A n00bs guide to herping

[Karly]

So once you find a good herping spot, what's the best technique for actually finding the critters? Most of the herps I've found have either been through sheer luck or they've been in such obvious places it's impossible to miss them! Should I be picking things up and looking underneath them or climbing trees or something along those lines?

 

[hrafna]

you might all laugh at me. But would investing in a micro inspection camera be worthwhile with finding critters? Same stuff plumbers use to inspect pipes?

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

They are a great item hrafna,
as good at looking down holes and hollows as they are for looking in wall cavities.
They are expensive and add a bit of weight to yoUr pack but beat digging, or ripping logs apart.
What a top thread this is..most important,
leave the area like you found it and if you find a hot spot,.
dont give out the location, keep it secret.
Other people might not respect it like u do.

 

[waruikazi]

So once you find a good herping spot, what's the best technique for actually finding the critters? Most of the herps I've found have either been through sheer luck or they've been in such obvious places it's impossible to miss them! Should I be picking things up and looking underneath them or climbing trees or something along those lines?

All depends. I'm lazy so i like to drive through the roads and clearings looking for stuff sitting or crossing the clearings. But if i'm walking in the scrub i tend to use my ears more than my eyes and then at night you can use a torch to make some herps eyes glow.

I tend not to turn things over.

 

[Oscar90]

im only relatively new to this but tip for picking up agressive wild pythons, what i do is (wearing shoes) put my foot out in front of its head so it strikes on the sole of the shoe ive found with most pythons around my area that after 5 or so strikes they stop striking and ive been able to pick them up and move them off the road without them tagging me.
again not sure if this is common knowledge its just what i find works well

 

[Mister_Snakes]

im only relatively new to this but tip for picking up agressive wild pythons, what i do is (wearing shoes) put my foot out in front of its head so it strikes on the sole of the shoe ive found with most pythons around my area that after 5 or so strikes they stop striking and ive been able to pick them up and move them off the road without them tagging me.
again not sure if this is common knowledge its just what i find works well

That is just awesome

 

[r3ptilian]

Firstly in my opinion snakes aren't agressive they are defensive, and secondly, if you place your foot in front of a python to make it strike all you are going to do is peev it right off. I know you are new to this so please don't take offence, I am only trying to save you copping a nasty bite. When you think about it the average python of around 2-3 metres is only about 3 inches tall when on the ground, so when you approach it it is the equivalent of a multi story building baring down on it, and becuase they only have the "flight or fight" instinct chances are they will strike if given the chance.

 

[Oscar90]

Firstly in my opinion snakes aren't agressive they are defensive, and secondly, if you place your foot in front of a python to make it strike all you are going to do is peev it right off. I know you are new to this so please don't take offence, I am only trying to save you copping a nasty bite. When you think about it the average python of around 2-3 metres is only about 3 inches tall when on the ground, so when you approach it it is the equivalent of a multi story building baring down on it, and becuase they only have the "flight or fight" instinct chances are they will strike if given the chance.

yea no offence taken and yes i agree they are defensive, i was just stating what ive found on an observational basis that once they stop striking i am able to pick them up. so i figure if i had went straight to picking it up i would have been tagged.

 

[r3ptilian]

No worries mate, make sure you get pics of your finds so we can all appreciate your escapades as much as you do...

 

[Oscar90]

found a decent size brown tree tonight. and also am atherton jungle from a few weeks ago.

 

[Duke]

Do you guys have any recommendations for a good GPS device? Something that I can lock in my starting coords to get back to if I ever get lost. An SOS/distress function would also be good.

 

[waruikazi]

I use a Garmin Astro 220. It is a GPS dog tracking system but works fine as a stand alone gps too. Bread crumbs your trail (which is really really handy in the escarpment at night time) and has a very easy marking system. It is expensive though ($550ish with a collar) and i'm pretty sure it is illegal in aus but works great for me!

Most hand helds will do all the basics like bread crumbing and marking your original location. The extra money comes when you want to be able to upload maps, colour screen etc.

And i don't think any GPS has an sos system. You need an epirb if you want that.

 

[Jonno from ERD]

If you have an iPhone, download "GPS Kit".

Why is the Astro 220 illegal in Australia Gordo?

 

[waruikazi]

Because it is a radio tracker aswell as a GPS. The frequency it works off is the same as Australian air craft, but i've never seen a plane fall from the sky while i've been using it.

 

[SperO]

Nicely written

After just returning from living overseas for several years I am rediscovering Darwin. Its sad to me to see the difference the Cane toads have made over the time I have been away. Not to mention one of my favourite secluded spots is now a state (or national?) park.

I realised how much I missed Darwin and all the herping spots within minutes of my house after living in -40 winters and just as cold summers where you were lucky to see a mosquito (yea I just said lucky to see a mosquito thats how desperate things had become)

 

[Duke]

I use a Garmin Astro 220.
Most hand helds will do all the basics like bread crumbing and marking your original location. The extra money comes when you want to be able to upload maps, colour screen etc.

And i don't think any GPS has an sos system. You need an epirb if you want that.

Yeah cool. I just looked on the Garmin website and theyre basic device will do what I want. I see that Anaconda and a few other camping stores stock them for a reasonable price.

If you have an iPhone, download "GPS Kit".

Why is the Astro 220 illegal in Australia Gordo?

I have an Android phone, and I know there are a few apps there, but the battery life is an issue, especially in a survival situation.

 

[ThePup]

n00b question in the noob guide (I know it's been a while since the last post in here) - when photographing your finds, is it a good idea to avoid flash? I've photographed a couple of snakes in our backyard (A Night Tiger and a childrens), and used flash (y'know, being dark and all), but is this going to harm them in any way? I Know mammals don't like flash used, but snakes rely more on scent and feel, so is it as big a problem?

 

[waruikazi]

I use a flash or artificial light of some kind, can't see it doing any serious harm. And i can't see any other way of doing it... Go for gold i say.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I use flash extensively and very bright flash in some cases at that. While sometimes it can startle reptiles I've never seen any sign of serious harm at all and it's not rare I can photograph a frog calling and it will continue calling afterwards indicating no real impact of the flash more than just startling it.

 

[Leasdraco]

My guess is the flash has about the same effect as spotlighting an animal,but just momentarily...