Lizards great and small

I posted these shots especially for Gaye of HunterValleyBackyardNature .
(Who has a few such friends at her place ).
While on a swim with my kids this lizard came up to see what i was photographing with such interest.
It managed to creep within 1/2 a meter of me, when noticed by my children.
An Eastern Water Dragon, with an interest of its own.....wondering what the heck I was doing at its waterhole.
It posed for the following shots :)





My Daughter, Aeron, met a reptilian friend of her own.
This skink displayed the head bobbing associated with territorial ownership, walked up to her, and bit her...showing it meant business.
Aeron, not the least perturbed, offered it another chance to prove its courage. So it bit her again.
Seems that tourists at the waterhole are barely tolerated by these game fauna of the Australian bush.



As I keep rather large snakes for pets, It was all in a days work for my adventurous children.

Summer Break

I thought that I should take advantage of the inclement weather of recent days to get into posting a blog or two. The break over Xmas/new year (hope you all had fun) was quite productive photographically and, with photographer Petra Sing on visit from Europe (pictured below), I was able to snap many Gigs of material.

The following shots are a collection on insects, arachnids, reptiles, and fungal forms.

These were taken at a number of areas over the holiday break.

I hope you enjoy this eclectic mix of summer pics, with more to come as I get to process them.

Reptiles pick up pace

Well summer is almost over, and reptiles are starting to prepare for the arrival of winter.

At the end of hibernation, reptiles will be quite active in the spring regaining weight losses, though will slow somewhat over the summer and then pick up the pace in the months before winter to build up fat reserves.

This slowing over summer could be due to the hot weather - they can overheat easily.

This is not a steadfast rule with all reptiles, as Ruby the Coastal Carpet Intergrade would happily point out if she did not have her mouth full.

She has been a guts for food all year round and must be kept on a firm dieting regime to avoid her getting too fat to move.

Seen here swallowing a large rat tail first, not the wisest thing to do, she will sit poised for a feed as soon as she feels the vibration of your approach.

It is recommended that hatchling snakes be kept warm enough to eat over winter- a min temp of around 20 Degrees - dependant on the species, though adult snakes should be allowed to hibernate and no food should be supplied during this time.

Limited heat should be offered, as reptiles will come out occasionally to get a little warmth even during times of hibernation.

Please only purchase food for your reptile that has been dispatched in line with RSPCA guidelines, keeping in mind that live food may cause your reptile harm. Ever seen the teeth on a rat?

All reptiles require a licence from NPWS - It is illegal to keep them without one.

Check out the NPWS link for details.