herping perth hills western brown

[Bluetongue1]

By the letter of the law you are not allowed to touch it as that is considered inteferring with wildlife. Many photographers do so in order to get a good photo. Just be aware that if you are being observered by a ranger at the time, you could get into strife. Being young, I would say they would probably let you off with a warning but there is no guarantee of that. It is up to you whether you wish to take that risk.

I was herping in the days before regulations and I would often remove whatever was under a rock before replacing it and then let it go back under. Smaller rocks, where you can see what you are doing from the side can be gently lowered into place.

One last point that I forgot to mention earlier. Make sure you take some compression bandages with you go bush and that you know how to apply them, in case of snake bite. Some people, a very small percentage, react seriously to species like the Gould's Snake, so it is probably better to use the bandages for even a bite from that than be sorry.

Cheers,
Blue

 

[Vegez]

Be very careful with the authorities with what you are doing. I know of a well-known herp that has been charged with things like picking up a DEAD snake off the road & throwing it off the road so it doesn't attract other animals. He made the mistake of videoing it, and the Vic DSE have charged him for it. Absolute disgrace.

 

[moosenoose]

I was impressed the guys had the nous in wanting to put stuff back once they flipped it - kudos to you.

So many times I've headed out into the bush only to find some idiot has gone through flipping logs and rocks and scattering them all over the place. Not only does it look untidy and disturbs the landscape, but more often than not the rocks and logs aren't placed back in such a way for critters to get good shelter under them. There is one spot in particular I go to and it was obvious to me that it had been picked through by other herpers, it took months (nearly a year in fact) for it to look half normal again. Anyone who has gone out with me knows I'm a stickler for leaving a place in the same condition I found it.

 

[69blottfilms69]

Yeah the part we go in where have found 3 goulds snakes
1 red gecko
3 line skink

So let me get this straight
I can lift a rock is that ok?
i can't touch the reptile?
What if a bluey has ticks we removed them and put him back?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

You can lift a rock absolutely fine.
You can touch a reptile but it's a pretty good idea not to tell anybody you did. Just in case. The chances of being prosecuted at your age are minimal and I'd just love to see them try and do it cause I think it would get thrown out quickly. But just in case. Same with frogs.

 

[69blottfilms69]

I think ill start maybe doing this
find a reptile under a rock film it and not touch in my video we only touched marble geckos and blueys
Should i get rid of them videos

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Yeah not touching them in the videos is the way to go.

I think you can probably leave those videos if you just try and not touch them in future videos.

 

[Bloomster]

You have learnt now what the regs are. Leave the videos you've Allready made.

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710a using Tapatalk

 

[Niall]

Yeah the part we go in where have found 3 goulds snakes
1 red gecko
3 line skink

Im guessing the Red Gecko was a Speckled Stone Gecko D. polyophthalmus

and the 3 line skink was a specie of Ctenotus?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I'm guessing the same Niall. In fact 69Blottfilms69 himself guessed it was D.polyphthalmus based on someones avatar of a red one.

 

[Elapidae1]

Polyops, damn them. Buggers to photograph.

I would like to know how you guys came to the conclusion it was a Western Brown.

I would recommend the book suggested earlier, Field Guide To Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region, it is specific to your area and will avoid the hassle of accidentally comparing ID's to snakes that don't even occur in that range.

Maybe take a point and shoot camera, I imagine using still images for cropping and zooming in on a subject for ID purposes would be easier than with video.

For example the pale spots forward of the eyes that Echiopsis pointed out earlier, while obvious to someone experienced such as himself, they would be easily missed by people less experienced. With a still shot you may have been able to zoom right in and make the comparrison yourself.

 

[lizardman59]

oh hay guys soz for all the trouble since the videos i have been wearing jeans full size socks and my high tops we are going to leave the bush though for maybe a couple weeks and go back and see if we can find anything else thanks guys yeh tit was a goulds hooded snake just been researching them and i researched the procedure of a snake bite and will bring pressure bandages as you recommended.

Cheers,Heath