Tell us about your first time

[AntaresiaLady]

Aside from your average garden skinks....my love of herps came from catching large skinks with my cousins in Bellambi NSW (I believe I've told this story elsewhere in this forum). I have a particular fondness for geckos (gonna get some someday), and I have two tattoos of geckos. (One the size of an A4 peice of paper on my left shoulderblade, the other about 10cm X 5cm on my left breast)

We used to get them and make them bite us on the arm. The last person with a lizard attached to their arm was the winner. I was the undefeated champion! Although we made them bite us, I always respected the lizards, and loved finding them with my cousins...we ran into a few snakes along the way- none I remember though.

I had another encounter when out with a boyfriend and some friends up on the Water Board property on Mt. Keira one night. We were standing at a lookout, and a barefooted mate looked down when something touched his foot. He screamed and ran to his car like a flash.

I grabbed the big torch (I was the adventurous one of the bunch) and looked for what he'd freaked at. From memory it was a lovely little red belly...ssooo cute....it was maybe 15 cms long at the most. It just sat there looking at me...it didn't seem intimidated at all. I remember that night well, as everyone but me was in a car hiding from this tiny snake....they all were worried that there was gonna be a giant mama snake come out and attack them.

It was funny seeing grown men crapping themselves! I grabbed my collapsible shovel, (didn't have any gloves, and I wasn't going to risk getting tagged- my bf probably would have killed us hammering down the winding roads to the hospital-he wasn't the best of drivers!) and I lifted the little snake up and put him down in some bush across the road. My mate was lucky he didn't get tagged- being barefoot and all!

My recent herp experience that lead to me getting herps was an encounter with Brian Bush, who was at our local shopping centre. We went up 3 days in a row to play with his snakes, and my daughter decided she wanted frogs when Brian told us we could get licenses here in WA.
And so it started.

For my daughter, it started with my love of herps, and an encounter with a beautiful BHP at Nowra animal park. My sister and BIL took her, and she wanted a photo. Apparently there were a lot of other kids getting pics taken. My sister said that most of the kids looked terrified...while Rhi just sat there with a HUGE smile on her face, talking to the snake, and she even asked if she could kiss it!
My sister was apparently crying- she was so touched at Rhi's love for the snake.
Can you tell I'm a proud mum? Rhi wants a Bluey next, then when she's old enough- she wants a snake of her own.

 

[AntaresiaLady]

Sorry for the loooonnnggg post.

 

[africancichlidau]

My mate never went into the bush again lol

So, you actually had mates at one time Souly?

 

[dino]

i can't remember my first time but my foster parents do they used to tell me all the herp stories when they discovered my interest in it ,the house i grew up in was the first in the street to be built all the others were still just vacant lots with a dirt road this backed on to a national park the one they filmed the show Skippy in ,i was always bringing home tiger snakes and red bellies and mum hated even the site of them she was scared of the little skinks and to my discust would kill them with fly spray if they wandered in the house, on one occasion she was sunbaking on a folding chair in the backyard she would just sleep out there for hours on this day she woke to the sound of rustling leaves she turned on her side and was face to face with a big perentie flicking its tonge at her face she tried shooing it away but it just stared at her so she backed into the house called dad at work (these calls would become a regular event) he called eric warrell his reptile park wasn't too far away and was in desperate need for herps this being over 30 years ago ,he came out to the house a few times to pick up snakes and funnel webs as well and each time dad asked about the big goanna ,he was at the park for over 12years and we were welcome to visit any time for free but parents just didn't care about herps and were conserned about my interest in them (like it was a mental problem) .

 

[cris]

he was at the park for over 12years and we were welcome to visit any time for free but parents just didn't care about herps and were conserned about my interest in them (like it was a mental problem)

Are you saying it isnt a mental problem? :shock: :lol: :evil: :x :cry: :mrgreen:

I got another story too,
I was camping with my family near stanthope Qld, we were near a creek and my mum and bro were sitting on some chairs faceing the creek when a largish monitor(v. panoptes) came wandering up behind them i watched for a couple of minutes until it was within 2m or less, I then asked "whos ya mate?" mum got a good shock although unfortunately she knew it wasnt too dangerous and simply walked away.

 

[dino]

Are you saying it isnt a mental problem? Shocked Laughing Evil or Very Mad Mad Very Happy Sad Crying or Very sad Mr. Green

no im sayinmg that had nothing to do with the problem.

 

[AntaresiaLady]

That reminds me of my dear dear mother. (Note of Sarcasm). My family went on holidays with my aunt and her children (I didn't go). They went 'bush' somewhere, apparently to a camping ground where large monitors of some descript were very prevalent. In fact- mum said they'd been warned by the ranger type dude that came by the campsite to not stand still for too long, as the monitors might 'run up them' like they were trees.
After I stifled my laughter, my mother then proceeded to show me what she did every time she remembered she was standing still. This then led to me on the floor, laughing so hard I almost wet myself. It was the funniest thing I ever saw.
It was a bit like the thrusting dude in someones avatar, mixed with an electric shock of some heavy wattage, all wrapped up in a 'you're the one that I want' style sway.
Funny, Funny, Funny.
Needless to say, she wouldn't go back there. But I sure would. Even if it was just to offer counselling to the poor monitors, after them watching my mother move like that- they'd sure need it.
If anyone comes upon a whole lot of traumatised monitors, give me a holler- they can charge the psych to my mum.
LMAO!

