Welcome to ARK's 5th Newsletter.
This is our first edition for 2007, and we are kicking things off with a small feature on breeding reptiles, photos and experiences from some ARK members that have bred their herps this year. We thought it would be an interesting read and look into the herp breeding aspect of some of our member's lives.
This month we have a few new things to offer. Our newsletter is often aimed at intermediate herpers and we wanted to add a specifically aimed at people new to the hobby, or thinking of getting into the hobby called 'Newbie Notes'. This section will run every newsletter and cover aspects of buying and owning a first snake. This idea was developed by the newsletter team, but is mainly a product of Natalie's (Jarrowz) mind who we also welcome to the newsletter team this month. Secondly, we have added a 'Vet Review' section which we will place in every newsletter with reviews on herp vets all over Australia.
The most exciting announcement that we have made in a long time is the work in progress, Aussie Reptile Media!
We also have a range of articles from ARK members this month. Jarrowz has written us an article about the herps she saw in Nepal, Nathan has contributed an article about a herp trip in SE Qld, Robbo has written an overview of his experience visiting various zoos and sanctuaries over the Christmas holidays, Luke has written another article, this time on the benefits of herp clubs and societies, Naomi has contributed an article on the Spider World at Australian Reptile Park, and Gaboon has contributed an article about his herp keeping experience.
As always, our newsletter team is looking for any written articles, ideas or additions into the ARK Newsletter. Anyone that has an interest in herpetology is welcome to contribute, no matter your experience. If you have anything to contribute at all, please contact us on newsletter@aussiereptilekeeper.com.
 ARK Newsletter Team
 ARK News
Aussie Reptile Media
Internet herping just got better!!! We are delighted to announce the most exciting addition to date to ARK that Shane has been working for behind the scenes for months now - Aussie Reptile Media!
ARMedia is going to be huge - it is the first interactive media website dedicated to reptiles and the hobby in Australia. It will offer all sorts of multimedia about Australian and exotic reptiles, features media where our own members have been involved, videos taken by Shane and admin, and our very own regular poscasts. Our podcasts which are like a small radio programme you can listen to from the site will involve interviews with professional herpers, news relating to Australian reptiles and ARK, phone interviews with ARK members and many other features. Shane has been setting up professional recording equipment and out taking videos that you won't get a chance to see elsewhere, which is why we haven't seen him around much lately.
ARMedia will be the launching place for many exicting projects we have coming up and the possibilities are endless, we are hoping to offer a cross between youtube.com and pet talk radio. It is currently a work in progress as Shane irons out all the bugs but keep an eye out for the official launch date which should be very soon. Stay tuned!!!!
www.aussiereptilemedia.com
OPMV Discussion Group
ARK has always been committed to raising awareness in the hobby about the devastating snake disease - Ophidian Paramyxovirus. Thanks to Simon (Simondo), an OPMV discussion group has been launched to discuss this disease and it's effects on our hobby and to decide future action, projects and awareness programmes that we can open to the whole hobby to educate about this disease. Already we have a few herp vets involved with a special interest in the area of snake diseases and we will have more coming onboard. If you are interested in education yourself about the disease and/or participating in discussions, we run an informal discussion on Wednesday nights at 9pm AEST (NSW, VIC time), and an action group chat on Sunday nights at 9pm AEST (NSW, VIC time). Anybody is welcome to participate. You can view the transcript of our first Sunday night chat Here. You can join chat here http://www.aussiereptilemedia.com/chat/ and log into our OPMV discussion room. We hope to see you there!
ARTICLES
Hatching Into the New Year
This year and, the previous, have seen a lot of new arrivals. Some have four legs, while
others have none at all. One thing that remains the same among them all is that they are
newborns braving the world outside of the security of their egg.
First they started off as tiny eggs, laid by their mother, which eventually stretched and
grew so that they could hold the babe within.
Photo's by Ultimate Reptile Suppliers
It wasnt long, though it seemed longer for some, before the egg shell gave way to the
peeking nose of that newborn reptile.
Photo's by Mark and Pia
Photo's by Steve Cato, Troy, Judith and David Williams
Some took a while, while others were quite quick, to lay claim to this bright new world
and call it home, thus starting a new journey in their life.
Photo's by Mark & Pia, David Williams, Judith and Troy
Breeder Profiles:
At ARK this breeding season, quite a few of our members successfully bred their herps, some of them for the first time. A few of them have been kind enough to share with us a little about their breeding season.
