Cairns Tropical Zoo, AUS pictures DU NO!

Jatango · #1 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 01:09 AM

Hey guys!
I was skimming through my photos from my internship in australia, and realized I've never posted any pictures! Shaaaaaaaaame on me. I worked at Cairns Tropical Zoo for 8 weeks in their herp and mammal departments. I'll just post the reptile pics for now, but can post some of the mammal pics on request. Most of these are native Aussie species.
First lizards, then snakes in a reply post.
Here are some Knob-tails. Yay!

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A centralian Blue-Tongue Skink

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Something ciliaris, I can't remember off the top of my head.

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Fijian Banded Iguana

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Very old Frilled Lizard

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Giant Cave Gecko

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Seb (my boss) kept calling this one an Indicus Monitor

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Merten's and an Indicus

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Big Fatty Merten's

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Juv. Female Boyd's Dragon

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Juv. Male Boyd's Dragon

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Wild Boyd's

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Big Leaf Tail

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Levis levis...cutest lizard ever. EVER.

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Assist feeding

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Full Belly!

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And a water dragon for good measure. This was a wild one in the kangaroo paddock. Silly dragon.

Jatango · #2 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 01:27 AM

Amethistines. Adult female and juv. male.

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Black-Headed Python. He was a very friendly guy.

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Vicious Blue-Bellied Black snake

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Massive Burm. She had a very large room all to herself.

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Coastal Taipan female

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Inland Taipans. We had a dry bite scare with a juv. one of these. ::shudders::

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Death Adder

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Diamond Python

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King Brown Snake

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Olive Python

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Big Water Python

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Unknown, maybe a Tiger? (Probably a horrible guess.)

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Okay, now for the amazingness. The week I left, we got in SIX Morelia carinata, Rough-Scaled Pythons. I kid you not, I touched one. I was holding my breath the whole time, too. Not afraid of getting tagged, though they did try, just completely awestruck at being in the right place at the right time.

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stu · #3 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 01:44 AM

Wow, awesome pics! That looks like a very memorable experience!

Jatango · #4 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 04:09 AM

It really was. That's where my love of herps really started, especially boas.

MAG_Pythons · #5 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 04:14 AM

Awesome - what a neat experiance

Reptscue · #6 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 04:16 AM

I am in love with Centrilian BTS!!

I love Aussie Herps!!

RevMojo · #7 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 04:20 AM

What a cool experience that must have been!

Jatango · #8 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reptscue

I am in love with Centrilian BTS!!
I love Aussie Herps!!

You'll love them until you have to carry them two at a time into their exhibit and they pee a gallon down your leg in front of japanese tourists. Will you love them then? Will you?

Reptscue · #9 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 04:23 AM

I'd would then give them a big smooch!!

Jatango · #10 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 04:26 AM

You know, I actually think you would. :-p They're so cute when they bite you like little (improperly raised and abused) pitbulls though. All those little tiny teeth-like things in your hand. Awwwww...no really. They're adorable!

Pete J · #11 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 05:20 AM

what months out of the year were you in cairns?

i found the humidity to be ABUSIVE lol i couldnt take it. i felt like such a wuss.

NZ and southern austrailia were much easier to handle for me.

Did you check out the reef at all? freakin great.

-Pete

Jatango · #12 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 05:32 AM

I went during May, June and July. It was amazing weather, not bad at all.

Even working in it 40 hours a week was an absolute joy.

I went scuba diving on the reef, yeah. I never thought I would listen to a turtle chew on sea coral, it was unbelievable. I almost got molested my a wrasse and got to watch clown fish interact with an anemone. Amaaaazing. The day before that, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. Now THAT'S something everyone should do!

Adrya · #13 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 06:09 AM

oh my god you are SO lucky to have gotten an internship in Australia! Going to Australia is one of my dreams! That must have been sooooo awesome, I can't imagine.

Reptscue · #14 (**permalink**) 11-08-2006, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jatango

You know, I actually think you would. :-p They're so cute when they bite you like little (improperly raised and abused) pitbulls though. All those little tiny teeth-like things in your hand. Awwwww...no really. They're adorable!

I know how what you mean about Centrilians acting like pitbulls. I have other species of BTS and my sub-adult Northern is just the same. Especially if you are in his cage during feeding time. He likes "finger" food!

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