# Tourists ...!



## snakeluvver (Oct 19, 2010)

Tourists in Australia crack me up sometimes. I was at Australia zoo and this teenage boy went up to the tank of a taipan and said "This isn't a Taipan! Its a Carpet Python! I could pick that up with my bare hands!" It actually was a Taipan, so lets hope he doesn't make that mistake if he encounters one in the wild! Then this lady goes up to the enclosure of a Perentie and said "Ooooh look at that pretty chameleon!" LOL. And at underwater world in Mooloolaba a tourist from Europe went up to the enclosure of the Cane Toads and said "OMG! They kill animals here!" And he tried to smash the tank's glass to kill the toad! He had to be removed. I hope I'm not offending anyone, share any funny stories you have


----------



## Nighthawk (Oct 19, 2010)

I grew up in NZ, and at a place I worked which was fairly rural (Shantytown, on the West Coast of the South Island), there's an absolute abundance of Weka, aka 'bush hens'. Despite the fact it's well-documented that Kiwi are nocturnal, while Weka are diurnal, and the long beak plus other physical differences appearing on EVERY dollar coin over there, I still had to chase tourists who'd plunged into the thick bush weilding cameras and crying "KIWI! KIWI!" after terrified Weka. If I had a dollar for every tourist I had to chase down... I would've given it to them so they could at least tell the difference in future! Meh, at least it was fun


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 19, 2010)

Nighthawk said:


> I grew up in NZ, and at a place I worked which was fairly rural (Shantytown, on the West Coast of the South Island), there's an absolute abundance of Weka, aka 'bush hens'. Despite the fact it's well-documented that Kiwi are nocturnal, while Weka are diurnal, and the long beak plus other physical differences appearing on EVERY dollar coin over there, I still had to chase tourists who'd plunged into the thick bush weilding cameras and crying "KIWI! KIWI!" after terrified Weka. If I had a dollar for every tourist I had to chase down... I would've given it to them so they could at least tell the difference in future! Meh, at least it was fun


 Looks a tad similar but not really lol. At a first glance possibly but NAAAAAH.


----------



## Nighthawk (Oct 21, 2010)

I know, to me they look nothing alike at all, but I suppose all most of the tourists over there see is 'small flightless brown bird'. As I said though, it was hilarious, particularly on a break and all of a sudden they'd bolt past, followed by a couple of tourists, all disappearing into fern and scrub. Mental, lmao.


----------



## REPTILIAN-KMAN (Oct 21, 2010)

our creator makes some dumb people, theres heaps were i live too, when i went to australia zoo a girl had a bright pink ( a bit like nighthawks avatar pink ) fury hand bag and a kangaroo comes up and starts attaching her over the handbag it was scary for her but funny for us.


----------



## slim6y (Oct 21, 2010)

You see Nighthawk - if I was you I would have set up a stall and said - see the endangered Diurnal Kiwi Bush Hen.... Technically you're not lying... And you'll make loads of money (ie the $1 per viewing)...

Last weekend I was the 'tourist' - I went to Green Island (near the reef) for a bit of a snorkel....

Two things happened that would make me want to rename this 'Angry Island'...

The first thing was very funny... I had ordered a fish burger and chips from the burger bar in the resort. The guy said - (and I quote) "Just watch the birds, especially with the chips..." 

I laughed it off and said... sure... no worries man, I won't feed them I'm too hungry... I saw the way he looked at me. It was the "You don't know what you're in for" look.

I sat down to my lovely lunch. I had a chip in hand, just entering my mouth when - SWOOSH!!! I banded rail (not to dissimilar to a weka) swooped in between my face and my hand - chip only millimetres from my mouth and took my chip.

What goes brown - white - brown - white - brown - white... Me fighting with a banded rail over a chip....

Then... to top this off... I went snorkelling... Saw a beautiful shovel nose... some amazing critters... But... just one brightly coloured leather jacket had it in for me.

It swum up to me... Looked in my mask, right into my eyes... then decided look scary. I swoshed it away. But it just avoided my hand like Keanu Reeves avoids bullets in the Matrix... So I turned around so it didn't get the attention it was desiring in search of sea dragons... The little blighter bit me right on my hand... then... the cheek of it... ran away... So I high tailed it out of there thinking well, he's going, so will I... But the blighter saw my fear and came after me again... whacking my hand again!!! 