Name: Peter Buckley
Species bred:
Tiliqua scincoides scincoides,
Tiliqua nigrolutea,
Tiliqua rugosa asper,
Egernia cunninghami,
Physignathus lesuerii,
Pogona barbata,
Morelia spilota spilota,
Pseudechis porphryiacus,
Chelodina longicollis
These are the only species I have bred in the last 5 years as I generally keep endemic species. I have bred other species in the past when I was a bachelor.
What method did you use? Untill last year most of these animals were kept in outdoor enclosure here in Sydney. It was more a case of if I dont wish them to breed I dont introduce them.
Notes on incubation/hatching? All live bearing animals are usually house individually around birth time. With some species like the bluetongues its not that easy. They generally give birth in the pit and if I want to remove the young I need to pull the bubs out of the pit. Its a big job. Eggs are usually sent off to a friends incubator as his wife looks after the eggs 24-7. I havent bred the diamonds for the last few years and of course I wont be again for some time. I had problems with mould last time and lost about 85% of the eggs. Eventually put it down to the vermiculite which grew mold in a test container.
Rate your overall experience? Live bearers are of course very easy to classify as a success but who are you kidding. Keeping 50 baby red bellies happy and fed is hours and hours of work and can land you in hospital. They're to small for pinkies and not many people have that many skinks on hand so force feeding is necessary till they get enough size to take pinkies. Tigers and copperheads seem easier to handle for this method for some reason.
All the rest are easy to feed except maybe the diamonds which take a bit of work. I dont classify myself as a breeder, its incidental to keeping. This year I removed most of the male bluetongues before mating to cut down the number of babies. The blueys generally pay their own way each year which is really all I'm interested in overall. It is exciting though when it happens, but I get a bigger thrill finding and observing free living reptiles more and more.
Name: Tina (Isis)
Species Bred: Pagona Vitticeps
Notes: Once the eggs were laid I placed them in an air tight container on a bed of moist vermiculite being really careful not to turn the eggs. I then put the lid on making sure it sealed well then placed it in the enclosure in a spot that stayed at a constant temp of 29-31deg. Once a day I took the lid off and fanned the eggs once with the lid. I also kept an eye on the condensation on the sides of the container and as long as there was condensation there I just resealed the container. If there was very little condensation I would add about 10-20ml of water. I hatched 2 clutches this way and only lost one out of 27 eggs. Once the hatchies were out of the egg I removed them to an enclosure. They were all happy healthy bubs and ate well from about 5days. Some people told me I would be lucky if I got a hatch rate of 50% but it worked well for me
My experience with breeding for the first time was both exciting and nerve wracking. I think I drove people mental with all my questions and constant asking of is this normal. I'm glad I did though. I am now a fully fledged member of the nervous nannas club. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Name: Judith
Species Bred: Central Netted Dragons - Ctenophorus nuchalis
Number of Offspring: 5 hatched, 15 eggs to hatch out of 20 eggs
Incubator: This was home made from a dead bar fridge I picked up for free. My husband installed lights in a ventilated box in the base of the bar fridge. The lights were then connected to a thermostat. A digital probe thermometer was also inserted into the incubator so that the temperatures could be monitored at all times. The incubator is kept in an air conditioned room that does not have dramatic temperature rises or falls.
Temperatures: They were kept between 27.7C and 29C
Incubation time: 60 - 61 days
Other Notes: I used vermiculite with a 50/50 ratio to room temperature water, by weight. There was a lot of condensation in the tubs throughout the process but this did not seem to hinder it at all. I would, perhaps, drop the water ratio to 60/40 next time.
I have also made notes to record changes in the eggs throughout the process. This is essential so that I know better what to do next time.
Towards the end, the last day or two before hatching commenced, the eggs began to sweat with what looked like droplets of water.
Throughout the incubation period, the eggs also doubled in sized, and some produced what looked like dark spots on the eggs surface (these diappeared from the egg shells as soon as the dragon hatched)
One thing I will definately do different next year is to secure the incubator with locks so as to keep toddlers fingers away from it.
Retrieving the eggs from the enclosure: I found it was best to wait until the female had finished hiding the eggs or she became too distressed and wouldn't eat. She did get over it by the next day however.
I retrieved the eggs by carefully excavating the sand with my fingers, and then using a paint brush to brush away any sand around them. I was carefull not to tip the eggs during the transfer.
Name: Phil Elliott (Africancichlidau)
Species: Childreni, (who hasn't), Frilled Dragons, Storrs Monitors, Tennant Creek Stimsoni.
Notes: It's been a pathetic season this year.
06/07 rating: Out of ten I'd give it about a three!
