Yes, that’s right, the second phase of our snake telemetry project has begun. At 18:00 today (25/12/2011) we released FC01 – the first Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca) of the second phase of our snake telemetry project.
Read more and follow FC01 here!.
Ok, in less than a week our Forest Cobra will be undergoing surgery under the steady hand of Suzanne to have his telemtry unit fitted. A big thank you to the Invicta Arachnid Club from the UK for their donation towards this.
We are testing a new release site which will allow us to better observe the Forest Cobras without disturbing them, after surgery all the snakes will be monitored and left to recuperate for a length of time to ensure that there are no unexpected complications from the surgery.
Operation on Tuesday!
Last week we awoke to find Corn Snake eggs (this was a surprise as she didn’t show any signs), Iguana eggs (they haven’t let us down yet), and house snake eggs. I can’t help but wonder which other animals will follow suit and produce more little ones. The Gaboon adders are definitely acting as though they to want to follow suit and pop out some baby snakes.
The eggs are all safely nestled in their vermiculite
After destroying their box, Mummy corn snake laid some lovely eggs as Daddy Corn snake stood guard nearby
Even the bush on the lodge is rife with new additions. The sunbirds are all hatching, we keep spotting more and more baby Nyala and even my bedroom is overrun with baby geckos! Lets hope that there are some new Suni too.
We will keep you updated with pictures when and where we find the new additions.
Well guys and girl, summer is now here, at least for us!
After a number of snake call-outs in the area we decided that the snakes were on the move making it road cruise time!
It was quite a quiet cruise with only one snake, sadly Dead on Road (DOR) 
A real shame as it was a beautiful male puff adder.
But we did find plenty of sleeping chameleons, although we only harrassed one with the camera flash.
And loads of frogs!! This greater leaf-folding frog we brought home to take a photo of this morning.
But we also found lots of other frogs such as Rubber frog, shovel-nosed frog and a few of what we believe to be guttural toads.
For the furry fans out there, we also saw grey duiker, bushbabies, and a spotted eagle owl!
Things are hotting up here in the KwaZulu Natal, so the snakes should be moving soon. This means the next cruise can only get better!
After a lovely lazy morning to let their brains recharge after yesterdays information overload the Clouddog students were all happy and willing to learn more – until they found out what we had to teach them.
Snakes and reptiles and spiders and frogs and scorpions and newts and dung-beetles and any other creature we happened to find in the garage were the lesson of the day.
Some were really excited to see the different species, others were less impressed…
"...these are your pets...are you crazy?!"
The first pet to come out to play was the Puff Adder. Using our top secret, highly scientific equipment – also known as a clear plastic tube – the students were all able to feel how the scales differed from some of the other snakes we keep.
...don't get in my sun...
Next out was one of the Gaboon adders, although if I am honest he was far from interested in eating the students. Sunbathing was his main preoccupation, until he smelt Copper (the pet dog).
Pretty colours means not to eat!
We do have some less deadly pets too, this rubber frog for example is only deadly if you lick it! We keep this rubber frog to helps us explain to students the difference between venomous and poisonous.
Don't let it jump on me!
Even the students who had tried to act all brave soon found their weakness when the Curly-haired Tarantula came out to play. They moved so quickly I don’t think their feet touched the ground as they ran away, leaving in their wake the smiling and laughing faces of their colleagues.
Whoooosh! Gone at the sight of the Tarantula!
We won’t say who it was, so don’t worry boys…
…Ooops!