I would have felt safer swimming with the crocodile there (the largest croc in captivity apparently). 

I did ask the life guard if they'd have that fish removed from the national park - as it is a clear danger to other tourists. Well.. hey... the move crocs don't they???

Anyway - it was all very funny... And had a good laugh... But... I enjoy being the tourist...

At least when I leave the zoo I don't write in the 'Guest Book' - "Beautiful Koara!"


----------



## ShaunMorelia (Oct 21, 2010)

slim6y said:


> At least when I leave the zoo I don't write in the 'Guest Book' - "Beautiful Koara!"



bwahahahahhaha


----------



## deebo (Oct 21, 2010)

Some american tourists at Australia Zoo were looking ata scrub turkey and the husband said to the wife "It must be some kind of vulture."

Made me and my wife crack up!


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 21, 2010)

David Evans said:


> Some american tourists at Australia Zoo were looking ata scrub turkey and the husband said to the wife "It must be some kind of vulture."
> 
> Made me and my wife crack up!


 
Hahahaha. Btw those bush turkeys are suicidal. They always build their nests in the croc enclosures lol.


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 21, 2010)

slim6y said:


> You see Nighthawk - if I was you I would have set up a stall and said - see the endangered Diurnal Kiwi Bush Hen.... Technically you're not lying... And you'll make loads of money (ie the $1 per viewing)...
> 
> Last weekend I was the 'tourist' - I went to Green Island (near the reef) for a bit of a snorkel....
> 
> ...


 Btw Leatherjackets are very aggressive. Scary fish.


----------



## phoebe (Oct 21, 2010)

I was at Taronga Zoo once and overheard some women debating whether bats were birds or not. They decided in the end that they were definitely birds.


----------



## MrShorty8878 (Oct 21, 2010)

haha funny i dont beleive no one has menchaned drop bears lol i have the best time explaining to forieign exchange students and amarecin kids at our school what drop bears are they totoally beleive me lol this girl in my class said im camping on the weekend and i said "thats great hope you have a good time oh just watch out for those drop bears" and she was all freaked out and asked me all about them and i just tryed so hard not to laugh lol just gotta love the dropbears.


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 21, 2010)

phoebe said:


> I was at Taronga Zoo once and overheard some women debating whether bats were birds or not. They decided in the end that they were definitely birds.


 
Hahahaha thats a classic along with the "whales are fish" thing 
Most of the time their mistakes are funny, but when they think they know more than someone experience (eg. i saw a boy who said that steve irwin knows nothing about snakes because steve irwin said taipans are rare, and the boy disagreed and said Steve is stupid) its just plain irritating.


----------



## melluvssnakes (Oct 21, 2010)

I'm the reptile keeper at work and we've got a couple of Bluetongues. The number of people I've had come up to me and tell me that they are venomous... It's actually quite funny


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 21, 2010)

melluvssnakes said:


> I'm the reptile keeper at work and we've got a couple of Bluetongues. The number of people I've had come up to me and tell me that they are venomous... It's actually quite funny


 
Bwahahahahaha. If I had a dollar for every person who called a GTP poisonous. I have absolutely no idea why I just always see people looking at GTP's and saying "Oooooooh they look venomous" XD


----------



## giglamesh (Oct 21, 2010)

you have to remember in the animal world bright and pretty colours normally means toxic


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 21, 2010)

giglamesh said:


> you have to remember in the animal world bright and pretty colours normally means toxic


 
Yes but if they're not smart enough to know pythons are harmless they wouldn't be smart enough to realize that.


----------



## slim6y (Oct 21, 2010)

giglamesh said:


> you have to remember in the animal world bright and pretty colours normally means toxic


 
Monarch Butterfly - deadly poisonous

Viceroy Butterfly - Non Poisonous

You tell me which one is which 












It's all easy enough when you know... but to a tourist - how the hell should they know???

(by the way, it's not a trick question above)


----------



## giglamesh (Oct 21, 2010)

point taken but reptiles, gila monsters, poison arrow frogs. things like that


----------



## slim6y (Oct 21, 2010)

One more for the tourists - which is safe to handle and non-venomous?











This one should be easy - but can you remember the poem on how to tell?

I personally think tourists aren't subjected to these types of threats (often) - as nor are we - how many here would have thought eating a monarch butterfly could kill you? 

How many know to steer clear of a coral snake but not a Mexican milk snake?


