# Herps from my death adder study sites on the Eyre peninsula, SA



## snake_freak (Apr 26, 2010)

_Acanthophis antarcticus_

















_Moloch horridus_


























Taken in the lab





















Beardy






_Pseudonaja aspidoryncha_











_Demansia psammophis_


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## potato matter (Apr 26, 2010)

very nice snakes!!! Love the adders!


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## levis04 (Apr 26, 2010)

Nice pics Mike


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## Snowman (Apr 26, 2010)

Great pics. Love the underside of the Moloch.


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## Acrochordus (Apr 26, 2010)

Great stuff, the australian way handling a snake with thongs on.
Thanks Tim.


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## H.bitorquatus (Apr 26, 2010)

Nice adder, can you comment on your method of finding them? don't see pics of SA adders very often, actually I don't think ever on this forum. The Whip looks very strange to!


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## snake_freak (Apr 26, 2010)

That adder was caught in a pitfall trap, also road cruising... looaaads of road cruising.

Yea, Eyre peninsula whips have got to be one of the best looking snakes around... brilliant blue-green front end and orange-brown back end. Super cool!


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## PJherps (Apr 26, 2010)

love the sa adders


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## Sdaji (Apr 27, 2010)

Lovely Death Adder  Great pictures.


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## TNWJackson (Apr 27, 2010)

Very nice indeed. Love the adder!


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## Slats (Apr 27, 2010)

Sweet, thongs aren't a choice...they're a religion


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## snake_freak (Apr 27, 2010)

Slats said:


> Sweet, thongs aren't a choice...they're a religion


 
True that! Come to think of it... the fact that I have shoes on in the Death Adder pic is a disgrace


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## murrayanddig (Apr 28, 2010)

great pics. where are your research sites? Ive got plenty death adders on my place on western eyre, and would love someone to do some research, and maybe teach me something about them while they're here


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## snake_freak (Apr 28, 2010)

murrayanddig said:


> great pics. where are your research sites? Ive got plenty death adders on my place on western eyre, and would love someone to do some research, and maybe teach me something about them while they're here


 
I go where ever the adders are. Two main areas at the moment are mallee near Kimba and coastal dunes at Smoky Bay.

Where abouts is you property? I'd be very keen to here more about it. What sort of size property are you on? Does it have much native vegetation on it? 

Cheers,

Mike


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## murrayanddig (Apr 29, 2010)

we are south of streaky bay, coastal dunes fronting Sceale Bay. first few hot days in spring always gets a few moving. i probably move 4 or 6 off the road during this time. we have done some pitfall trapping with DEH, but the only death adder was found just cruising by. i have probably moved about 4 away from the house over the last few years as well.

the property is 3000 hectares, old cropping and grazing, but with some nice remnants. not sure if the adders are only near the road/coast or thats the only place we look regularly


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## Dipcdame (Apr 29, 2010)

ummmmmmm.......... remind me to NEVER go herping with you - Adders? uhuh, no WAY! !! LOL lovely animals there though!


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## moosenoose (Apr 29, 2010)

Great pics! Thanks for sharing


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## GetCoiled (Apr 29, 2010)

Hi Mike, thanks to share mate!
Those Moloch pics really make me happy...
Any Carpet Python pic over there?
Cheers
Stef


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## snake_freak (Apr 29, 2010)

Dipcdame said:


> ummmmmmm.......... remind me to NEVER go herping with you - Adders? uhuh, no WAY! !! LOL lovely animals there though!


 
That's what everyone says until they see the adders in person, then they all want one


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## snake_freak (Apr 29, 2010)

GetCoiled said:


> Hi Mike, thanks to share mate!
> Those Moloch pics really make me happy...
> Any Carpet Python pic over there?
> Cheers
> Stef



Nope, no pythons. I think they'd have a hard time competing with all the elapids.


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## moloch05 (Apr 29, 2010)

Mike,
Your pics are excellent. It was really good to see the adder but especially the Molochs. How did you find those hatchlings? They are so cute!

I visited the Kimba area a year back and it was interesting. I like the nicely coloured Ctenophorus cristatus that live in the area. I did badly with geckos and only found a single Beaded. Do you see many species when you are out at night?

Regards,
David


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## snake_freak (Apr 29, 2010)

Hi David, the hatchlings were captive bred... incubated in the lab. C. cristatus are awesome (so are C. fionni), and man can they run!

The only geckoes I've come across whilst road cruising so far are beadeds and Nephrurus stellatus, but apparently there are jewelled geckoes around.


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## jordo (Apr 29, 2010)

Nice pics, thanks for sharing.
What research are you doing on the adders?


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## TNWJackson (Apr 29, 2010)

snake_freak said:


> The only geckoes I've come across whilst road cruising so far are beadeds and Nephrurus stellatus, but apparently there are jewelled geckoes around.


 
Do you have any shots of wild _N. stellatus_? Jewelled geckos would be exceptionally cool to see in the wild.


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## marcmarc (Apr 29, 2010)

I'd love to see Molochs in the wild, or anywhere else for that matter. I hope the captive bred Molochs do awesomely anyways. Can they be viewed anywhere?


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## snake_freak (Apr 29, 2010)

Unfortunately I don't have pics of the wild N. stellatus. I'll have to wait until next summer, there are plenty of them around though, so shouldn't be hard.

The Molochs are really common as well, I saw them on every trip out there. Unfortunately they can't survive on the ants around Adelaide because they all contain high levels of formic acid, I've been told that the museum is full of specimens that couldn't survive the diet they were given during past attempts at keeping them.


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## Noxious (May 2, 2010)

Great pics buddy.


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## AUSHERP (May 8, 2010)

thats wicked man, some great pics there. i cant wait to get back out myself!!! what paperwork/permits did you need to do that sort of thing? or is it just a matter of a phonecall to notify someone you will be working that area? whenever i go out for photography we often collect the animals and take them to a better spot for photos and then release them where we found them..... is this legal?


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## symbol (May 8, 2010)

Gorgeous animals!!!!! Also, I love that snake hook, where did you get it from???


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## reptilegirl_jordan (May 8, 2010)

Great pictures!
Thanks for sharing.


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## snake_freak (May 8, 2010)

AUSHERP said:


> thats wicked man, some great pics there. i cant wait to get back out myself!!! what paperwork/permits did you need to do that sort of thing? or is it just a matter of a phonecall to notify someone you will be working that area? whenever i go out for photography we often collect the animals and take them to a better spot for photos and then release them where we found them..... is this legal?


 
The permits are done through the scientific research permits unit at DEH, definitely not an easy task. First you need to be associated with a recognised research institution, then send in a research proposal. Also getting permittion from the land owners, etc. I have been stopped by the cops in the area before too; they even asked to see my permit.... which was surprising.

All I would say about the last question is that anyone who would hassle you for photographing wild herps (in a respectful manner of course) is a total douche.



symbol said:


> Gorgeous animals!!!!! Also, I love that snake hook, where did you get it from???



Home made


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## AUSHERP (May 9, 2010)

easy, we were stopped by the cops one time and they came back and searched our hotel room!!! we find em in the scrub take em to a clearing which is normally the road, take our pics and put em back. i guess its just easier if you have a pemit.


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## Jonno from ERD (May 9, 2010)

Parks and Wildlife are cracking down fairly hard on the new influx of 'herpers' who are taking photographs and handling wild snakes. They patrol these forums often, and several APS members have had a few scares so far.


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## AUSHERP (May 9, 2010)

yeah, too many paochers out there, why would you bother when everything is being bred, disease free and usually at affordable prices???


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