Article and photo's by - Shane Robinson (Robbo)
Over the last two weeks I was lucky enough to visit Australia Zoo , Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park so I would like to share my thoughts and experiences of them.
AUSTRALIA ZOO.
My first impression of Australia Zoo was Wow . I never knew what to expect and the moment I parted with my money at the front gate I knew it was going to be a big day.
The first things we saw where some pits containing some different lizards all kept in very clean and well presented areas with plenty of places to hide if they wanted to , but most where out enjoying the morning sunshine or chowing down on there food. After catching the train up to the elephant enclosure and having a look at them we started making our way back down towards the front taking in all of the animals and sights as we went. We saw the main show in the Crocoseum which was very entertaining and showed a wide varity of wildlife including pythons , elephants , trained birds and a croc feeding.
I will probably never forget sitting down watching the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos flying around the Crocoseum it was an amazing experience.
 
 
After the show we had a look through the croc ponds before going to see the snakes. The snake building was just as good as the rest of the zoo , nice clean enclosures with plenty of hiding spots if they wanted but most where sitting in full view.
My overall impression of Australia Zoo was that it is a very well run place which I think was well worth the money for entry , with lots of herps and animals on display and being taken around the zoo by keepers so people can have a hands on experience. The only thing I regretted was I didn't hand feed the elephants which I think would be an amazing experience and one I will go back to do.
CURRUMBIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was a great looking place as well. A quick train ride down to the back of the park and we where ready to watch the snake show. After a quick talk and demonstration on how to apply first aid to a snake bite, a presenter came out to show three venomous snakes a tiger snake,
a blue bellied black snake and a death adder. His talk was interesting to listen to and interactive on the do's and don'ts of what to do if you see a snake. After the vens where taken off they brought out some pythons to show everyone.
 
After the show we had a walk back to the front looking at the different animals and the croc pits as we went. Yet again everything looked clean and well presented and you could get a great view of the crocs from the viewing platforms. We made it into the reptile house which had some stunning displays of snakes , lizards and geckos, before we made or way out.
My overall impression of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was it was a clean well kept place with a bit of everything to look at. While there might not have been lots of herps there it was still well presented and worth a look if you are wanting to kill a few hours at the Gold Coast.
AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK
My first impression from driving up to ARP past the closed tourist attraction and bushland surrounds to the front gate was I wonder what this place will be like.
But as soon as we paid and entered the park all those thoughts disappeared. The park is set in a bush setting which was different to the last two places I had been to , but still just as appealing to look at.
We had a quick look around the reptile room with a lot of exotics to have a look at as well as some natives. A highlight for me was seeing how big the Snapping Turtle was it was HUGE. A quick look through the spider room and it was time to go see the reptile show in the display pit. A piece of advice if you are going and want to see the show get there early it was packed with people waiting to see the show.
 
The reptile show was pretty good the presenter was a crack up and gave lots of interesting information about the different animals he showed and interacted well with the crowd and made sure everyone around the pit saw the different animals not just the front.After the show we went and looked at Eric the crocodile and Miss Piggy the pig-nosed turtle which was a amazing animal to see. We then made sure we got there early to see the alligator feeding which was quick but good to see . You really got a good idea of there size when they where lunging out the water to get the chicken being held by a pair of tongs.After that we had a quick look at the reptile pits near the door which where well stocked with a few different species of snakes, lizards and turtles enjoying the sun. On the way out I found something in the gift store I thought was lacking at the other two place I had visited - herp books.
My overall impression of ARP was that despite the scruffy looking appearance as you drive up the park is a nice clean place with lots to look at some wondering displays and some amazing animals. Again another good place to see if you want to kill a few hours in Gosford.
In summing up my experience in the first week of 2007 of visiting the Australia Zoo , Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Australian Reptile Park, I would say each one is well worth a visit and all looked well kept and very presentable. But for me Australia Zoo would have been my favorite place to visit closely followed by ARP then Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. I hope all continue to expand and keep up all the good work they are doing and look forward to visiting them all again in a few years time. Hopefully by then one them might offer behind the scenes tours of there herp rooms. I know I might be dreaming in this age of OPMV / IBD but it would be a great experience if any of them where to offer it.
Benefit of Clubs and Society’s, but don’t forget the internet too! - By Luke Ludwell
When your first starting out in reptiles it can be a nervous time, you often find yourself questioning yourself as to whether you are doing the right thing or not, and guidance is always something we strive for.