----------



## Fuscus (Oct 21, 2010)

slim6y said:


> ... just one brightly coloured leather jacket had it in for me.


Proberly Titan Triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) - Australian Museum protecting a nest! When I used to dive that area I learnt to ID trigger nests from a distance and keep that distance, they have formidable weaponry and will use it. Imagine a meter long rat with blood lust.



snakeluvver said:


> Bwahahahahaha. If I had a dollar for every person who called a GTP poisonous. I have absolutely no idea why I just always see people looking at GTP's and saying "Oooooooh they look venomous" XD


My wife thinks the same, proberly because Boomslang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 



slim6y said:


> Monarch Butterfly - deadly poisonous
> 
> Viceroy Butterfly - Non Poisonous..


Its Batesian mimicry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . Its very common throughout the animal kingdom. Trouble is that the mimic cannot get too common compared to the mimicked otherwise the balance is lost.

And my stupid tourist story - An English person rang 000 because they saw a snake in the Noosa National Park:shock:


----------



## lizardman59 (Oct 21, 2010)

in america there were some asians and they were calling the grizzly bears brown pandas it was funny and the red panda people were calling it a massive squirrel


----------



## slim6y (Oct 21, 2010)

Fuscus said:


> Proberly Titan Triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) - Australian Museum protecting a nest! When I used to dive that area I learnt to ID trigger nests from a distance and keep that distance, they have formidable weaponry and will use it. Imagine a meter long rat with blood lust.



This was the fish (you're right about trigger fish - I had forgotten that's what they're called - they look similar to leather jackets)







Look harmless enough... But obviously I'm wrong... I figured it was protecting a nest, that much I had gathered - which is why I tried to run away... Oh well... I survived to tell the tale!

As for batesian mimicry - thanks for that - I was aware of the mimicry and the 'balance' - however it was just a point that we can't always be too smart and think every bright coloured animal presents danger. But genetics have an unusual way of keeping that balance.... I always loved monarchs - I was never aware they were poisonous until the 90s... But they're only poisonous when they eat the host plant - the swan plant... Otherwise they're as good as the viceroy


----------



## FusionMorelia (Oct 22, 2010)

this is true and i am not pulling your leg i once heard an english woman tell her hubby she isnt going to ares rock if we have tigers at the Bengal tiger enclosure at taronga in sydney and in the same day i listened laughing my *** off as an asian guy ask a keeper if the koalas were drugged lol, if only people knew how dangerous they can be lol

p.s


> This one should be easy - but can you remember the poem on how to tell?


red to yellow kills a fellow


----------



## Niall (Oct 22, 2010)

slim6y said:


> This was the fish (you're right about trigger fish - I had forgotten that's what they're called - they look similar to leather jackets)
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I have to agree with you about that fish!!
I was snorkelling at Ningaloo Reef here in WA and I have never seen one before so wanted to get close to it to get a good photo, ended up learning to keep well away from them! Made the snorkelling more enjoyable Hahaha


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 22, 2010)

lizardman59 said:


> in america there were some asians and they were calling the grizzly bears brown pandas it was funny and the red panda people were calling it a massive squirrel


 
Hahahaha. And when they hear its called a Red Panda they think its a bear.


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 22, 2010)

fuscus said:


> and my stupid tourist story - an english person rang 000 because they saw a snake in the noosa national park:shock:


 
hahaha


----------



## ozziepythons (Oct 22, 2010)

"_Don't echidnas shoot their quills at people_?" (American tourist). Worse was an Aussie lady looking at a bearded dragon I was holding and remarked "_oh look its an iguana from South America_".


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 22, 2010)

ozziepythons said:


> "_Don't echidnas shoot their quills at people_?" (American tourist). Worse was an Aussie lady looking at a bearded dragon I was holding and remarked "_oh look its an iguana from South America_".


 Ok americans I understand but an AUSSIE? She's pretty stupid


----------



## Kristy_07 (Oct 22, 2010)

slim6y said:


> This was the fish (you're right about trigger fish - I had forgotten that's what they're called - they look similar to leather jackets)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Slim, I knew a guy who didn't see the trigger or nest until he was too close, and he also got "attacked". The trigger got him in the neck, nicked the major artery, and he had to get airlifted to hospital for stitches and surgery :shock: That was in Hoi An, Vietnam. I saw the scar. Awesome! :lol:


----------



## slim6y (Oct 22, 2010)

Kristy_07 said:


> Slim, I knew a guy who didn't see the trigger or nest until he was too close, and he also got "attacked". The trigger got him in the neck, nicked the major artery, and he had to get airlifted to hospital for stitches and surgery :shock: That was in Hoi An, Vietnam. I saw the scar. Awesome! :lol:


 
So I was lucky - it only went at me twice - and twice on the hand...