 

[Reptilegirl]

well i would have been about 10 years old.. it was the school holidays.. me and a friend of mine were just sitting around in the front yard playing when our next door neighbour saw something strange on the road... (at the end of the road and the surrounding area there is a rainforest) anyway it turned out to be a 7 or 8 foot long coastal carpet slithering its way up the road (away from the forest).. it would have been twice the lenght of me.. plus some :lol: we were amazed!! it ended up in a big fig tree across the road.. so the snake catcher came out and took him back down to the forest.. the road next to ours is one of the bussiest around and we didnt want him getting hit..
two weeks later we had to call out the snake catcher again as this time there was a red belly under the neighbours wheelie bin.. beautiful animal..
Megz

 

[nvenm8]

My first time,
Quite a few years ago I met fordy (nickname) in the army. He had children’s, water pythons, red bellies, spotted blacks, collets and etc etc etc .
The venomous gave me the heebee geebee’s . Handled all of them (nervously) and was bitten for the fist time too (juvenile childrens).
I got an infection from the bite causing a clinical obsession to become a herp .
Yep like all here I have an incurable love of reptiles.
Thanks fordy,

 

[waruikazi]

Those big monitors are whilley old things. I was out on a picnic when i was about 14 with my familly and one of mum's friends form adelaide. I think we were at buely rock hole national park. Anyway we were sitting down eating lunch and mum's friend (she was a crazy old bat, couldn't stand her) just dropped a chicken bone on the grass next to her. Well would you beleive a monitor, around the 6' mark, sniffed it out and wandered over to eat it. At this moment the crazy old bat started screaming and ran away. To this day i haven't seen this happen again, the monitor stood up on its back legs, looked around, dropped back to the ground and started chasing the old bat around!!!!!!

It was one of the funniest things i ever seen!!!!!

PMSL

 

[soulweaver]

My mate never went into the bush again lol

So, you actually had mates at one time Souly?

you got me there, i never paid for him to be my mate again

 

[cris]

It just isnt a real campisite without a big lacey and/or yellow spotted monitor to monitor your activities.

 

[olivehydra]

My shameful story
The turtle story..... It was around 1978-1979, disco was still king and I was yet to discover the joys girls. I had been dropped off at a farm by the old man and was given permission by the farm owner to look for and catch a few turtles in his dam. I was turtle mad and had gone off lizards for a while. Turtles were my new passion.They were all I thought about thanks to my little John Cann turtle book I carried everywhere. It was a hot day so I stripped off to my shorts (back when shorts were short) and entered the water. The cool water chilled my nubile young body, but I was warmed with the excitement of finding turtles.
I waded slowly and quietly toward the reeded area which contained perfect basking logs. I heard the tell tale splash of reptile hitting the water, and I homed in on it. I saw ripples on the water surface, and then a dark reptilian head surface to breath. It was within reach so not seeing its carapace grabbed it behind the head.My first wild caught turlte that had not been trapped. I raised it from the water with glee, but was astonished at its size. About 4ft of what I thought was turtle neck appeared above the water level. It is then I saw two things..... a forked tongue and a bright red belly My monster long neck turtle and transformed into a very surprised and angry rbbs It seemed like ages but it must have been no more than a second or two before I released, or should I say, "threw" the snake back into the water. I was lucky, it shot off in one direction and I the other. This was my first wild ven caught, but I thought it was a turtle I dont think many herpers, young or old would have made such an error in identification. I now know the difference. Oh the shame.

 

[soulweaver]

ahhhh what a virgin you were lol j/k

 

[africancichlidau]

ahhhh what a virgin you were lol j/k

Not in shorts like those he wasn't!

 

[africancichlidau]

It just isnt a real campisite

So, you like Campi sites eh?

 

[olivehydra]

ahhhh what a virgin you were lol j/k

Not in shorts like those he wasn't!

Do you remember them? Little button up pocket on one side, elastic waste band, those were the days. Choccy paddlepop cost 10c and 20c could cause an OD on mixed lollies.
None of these fancy herp shops where you could buy food. You had to catch it yourself in one of those bug catchers, and in 10ft of snow and driving winds. Kids these days have it easy. :wink:

 

[africancichlidau]

Do you remember them?

Of course I remember them, still wear them under my mini skirt on weekends!

 

[pixie]

my story isnt very exciting.(and has nothing to do with wild animals). but nevermind. here it is:
i grew up in or around lorne in vic.. my dad had a place in the bush so there were always snakes around but me being very young dad never let me near them.. then when i was in primary school (grade 4 i think) we had a reptile show type thing come to the school and during the show the guy asked for volunteers, my twin and best mate at the time nominated me.. so i walked up the front of the room... the guy then brought out a hessian bag and took out (what seemed to me at the time) a very big carpet python.. after freaking out i was brave enough to have a pic taken of me with it... since then i was nagging my parents for a snake... THE END =)