Reptile books are a wealth of knowledge and they range in price from the very expensive, to the more affordable ‘beginners book’ if you like. It actually seems to work out that the more in-depth books are also aimed at a keeper whom has kept for a longer period, whereas the more affordable books and more obtainable books in terms of price are cheaper, of course this is only a rule of thumb, and there is an exception to everything.
Although books are a good source of knowledge, and offer an invaluable amount of information, there is also the comfort one gets from being able to speak with someone face to face.
For a person who buys there first animal interstate, this can be hard, although most people buy their first animal from the state with which they live, so this maybe possible, although you want to meet as many people as you can, and get to meet a wide range of people.
This is where Reptile Clubs and Society’s come into it. I myself am on a committee of a Reptile Society, but long before that I went along as a member purely to see what it was all about and meet other people with the same interest. From there we saw speakers talk about reptiles, met other people that we could talk about reptiles with, and just increased our general knowledge generally.
It is hard to say in terms of percentage, but it would be easy to say, especially when starting out in reptiles that your knowledge increases a great deal in the first twelve months of keeping. After that point you have the basic knowledge if you like which are your building blocks, and your increase your knowledge with more in-depth information that you couldn’t of even imagined taking in when you first started. It is also at this time that those ‘expensive’ books become on your wish list and your wallet is opened more often between more animals and more books.
Also get involved with these clubs, as it helps to meet new people and with new people you learn new things. It doesn’t have to be much, it can be simple things, or it can be bigger and better things, just talk to the committee of the local Herp Club nearest you! Google searches are the quickest and easiest way to find them!
Then there is the Internet, undoubtedly the biggest tool out there in terms of information, from people’s own personal pages, to Zoo and Scientific Websites, to even forums like the one your on at the moment, but what information is correct and what is fake?
Answering that question is that hardest part, and the problem is everyone has a different opinion, even the authors of books, or the speakers at a Herp Club Meeting, the difference is the years experience can’t be shown over the Internet.
So whilst trolling through pages looking for your answers read through and see what sort of replies you get, and make a decision based upon the information presented to you. Not all different answers given are always going to be wrong, just a different way of doing things, and sometimes it’s the different things that will work. It is a little bit of trial and error unfortunately, but sometimes it is good to bounce ideas off people that you know in the game, maybe people you have met at Herp Club Meetings!
Another thing to be careful of is what forum you join, just because it has many members, and it has lots and lots of posts doesn’t mean it is good. This forum for example is the best on the net for it’s in depth and correct information, just look at the collection of members to see the knowledge base to know you are going to get some quality information, but when we look at forums with similar names to this one, the quality level drops, and I would be careful and make a more educated calculation before using any information.
Herps in Nepal - by Natalie
As some of you may know, I have recently come back from a 2.5 month climbing trip to Nepal. Being autumn and winter while I was there, I wasn't confident on seeing any herps at all, especially as when the temperatures in the Khumbu Valley (the one Everest is in) get down to -20°C in winter. I have no idea what some of the species pictured are, so please let me know if you can ID them. I really should have bought an ID book but time/money/weight did not permit. Enjoy!
Reptiles are in order of encounter
Annapurna Circuit - Manang/Marsyandi Valley
  
Annapurna Circuit - Kali Gandaki Valley
 
Chitwan National Park
Located pretty much on the Indian Plain, this is the warmest and wettest place in Nepal. We hadn't planned on visiting but time permitted a 5 day excursion.
My next trip to Nepal will have to include Chitwan again but during spring when the reptiles are the most active.
 
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) Breeding Facility - they are breeding gharials to be released in to the wild. Males are much larger than the females and have a big knobby growth on their nose.
 
Male Left, Female Right
 
Herping in Southern Queensland - By Nathan Clout (Nathanbrisvegas)
In early January, my dad and I set out on a round trip starting in Girraween national park and ending in Main Range national park. The moon at the time was full and the weather was rainy this had my expectations of the trip a little low.
After arriving in Girraween national park and setting up camp we decided to go for a short walk , despite the pouring rain we encountered many species of lizard including: Eastern water dragons(Physignathus lesueurii), Martins skink’s (Eulamprus martini) ,Eastern water skink’s (Eulamprus quoyi) ,Eastern crevice skink’s (Egernia mcpheei) , Robust striped skink’s (Ctenotus robustus) and Copper tail skink’s (Ctenotus taeniolatus)
That night also proved to be productive considering the amount of rain being dumped upon the area. A walk around the camp ground and surrounding area turned up numerous geckos species including : Ocellate velvet gecko’s (Oedura monillis) , Tryons velvet gecko’s (Oedura tryoni), Lesuers velvet gecko’s(Oedura lesueurii), Binoes gecko’s (Heterenotia binoei) and Granite belt leaf tails (Saltuarius wyberba) . I expected to see the leaf tail gecko on either a boulder or a man made structure but instead found it on a tree which I found really strange.