----------



## REPTILIAN-KMAN (Oct 22, 2010)

giglamesh said:


> you have to remember in the animal world bright and pretty colours normally means toxic




i agree bright means attractive and that means trouble !


----------



## Kristy_07 (Oct 22, 2010)

REPTILIAN-KMAN said:


> i agree bright means attractive and that means trouble !


 
This goes for women, also..... BAZINGA!


----------



## Fuscus (Oct 22, 2010)

That trigger ( Triggerfish and leatherjackets are in the same genus ) in the piccy is _ Rhinecanthus aculeatus _ and rarely reaches 30 cm in length. It is (was?) common around Green Island. There are 3 or four similar species. The Titan Trigger is a much more formidable opponent. When I used to see them the nest would be surrounded by wrasse trying to get a free feed. A attack would be quick and direct as they couldn't leave the nest unguarded for more than a few seconds.
This "attack" seems calm compared to what I remember. 
[video=youtube;5GSyt-iTPFM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSyt-iTPFM&feature=related[/video]
Also I've been bitten by a clown trigger fish, a memberable but not recommended experience. The way we used to catch them for aquariums was to chase them into a crevice where they would wedge themselves in. I would reach in and feel for the fish then move my hand down to the tail. With the tail grabbed I would use the other hand to depress the trigger and then remove the fish. Once when searching for the tail I moved in the wrong direction and found the mouth. I never knew I could bleed so much. Still caught the fish though.


----------



## angieb (Oct 22, 2010)

i used to work at rocky zoo. we would always have overseas tourist jumping the fence to get photo with cassowarry, concidering they could slice u in half.... and all the signs and barb wire.... weren't enough.... pretty stupid..


----------



## slim6y (Oct 22, 2010)

That trigger fish that defended its nest was about 18 - 25cm, very brightly coloured (as pictured) and it 'hung' around me before attacking me - at first I thought it was being friendly - but it wouldn't leave me alone - I believe I may have snorkled the words "You're freakin me out man...." then it attacked me....

I was the 'typical' snorkelling tourist in Green Island (incidentally there were 100s of these fish here - big and small) but yet I appear to be the only one who complained of being attacked. 

But I believe I did the right thing by removing myself from its territory - that video appears they're harassing the fish. This is exactly what I would hope people avoid doing - especially with the danger involved - this thing was fearless - even underwater I still outsize this fish by 100s of times in mass and volume!


----------



## chickensnake (Oct 22, 2010)

I had someone come over and they wanted to look at my pythons, i got the bhp out and they said. "that ones venomous why do you have it?". When i got my male spotted python, my grandad was up on h'days, it bit be(i cracked up laughing) he thought i was crying as i was "going to die from the venom" as he put it whilst half carrying me towards the front door saying keep calm its ok i have you. I looked at him and said , its a python. Python+bite =non-venomous no matter wh tyou say im not going to the hospital lol(he was hell bent on taking me to the hospital)


----------



## thecat (Oct 22, 2010)

Over heard a young guy at nowra wild life park looking at the emus
"Holy $%^&, KFC should really be farming these things...."


----------



## chickensnake (Oct 22, 2010)

lol


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 22, 2010)

chickensnake said:


> I had someone come over and they wanted to look at my pythons, i got the bhp out and they said. "that ones venomous why do you have it?". When i got my male spotted python, my grandad was up on h'days, it bit be(i cracked up laughing) he thought i was crying as i was "going to die from the venom" as he put it whilst half carrying me towards the front door saying keep calm its ok i have you. I looked at him and said , its a python. Python+bite =non-venomous no matter wh tyou say im not going to the hospital lol(he was hell bent on taking me to the hospital)


 Bwahahahahahahaha


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 22, 2010)

angieb said:


> i used to work at rocky zoo. we would always have overseas tourist jumping the fence to get photo with cassowarry, concidering they could slice u in half.... and all the signs and barb wire.... weren't enough.... pretty stupid..


