(Embiggification)
Isn't he beautiful? He was getting a bit irritable by this time but couldn't bite anyone with the wrangler person's hand round his head.
He's a baby freshwater crocodile, a freshie. Proper name Crocodylus johnstoni.
Freshies live in northern Australia (Woy Woy is in south-eastern Australia), lay eggs and live at least as long as humans, grow to the length of a basketball player and weigh as much as a sulky teenager. They eat insects, fish, frogs, lizards, turtles, bats, birds and incautious tourists.
Photos & science-y stuff & how to be croc wise in croc country.
Embiggification, sharp enough to see the pattern)
Carpet snake, also known as the Diamond python. Proper name Morelia spilota. Mainly goes out at night, eats small beasts after squeezing them to death, painful bite, lives in coastal New South Wales so is a local, gets to 2 or 3 metres (6.5 - 9 feet).
Reptiles of NSW Wetlands - Dept. of Natural Resources.
(Embiggification, blurry)
Didn't hear over if this fella was a turtle or a tortoise. You can see most of his neck there I think. It was long and snakelike.
(Embiggification, fuzzy but servicable)
The only way is up, baby! He was beautiful. He felt soft and warm and smooth. (Make your own dick jokes.)
Spotted Python, proper name Liasis maculosis. Lays eggs, doesn't bite, goes out at night, eats small beasts & birds, average length as long as yer arm, lives from Cape York Peninsula to far northern NSW.
Fauna Rescue of Queensland - bit of science stuff & a photo.
Queensland Museum has a cool photo.
Snake buying advice
Did you know herpes is named after snakes? Neither did I but it's right there in the Oxford. The Greek for reptiles is herpeton and snake-fanciers are called herpetologists.
8 comments:
Steve
were those in the local aquariem
shop? or in woy woy?
I wouldnt like to meet him any time
ohhhhhhhh...
Pattie UK
The crocodile looks a little like what I had for tea. Perhaps a bit friskier, though.
Please tell me those nails don't belong to you?
patti - they were on display all last week in our local shopping center (Deepwater Plaza) I was on Wednesday morning but they hadnt set up yet - it was early about 9.30am so I didnt get to see them
cheers
Michael
Tortoises have feet with toes and turtles have flippers, so it looks like the little guy at the shopping centre is a tortoise. (At least, this is what I remember learning at school).
Pattie - What Michael said.
I'd love to see a big croc up close. Though preferably with a fence and an Irwin between me and it. Saw that one behind glass in Darling Harbour but it's no the same. The bugger just squatted there morosely exuding no sense of danger at all.
Device dear - Poached or fried? I'm told they're very nice with a squeeze of lemon.
Alas. Shows you how long since I gave anyone the finger.
Michael - Bummer. It was cool.
Anon - Thank yer kindly. I suspect I was wagging it when we did that bit.
Ahhhh... my favourite critters!
Been awhile Spike - thought I'd drop by mate, say Gudday and all!
Was a Snakebuster in the Fremantle area once - kept me VERY busy! Got a funny call the other week - a callout to my back neighbours place - she's scared stiff of snakes - cought the offending little creature, and promptly returned her to her owner. 'Missy' had escaped 6 weeks earlier from her enclosure and belonged to my new next door neighbours!
There was smiles all round when she was re-apprehended - for the most part... Missy was making good her escape - but got herself lost upon the way. She still glares at me when she sees me - I'm sure of it!!! She was Stimson's Python - very much like that last piccie you had mate - a smally snake by our oz standards - quite pleasant.
lol ;-)
Forgot to say - Crocs scare the BEJESUS out of me... seen them in the wild, quite close up, and they are fierce critters indeed! Might I add that if you're ever in a position to be seeing a big croc with Irwin and a fence between you and it - it's too late Spike - you might as well follow Steve into the light. A bloke'd have to be recently deceased to be graced with Irwin's presence now... lol ;-)
Got to admire crocs though - they've never had to change (adapt) in more years then we could possibly count - that smacks of a certain reptilian efficiency to me... pretty amazing stuff!
Like all reptiles - crocs never stop growing. As long a circumstances allow it - good food seasons etc - they simply continue to grow. Imagine the age of some of the really big critters out there eh?!
Wow!
;-)
Belongum - Missy sounds pretty. Any small dogs go AWL while she was out?
Didn't know crocs never stopped growing. That's just weird. The stuff of Hollywood.
Haven't been terribly keen on yer full size croc since that guy got attacked in his tent. How fucking scared would you be? One minute yer asleep, next there's a bloody great croc in the tent with you with its bloody mouth open! Brown underpants job that.
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