Interesting wildlife.

[reynardo]

There's a spot not too far from our house that we colloquially refer to as "Doggie Heaven", as it's a large patch of open ground next to the road (big as a couple of football fields) where you are allowed to let your dog run off the leash. It's a standard walk to drive over there, let the dog off, walk slowly around the perimeter as he gibbons along, and thus get your own exercise and the dog's at one time. It's also not too far from the sea, it has rabbits in the hills and lots of native birdlife, and as long as the weather isn't too hot, it's a very pleasant 45 minute break.

So today after dropping lederhosen at work, Cuton and I parked at our usual culvert and headed in. About half way around, I spotted some of his favourite friends (a dog-walking business who bring the pack there - Cuton loves making friends with them). Just as I was waving to them and he was racing off to join them, I noticed the long black tail... then the belly... then the head as this red-bellied black snake lay in the sand patch and sunned himself.

I wish now I'd stopped for a photograph, but I was concerned that the dog would come and investigate, and while these snakes are normally quite dopey and reluctant to attack, I'm sure a nosey eager Spaniel would have changed that, so I headed to the walking group and warned them to keep their dogs away too.

I suppose he/she/it lives on the lizards and rats and small birds up in the scrub beside the open area, and I wish no harm to the reptile, but I shall be insisting on long pants and proper shoes for my family when we go there from now on.

Comments

[djfiggy.livejournal.com]

Do you see echidnas often? Waddling about, covered in quills, and smelling of ants? :)

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Alas, I have only ever seen one in the wild, and it waddled off fairly quickly.

But dewhitton is currently raising a puggle - a baby echidna.

[psychowoof.livejournal.com]

O.k. in the U.S. a puggle is a trendy new cross-bread between a pug and a beagle. I'm wagering the baby echidna is cuter.

[sclerotic-rings.livejournal.com]

Wow. I've heard about them (obviously, since I'm not local and our zoos are decidedly lacking in antipodean reptile life, I've never seen one), and you were very wise in warning off the dog owners in the area. I speak from experience here: black racers aren't venomous, but they're so aggressive that they'll deliberately chase people from time to time if they feel even slightly threatened, and I've seen dogs try to pick up hatchlings that would keep biting the dogs in the eye. My grandmother's late Irish setters were cases in point: never mind that they're in pain, because they've caught something and they won't let go!

[velvetink.livejournal.com]

My parents house backs on to kuringahi {sp} national park {atrocious spelling I know}, anyway, they often get red belly blacks slithering through their yard. Usually they are too scared to attack unless confronted. It helps to take a stick or something to swish the long grass ahead of you, they will usually get out of the way before you do.