddly Australian wildlife here at Dreamtime Wildlife Sanctuary, it’s still such a thrill to see creatures in the wild. Today when we went to check on our own snakes, we found a wild eastern brown snake hanging around. We moved him down the [...]
