Learning about Reptiles
Posted on 15 February, 2013 by Connecting Country
Most people, when they think reptiles, think snakes. And when they think snakes, it’s fair to say that there’s a negative colour in their thinking: snakes are poisonous, and they’ll bite you if they get the chance. ‘If you see a snake, kill it,’ is still a common view.
Connecting Country’s first public session in the 2013 Education program was partly devoted to putting such misconceptions to rest.
Peter Johnson, senior biodiversity planner in the Department of Sustainability and Environment, ran the session, ‘Reptiles: backyard to the bush’, to a packed audience of about 60 at the Ray Bradfield rooms last Sunday.
There are 29 reptile species in our region, only 8 of which are snakes. The rest are skinks, geckoes, lizards and turtles. Nine species are threatened in some way, and Peter illustrated their problems by discussing the case of the Striped Legless Lizard, a rarely seen inhabitant of grassy woodlands. Such animals are dependent on healthy native grass cover and refuges in rocky outcrops: reptile populations need a diversity of connected habitats across the landscape, particularly grasslands, grassy woodlands and rocky habitats. They are put at risk by land management practices involving drastic clearing or inappropriate burning. Under the former head comes the unfortunate practice of dismantling old stone walls or (as we’ve seen over Moloort way in recent years) wholesale removal of rock cover. Given that much of our local environment is still recovering from gold era exploitation, removal of cover is particularly damaging. Interestingly, however, the Legless Lizard seems to have adapted to exotic and pasture grass in some situations.
Peter pointed out that snakes are timid animals, which will make every effort to avoid contact with people, and will not bite if they can help it, because use of venom weakens its system. The overwhelming majority of bite incidents (around 80%) arise when the snake is trapped or attacked: the solution is avoidance and care. (The average number of deaths per year from snakebite in Australia is about 2: remember, about 10 people die each year from bee stings!)
A healthy reptile population is important for a healthy ecosystem, because reptiles play a role both as predators of potential pests (like cockroaches) and as prey for other animals.
Dja Dja Wurrung elder Brenda Kerr gave a Welcome to Country speech before the talk to begin the Education Program and wish partcipants safe travels across Dja Dja Wurrung Country. This photograph of a Powerful Owl by Geoff Park was presented to Brenda as a thank you gift.
I was so impressed with this session and the Welcome to Country that I combined the two aspects of the day together in a session with Baringhup Primary School students on Monday 18th Feb.
I started with the indigenous story How The Water Got to the Plains by Olga Miller were one of the characters is turned into a blue tongue lizard after stealing precious water from his tribe. Which is a perfect lead into talking and learning about reptiles. As it happened on the morning of the 18th I was getting ready for the day ahead and checked the Waterwatch test kit and what was on the underside of the lid!? Yes, a Marbled Gecko getting ready to be shown to 20 eager faces. As well as that I had on loan from Kerrie Jennings a snake skin [slough?] which I placed in the grass near a tree stump for the students to ‘discover’. The students knew a lot about reptiles and now know about the legless lizard and it’s lifestyle.
Thanks so much for telling us about your session with Baringhup Primary School Cathy. I’m glad that the reptile talk gave you some inspiration to incorporate an indigenous story into the program. As you say, one leads into the other very naturally.
And how amazing to find a gecko waiting for you on the very same morning!
That is lovely Bernard. Thanks.
How did I miss that information session!!??
I would have loved to have gone!
How many geckoes do we have around here? I think I have seen a pink one, several years ago – does that sound possible?