The next morning we set off toward Inglewood . Between Warwick and Inglewood large Lace monitors (Varanus varius) where seen feeding off carrion on the roadside. Other species sighted included Blue tongue skink’s (Tiliqua scincoides) and D.O.R Goulds goannas (Varanus gouldi). Between Goondiwindi and Moonie, 2 D.O.R Shinglebacks (Tiliqua rugosa) where sighted along with some more Bluetongues (both live and D.O.R ), 2 Eastern bearded dragons (Pogona barbata) and many more Binoes geckos .
By mid afternoon we had made it to The Gums and headed toward Meandarra in between these two towns we found more Bearded dragons, Goulds goannas , Lace monitors (in the bushy areas) and yet another D.O.R Shingleback.
The amount of rainfall out there at this time was phenomenal although it was patchy where it had rained it was a good rain with peoples dams being filled to the brim and some even over flowing. This is the only way I can answer the question as to why we saw 4 Eastern long neck turtles (Chelodina longicollis) on the road that night between Glenmorgan and Surat. On the same road we also came across Broad banded sand swimmers (Eremiascincus richardsoni), Box patterned gecko’s (Diplodactylus steindachneri), and a few Red naped snakes (Furina diadema).
The next day is when I discovered what I would label the find of the trip. Yakka skink’s (Egernia rugosa) were found underneath a shed and underneath a front step . These robust skinks are listed as vulnerable and restricted to Queensland they inhabit dry sclerophyll forest utilising hollow logs rock crevices or burrows. Although the area they where found in had no shortage of rockeries fallen timber ect they seemed to prefer the man made structures and didn’t venture far from these areas. Throughout the course of the day 12 mature and 4 juvenile individuals where counted . With the young ones being more attractive they where also more elusive and harder to get pictures of. Other species encountered that day included Goulds goannas and Carnaby’s wall skinks (Cryptoblepharus carnabyi)
After not raining all day and with higher temps then what had occurred the few days prior to this we decided that this would probably be a good night, and we were right . That night we encountered Box patterned geckos, House geckos (Gehyra dubia), an Australian coral snake (Brachyurophus australis), Broad banded sand swimmers, Tessellated geckos (Diplodactylus tessellatus) and Eastern stone geckos (Diplodactylus vittatus) .
A single Golden tail gecko (Strophurus taenicauda) was found that night also , this particular specimen was a male and a good looking one at that . Another exciting reptile we found that night was a Devis banded snake (Denisonia devisi). This snake was first sighted swimming across a flooded causeway and exited the water right in front of the car we jumped out and took some pictures of it and let it keep moving .
The next day we headed to Main Range National Park . It too had been raining heavily here and one of the camping areas was closed due to this. However when the sun came out after showers it revealed a few interesting critters including: Land mullets (Egernia major), Major skinks (Egernia frerei), Southern angle headed dragons (Hypsilurus spinipes) and Eastern water dragons.
Our trip concluded here, however a D.O.R Eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textillis) was found in Boonah on the way home .
SPIDER WORLD AT ARP - by Naomi
Over the Christmas school holidays I had the pleasure of visiting the Australian Reptile Park. I went to a few of the shows, notably the feeding of Eric the saltwater crocodile and the reptile pit show. I looked at the awesome reptile room with some great reptiles, both Australian and exotic (though the King Cobra is always a favourite, as well as the beautiful huge reticulated python), I saw many mammals and birds. But the real reason I love going is they offer something I just can't see anywhere else - SPIDER WORLD!
Ignoring the robot dancing spider which is the only thing that annoys me in the exhibit (oh, but it's for the kids so I shouldn't complain), I walked once again past the little features showing redbacks, mouse spiders, huntsmens, white tail spiders, then past the funnel-web milking area around to the more open area which shows the very spiders I come to see that I dream of being able to own one day - the massive, colourful, mammal-like exotic tarantulas, residing in 'Tarantulaville'. I could stare at these spiders all day, they are simply beautiful, nature at it's finest. How can an invertebrate be so large, have such an array of colours and be as hairy as a mammal?. And to top it all off, many of them are arboreal - they live in trees. It's like a freak of nature and I'm so used to looking at our much smaller tarantulas and even smaller species of spiders, that these spiders just seem unbelievable to me.
funnelweb milking (left), C.crawshayi (King Baboon) pictured on right
The only thing that disrupts my staring and concentration on these marvellous creatures is the large funnel-web spider robot behind me that children enjoying pressing the button to activiate it over and over invoking lightning and thunder. Most people get distracted with that I think and walk straight past the tarantulas. That worked for me the day I was there because I could stand there as long as I wanted.