 
OMG! Do they have a death wish or something?!


----------



## Australis (Oct 22, 2010)

Silliest thing that comes to mind for me, was at an American Zoo, an employee taking a tour group around the place came to the "Emu" exhibit, however pronounced it "E-Moo".




David Evans said:


> Some american tourists at Australia Zoo were looking ata scrub turkey and the husband said to the wife "It must be some kind of vulture."
> 
> Made me and my wife crack up!


 First one i saw in America did remind me of our Bush turkey. (not my photo)
There is some superficial resemblance to the "Turkey vulture" they have in North America.


----------



## Defective (Oct 22, 2010)

REPTILIAN-KMAN said:


> our creator makes some dumb people, theres heaps were i live too, when i went to australia zoo a girl had a bright pink ( a bit like nighthawks avatar pink ) fury hand bag and a kangaroo comes up and starts attaching her over the handbag it was scary for her but funny for us.



another kanga story, when i was like 7 we went to this wildlife park and before you enter, the gate has a clear sign saying 'DO NOT EAT IN THIS ENCLOSURE" so this USA guy goes in and pulls out a mintie!!!!!! dooshbag!!!! so the big red gets up on its tail and starts to attack the dude just for the mintie, my dad went over and got between the two and told the dude to either eat it or leave otherwise he'll let the roo get him.

i use to tell japanese exchange students that the scientific name for a koala was Dropbear! and the day that one of them came to school with a vegemite and kraft cheese spread sandwich and sat under a gumtree, i pounched was soo much fun.


----------



## snakeluvver (Oct 23, 2010)

a roo at australia zoo took a swipe at a little girl so the father very maturely... punched the kangaroo in the face :shock:


----------



## bigfella77 (Mar 12, 2011)

My brother worked on a dairy farm that offered B&B accommodation, he was doing the morning milking with a few city dwellers looking on when a guy pipes up and asked "when ya gunna milk the bulls".


----------



## smigga (Mar 12, 2011)

bigfella77 said:


> My brother worked on a dairy farm that offered B&B accommodation, he was doing the morning milking with a few city dwellers looking on when a guy pipes up and asked "when ya gunna milk the bulls".



hahaha


----------



## Oliver5 (Mar 12, 2011)

bahahahahahabahahahahahhahoohoo

hahahahahahahahahahahaha


----------



## alilhayden (Mar 12, 2011)

i wa sat dreamworld around a 1metre water dragon my dad picked it up it was placid as hell,, then some tourist from china or other came over at first they said snake but then they were certain it was blue tongue, we went along with it lol.. we also went 4wding and told a group of tourist to watch out for kangawallafoxes.. and the most hilarious was at a park in sydney a lake that is 1 giant circle a groupd of tourist from china again had their feet out of the row boat in the water and we told them there are crocodiles and they all had their feet in the boat looking out and pointing to crocodiles they see lol


----------



## eipper (Mar 13, 2011)

that rhyme of red and yellow killing a fellow only works in northern mexico and the USA....many of the other Micrurus have not heard that poem

Cheers,
scott


----------



## Trench (Mar 13, 2011)

slim6y said:


> One more for the tourists - which is safe to handle and non-venomous?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The one on the bottom is safe to touch.

And the poem is: red on black poison lacks, red on yellow kills a fellow.


----------



## Snakeluvver2 (Mar 13, 2011)

Wow people with little to no interest in animal making mistakes about animals. 
Who would of thought!?i


----------



## Tassie97 (Mar 14, 2011)

Trench said:


> The one on the bottom is safe to touch.
> 
> And the poem is: red on black poison lacks, red on yellow kills a fellow.


 or red next to black is a friend of jack and red next to yellow is a deadly fellow


----------



## Dannyboi (Mar 14, 2011)

Americans messing with morphs on kingsnakes and milksnakes is really going to mess up that poem.


----------



## snakeluvver (Mar 14, 2011)

Jannico said:


> Wow people with little to no interest in animal making mistakes about animals.
> Who would of thought!?i



Yeah I know and I don't really blame them... but some things they say are just hilarious.



bigfella77 said:


> My brother worked on a dairy farm that offered B&B accommodation, he was doing the morning milking with a few city dwellers looking on when a guy pipes up and asked "when ya gunna milk the bulls".



Hahahahahahahha


----------

