Our role as wildlife reptile carers
FAQs
Is it very busy being a wildlife reptile carer?
Not overly so. Although we are quite new to this, there seems to be a tendency for the public to happily call wildlife rescue organisations to save cute little possums, koalas, wombats, birds and even bats, but this tendency is not so prevalent when it comes to snakes and lizards.
Is this because people are scared of snakes?
Most likely – but this fear is not at all uncommon, in fact, most people would be afraid of snakes, and to a lesser extent, lizards. There may be an evolutionary explanation for this. A fear of snakes (known as ophidiophobia) may actually be a survival mechanism: basically, humans who can avoid venomous snakes by detecting the threat early will survive longer.
Does this mean we are born with a fear of snakes?Probably not. There have been studies that identify we simply have an instinctive tendency to quickly identify a snake. However, if children grow up holding and enjoying various reptiles, they’re not likely to be scared of snakes, much like my kids.
What types of wild reptiles come into your care?
So far, it has been mostly blue tongue eastern lizards, coastal carpet pythons and eastern water dragons – basically animals that are indigenous to our local area. The ‘challenge’ seems to be that once these animals come into care, they require care for a considerable amount of time. This means that even having one reptile at a time can be quite a bit of work, and given that the metabolic rate of reptiles is s-l-o-w, healing can take a considerable amount of time.
So, do you take the place of the vet?
Not at all. We are not vets, and we work closely with our local vet who have staff with a knowledge of reptiles, to provide the best care that we can, within the parameters of what we can do as carers.
Some wildlife reptile rescue stories:
‘Stumpy’ the blue tongue lizard:
Dogs and cats are a formidable nemesis for the placid and stoic blue tongue lizard. Stumpy was a victim of this all too familiar clash between domestic and wild animals, and had his tail bitten off in the process. Unlike some other lizard varieties, the blue tongue lizard is unable to generate a new tail. After a few weeks of treatment, helped by Stumpy’s voracious appetite, he was safely released back into the wild, albeit a few centimetres shorter!
‘Niki” the coastal carpet python:
Niki was a beautiful coastal carpet python. He was otherwise in great health until he decided to coil up under a car engine and received full thickness burns to his lower third. The injury was devastating, and despite input from our local vets, he sadly succumbed to his injury. He left his mark on me, however, with a spectacular python bite – bless him!!
‘Godzilla’ the eastern water dragon:
Godzilla’s history was a little sketchy, but he was severely dehydrated and weakened when he came into care. Water dragons are quite easy to sex, with the males displaying an amazing red chest! Godzilla required fluid resuscitation with intradermal fluids, and soaking in his water bowl. As semi-aquatic lizards, the provision of water is essential. Godzilla also left a lasting reminder of his presence in our care with some very nasty scratches that are still visible up my arms and inside wrists! Godzilla made a full recovery and was released back into the river system.
‘Brokeback Mountain’ the eastern blue tongue lizard:
Poor old Brokeback. Brokeback came into care after a dog attack where he sustained, you guessed it, a broken back! We splinted Brokeback’s spine after seeking veterinary advice. He also received subcutaneous antibiotics and cortisone over several days. Brokeback was beginning to eat, and was able to move by moving his little arms and dragging his legs behind him. We had serious concerns for him, and two weeks later was found in his tub with his tail severed – it had simply dropped off due to compromised blood flow. A trip to the vet promptly followed where Brokeback was gently euthanased and died in my hands.
Yes, we did photoshop this one just a little! But this little girl was such a princess!!