In the forefront in front of the viewing window, the staff usually chooses a few main tarantulas to be displayed. On the shelf in the back, you can see many more setup in their tanks. And I drool at what must be out that back door. Much to my delight, they are today displaying the famous Theraphosida blondii - the goliath bird eater, the largest spider in the world. This one is quite small and my large Australian tarantula, Jewel, at home, would rival this one for it's size, but it's still a goliath. One in the tanks in the background is much larger and I spent most of the time trying to get a guage on the size of it.
Also in the background, I see a Brachypelma smithii - a Mexican Red Kneed tarantula. These are just magnificent spiders, and very common in the pet trade overseas to the point they have been over collected. When you see one in the flesh, you can really see why. They are very hairy, very black and very large, with orange/red stripes along each segment of their legs. They also are known to have a really calm temperament and are handled quite easily. As much as I've ever wanted to hold a spider, I wanted to hold this one. Actually, afterward in the gift shop I satisfied this desire by buying a large stuffed B.smithii which is now sitting on my bed - finally, a cuddly tarantula!
B.smithii (Back of mexican red kneed spider)(left), P.regalis (Indian Ornamental) pictured on right
Also, to my delight, one of the tarantulas on display was a very big favourite and again, very common in the pet trade overseas, an Avicularia avicularia - pink toed tarantula. This is an arboreal species of tarantula, that in the wild lives high up in a web in trees. This pink toe was in a web sock, in the highest corner of her tank and I couldn't see her very well, but enough. Pink toes are really hairy, I would almost say fluffy, with the tips of their legs looking like they have been dipped in paint, very very novel. Also in the display in the front was a C.crawshayi - King Baboon Tarantula and a P.regalis - Indian ornamental and one really large one I have to admit I know nothing about, a Salmon Pink Birdeater.
According to the signs, most of the tarantulas in Tarantulaville are provided by the Memphis Zoo in the US and others are ex-research projects from museums in Australia. The Australian government has very strict laws about housing and keeping arachnids from overseas, due to the possibility of them escaping and spreading diseases and parasites. All specimens housed at ARP must be female and are kept behind bullet proof glass. I guess something like a spider would find it easier to get out and establish in the wild than an exotic reptile, hence the rather strict procedures. I'm not an exotic fan and am really happy with the laws in Australia that stop us from legally importing animals, but the one thing that could sway my view would be the totally selfish prospect of ever being able to keep these colourful tarantulas.
We visiting Spider World a few times that day and even went back to watch the funnel-web milking later on. ARP is involved in providing venom to assist in the production of funnel-web anti-venom in Australia. My partner Steve was dedicated photo-taker for the day and snapped all of the shots for this article as I can't rely on my photo-taking skills. I asked him to get a photo of the funnel web milking for this article, but I don't think the bloke doing it was really impressed, as he was flashed with the camera, he gave him an annoyed look. So if that keeper does happen to read this, Steve sends his apologies for taking a photo of you whilst doing quite a precarious job.
If you ever go to visit ARP, make sure you drop into Spider World. Most people don't' understand, like or enjoy spiders, but few can see these exhibits and not look at these colourful amazing creatures in awe. I saw a few signs up looking for volunteers to work in Spider World too...very tempting indeed :).
My Reptile Experience - by Gary Hughes (Gaboon)
I first moved to this country from Scotland when I was almost 5 in 1989. Straight away my passion for reptiles began, and hunting for and catching skinks down the road from our newly built home is where it all started for me.
At age 6 I had my very first pet, a Blue Tongue called Bluey Supprise supprise! He was my pride and joy!
Throughout my schooling my teachers must have got sick of me because any time that I had a project, it was always on some sort of reptile or had reptiles incorporated into it.
My school was right near the beach (Carrum, Victoria) There was plenty of blue tongues around the dunes and tea trees. I used to drag my mates along after school to help me catch them where I'd remove any ticks I could find and let them go on there way, my mates thought I was nuts but i didnt care.
Bearded Dragons was my next step at 14 and within 2 years my little hatchlings had fully grown and were producing there own hatchies.
For my 16th Birthday, I got my first python which was a coastal carpet.
I have now kept a lot of different species of pythons from Brisbanes, Coastals, Darwins, Jungles, Murray Darlings, Blackheadeds and Olives
as well as a pair of Golden Tree Snakes.
People always ask me why I keep snakes? Apart from the fact that I'm scared of dogs and alergic to cats, I just find them majestic and beautiful animals.
No, a snake won't come when you call it, or fetch a ball, but handling it, watching it explore, eat and sleep I just find amazing.
I am now looking at keeping elapids and I have just updated my licence to keep these fascinating animals.
I have been keeping snakes for about six years now I don't want to not keep some because they are venomous. So, I'm trying to educated myself on the safe ways to do this before I buy my first elapid.
Thanks to this site and the people on it, I have learned a great deal and eveyone has been very helpful and answerd any questions I have thrown at them to the best of there knowlege so I thank you all.
I guess the bottom line for me is that snakes fascinate me and I love keeping them. I also like educating my friends and family about snakes and try get the word out that the only good snake is NOT a dead snake!
Newbie Notes: Issue 1
Choosing your first python:
By Jarrowz, Judith, Nome and Soulweaver.
Congratulations on deciding on getting a snake as a pet. Most importantly, you need to do lots of research before you go out and buy a new snake. They are not like a dog, cat or fish. They require specialist housing, food and vet services which all are expensive. They can live up to 30 years and are a long term commitment. Join an online reptile forum like ARK. Ask plenty of questions and make sure you are fully informed before buying.
Recommended reading:
Care of Australian Reptiles In Captivity - John Weigel
An inexpensive general husbandry book covering most common captive reptiles.
What's Wrong With My Snake? - John Rossi D.V.M. M.A. and Roxanne Rossi
A great guide on prevention of problems that could occur to your snake as well as information on disease and infections.
What species to choose:
I would recommend all first time snake owners buy a hatchling (baby snake) or a juvenile (young snake). This is so you can learn how to handle it as it grows and you aren't jumping in to the deep end with a snake you may not be able to manage.
I would like something that stays small (about 1m):
Antaresia childreni - Children's Python
Antaresia maculosa - Spotted Python
Antaresia stimsoni - Stimson's Python
All three of these pythons are great beginner snakes. They all have very similar husbandry requirements that are straight forward and easy to follow. They are relatively inexpensive to buy costing from $150 - $300 and are usually plenty of sellers. Because of their small adult size, you don't need much room to house them, even as adults. These pythons are incredibly small and fragile as hatchlings, so it is recommended you buy a yearling (a snake that is approximately a year old). This will ensure you have a robust new addition.
Recommended reading:
Keeping Children's Pythons - Greg Fyfe and Darren Green
I would like something a bit bigger:
Morelia spilota mcdowelli - Coastal Carpet Python
Morelia spilota metcalfei - Inland (Murray Darling) Carpet Python
Morelia bredli - Centralian Carpet Python
These snakes are great if you are looking for something that grows a bit larger (about 2m). They are inexpensive to buy ($150 - $500) and are commonly available. They have simple husbandry requirements and are robust.
Recommended reading:
Keeping Carpet Pythons - Simon Kortlang and Darren Green
For those with a larger budget:
Aspidites melanocephalus - Black-headed Python
Aspidites ramsayi - Woma
These two pythons are great captives and generally have a good temperament. They are priced from about $800 upwards. They grow to about 2m.
Which animal to pick and what to look for:
- Feeding. A non-feeding animal is not suitable for a beginner. Make sure you get its feeding record and, if possible, ask the seller to demonstrate the animal feeding so you know what to do. Take notes, if need be, on the feeding procedure including the size and type of prey offered and the method the seller uses.
- Alert and active. The snake should be constantly tongue flicking and looking around. If it strikes, this is a good sign! It means that it is aware of its surroundings. Do not worry that you might be getting an aggressive snake. They are all defensive when they are small.
- Shiny. The scales should be shiny, smooth and warm to the touch.
- Firm. The animal should be firm to the touch and not floppy or unable to control itself.
- Healthy. The animal should have no discharge from the nose, mouth or the tail end. There should be no whistling noise when it breathes.
- Do not pick the pathetic, sick looking snake in the corner that isn't moving much. Do not feel sorry for this snake and buy it to give it a better home. A sick snake is not suitable for a beginner.
WHAT'S NEW AT ARK
New newsletter team additions.
ARK would like to welcome two new additions to our newsletter team - Luke (Soulweaver) and Natalie (Jarrowz). The newsletter team is delighted to have them onboard and we have appreciated their new ideas and contributions to the newsletter. Luke has been a long time member of ARK and has been keeping reptiles for a number of years. He has written us a few articles already and is also heavily involved in the production of Monitor magazine so his experience will be invaluable to the newsletter. Natalie has been with ARK for sometime, and did the very first member profile of our newsletter. She has brought a new approach to the newsletter in with 'Newbie Notes' and we are very happy to have her onboard.
New chatroom.
Most of you should know that our new chatroom is now complete and you can now chat to other ARK members in style :). It features interactive features, easy to use chat and PMing capabilities. Quite a few ARK members assemble in there everynight, usually after 8pm AEST and anyone is welcome. We run our Sunday night chat still at 8pm AEST as well as OPMV chat at 9pm AEST Wednesdays and Sundays. If you haven't checked it out, come and have a look in here http://www.aussiereptilemedia.com/chat/ and meet some other ARK members, everyone is welcome
UPCOMING EVENTS
Look out for these events:
2007 Footy Tipping Competition
- As we did last year, this year ARK is running another footy tipping competition. There will be great prizes involved, so far we have a $100 voucher from Tim at URS to offer. It costs nothing to join, is a bit of fun and you don't need to know anything about football to be involved. To be eligible for the prizes, all you need to be is a contributing ARK member. Information about prizes and how to join can be found Here
ARMedia
- As mentioned up in the News section, the lanch of ARK's new media site will be soon, so stay tuned for more information on the forum about Australia's first reptile multimedia website!!!
MEMBER PROFILE - Isis (Tina)
Gender? Female
Age? Hmm old enough....Thirty something
Occupation? manager of a Disability Service
How long have you been a member of ARK? This time around about 7 months or so but had been a member previously
How long have you been keeping reptiles? 4 years
What kind of reptiles do you keep? Central Bearded Dragons, Blackheaded Python, Green tree Frogs soon to take delivery of 2 Uluru Womas. We also have 2 wild Lace Monitors that live on our property that we protect and feed.
What herp would you like to keep without any restrictions? I think the restrictions are needed to make sure that the welfare of the animals is the first priority. If the restrictions on any reptile were lifted the cowboys who thought they were cool would be geting reptiles left right and centre and may not have the skills or knowledge for proper husbandry required.
What is your next purchase/goal? Johnsons river Crocodile, in January I hope. Also some angle headed dragons or boyds forest dragons down the track.
Do you breed your reptiles or plan to? Yes i breed my Beardies.
What would be your ultimate breeding project? I want to get more color varieties of beardies. I also want to keep the purity in NT BHPs so in future want to increase my breeding program.
What do you think is the biggest issue affecting our hobby today? OPMV and ignorance and arrogance. The last 2 are what is going to bring the hobby undone. people need to start listening and learning form those that have more knowledge and experience, with so many younger people getting into reptile keeping. OPMV is probably the biggest thing that we have only very limited control over and the sooner people start to take it seriously the better
If you could change one thing about the hobby, what would it be? Have a nation wide licencing system and also make it not as easy to obtain a licence or buy a reptile to cut down on inpulse buys.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time with your herps? I want to have a reptile shop that focuses on education. I want to be able to educate people that perhaps dont want to get into herps but to respect any that you come across in the wild. I think if we start with kids at primary school age we may end up with some environmentally aware adults.
What is your favourite non-reptilian animal? Hmmm probably Miss Princess my pet pig or Bonnie our staffy
What are your other hobbies/interests? Motorbike riding, running around after my 4 kids, soccer and enjoying good food and sipping scotch with good friends
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VET REVIEW
Every newsletter, we hope to offer a small review about a herp vet in various areas written by one of our members that has recently needed their services. Many newer and older keepers find it hard to find a vet that knows how to treat reptiles and we hope that these reviews might help spread the word about vets that are trustworthy with your herps.
Sugarloaf Animal Hospital
Dr Mark Simpson BVSc
67 Carrington Street, West Wallsend, Newcastle
Phone: 02 4955 1833
By Steve Cato
I went to see Mark Simpson for the first time when my diamond python was showing neurological symptoms. I found him very understanding, knowledgable and helpful. He is a reptile keeper himself knows reptiles well. He organized for my diamond to be euthanized and tested, after explaining all the options we had and he sent the tissues to a reputable labortory so I could be sure on the results we received. As it turned out, our snake came back positive for OPMV and Mark rang me to speak to me himself about the results and was very helpful and sympathetic. He also later sent me out copies of some vetinary articles about OPMV. I wouldn't hesitate using Mark again for any reptiles that get sick. It is clear he is a great herp vet and well worth the drive from where I live and I wouldnt hesitate recomending him for anyone that has problems with any reptiles.
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