Snake catching, reptile relocations and wildlife education.
Pete has had a love of wildlife from a very young age. Of particular interest in the early years was Australian reptiles and frogs. At a young age, many a day was spent in search for local lizard and frog species such blue tongue lizards and marsh frogs. That early childhood interest later developed into a more serious passion for Australian herpetofauna. For the past twenty years or so I have maintained a collection of reptiles that has and does include all manner of Australian reptiles and amphibians. As my family has grown I have been able to share my love of reptiles with them and now Australian herpetofauna is an integral part of our everyday lives. In recent years we started a venomous snake and reptile relocation business called Mr Slytherin. This channel is so we can share our reptile and wildlife passion with the world.
And from what I understand, Tassie Copperheads get quite large. Been to Tassie a few times but never had the opportunity to look for snakes. Keen to get back there 👍🏻🐍
@@mrslytherinreptiles I’ve seen a few maybe 3-4 footers in the central highlands(say up to 1000m) where you know it’s a copperhead, but down lower it’s hard to know which species you’re looking at. I believe the head scales are the only way to truly identify a copperhead from a tiger, and as much as I love snakes, I’m happy to just admire them from a distance and guess!🤣
@@NoName-ds5uq It just makes me want to go even more. The variability, of both species, even within a population is remarkable, but I think it's taken to another level in Tassie. Our local Tiger snakes tend to be quite "generic", Copperheads have more variability, but we just don't see those large, really dark/black animals of either species in this part of the world. Thanks for the insight 👍🐍
Good video. All factually correct (which is usually not the case on youtube vids these days). Very enjoyable to watch and scrub pythons are so damn cool.
Stuck shed actually can become an issue in some instances. Especially in younger individuals that are growing quickly. If theres stuck shed all the way around it can restrict blood flow and parts can fall off if left long enough. It very very rarely happens but it can happen so it’s always best to get stuck shed off. Also if there’s stuck shed left on long enough it can lead to the next shed become stuck too which can just snowball into more stuck sheds and then you could have real problems getting it off.
@@mrslytherinreptiles Lol. I knew it couldn’t be dangerous as you seemed calm too. I think Australian coinage is some of the best in the world, btw. It often features your very special wildlife.
I bet those are two happy birds. I like the way you put the corrugated tin around the bottom. Did you sink it into the ground for rat control? Anyhow looks great. Congrats!!
Hi there, thanks for the message. Birds are certainly doing well, although now that it’s getting colder here I’m sure they’d be happier with warmer weather. For the first time in a few years rats are once again an issue in the area. My issue as far as the aviary goes is not them digging in, but climbing in. Rats are such good climbers and can fit into the smallest gaps. I have traps set and have managed to catch a few and keeping the problem under control, somewhat. Take care 👍🏻🦜🦜
Pretty cool. Do you think you have a pair? I have 2 as well and look very similar one is a bit bigger than the other and I'm hoping I do have a female and male
I’m still not 100% sure. At this stage they still look like two females, but as they are not fully mature this may change. Whilst I’d love a male, because let’s face it, they’re amazing, I wouldn’t be all too disappointed as mine are siblings. Also means I can get another one. Or two........😁👍🏻🦜🦜
The attitude of farmers, where I used to live, is appalling. Their motto is the only good snake is a dead snake. I could tell you many stories of what these hillbillies have done to snakes but I will spare you. I just pray they have a plague of mice on their farms one day...
Hi there Mark, nothing shocks nor surprises me anymore. People can be sad in the effort they will go to, to kill or hurt wildlife. Of course, it’s largely based on myth and a whole lot of ignorance. But, I’ll always keep trying to “spread the word”. Thanks for dropping me a message 👍🏻🐍
Hi, thanks for the video. Just a few questions about the structure of your outdoor pits. Do you have a base underneath? How deep are the tin sides into the ground? How do you deal with predators from overhead, like cats and raptors? Thanks!
Hi Andrew, thanks for the message. With regards to the structure, the walls are buried relatively shallow, buried to a depth of approx 15-25cm. However, there is a “trench” around the perimeter of reinforced concrete. It too is shallow but I hope that is sufficient to deter any digging. The theory, if they dig, and it is really only the female that digs, is that she will hit the concrete and move to another area. That is the theory anyway, and to date, it works for my situation. If I was housing sand monitors, it would be a very different design. As for predators, the is an element of risk that I have to accept. Saying that, the male is simply too big for any predator that may try to target the animals. We do have Wedge Tail Eagles fly over from time to time, which is really the only bird that could take the female. The size of our yard is possibly enough of a deterrent for the Eagles as I think they would target animals in a more open area. Again, much of this is theory, and we do rely on an element of trust and acquired knowledge. A roaming cat would possibly present a threat at night, again, only for the female. The hide box really prohibits entry at night. It would have to be a very large, cunning and lucky cat to take on a Lace Monitor, even our smaller girl. Take care and thanks again 👍🏻
Hi there. Depends where you live (local climate). I keep mine outdoors, but here in Melbourne, winter can be a bit too damp and cold so I provide them with supplementary heating during the coldest period. They’ll benefit from Plenty of sun and keeping them dry 👍🏻🦎
Hi there, I guess they do in some respects. Our Copperhead lacks the banding of the Cottonmouth but certainly looks as though they are highly variable in colour like the Cottonmouth. Thanks for watching 👍🏻🐍
Had one at my backdoor this afternoon here in Tassie (13 February 2020). Super relaxed and quite happy to cruise off. Pretty dry at the moment so have put some water out away from the house
Mr Slytherin funny you say that, saw an absolute monster by the dam yesterday. Had really nice red edges on his belly and almost black body and head. He would've been in the 1.2-1.4m range
Max Weidenbach that is a big animal. The largest snake I’ve seen in my neck of the woods went just over 1200mm, but that is a rarity. Usually see them 600-900mm. Look forward to seeing a “horse” with every call-out 👍🏻🐍
Mr Slytherin yeah usually a fairly safe bet down here if it's a big snake it's probably the tiger but I have seen the odd copperhead that would be comfortably over 1m. I seem to have a really good record lately of coming across them around blackberry patches
Hi Damian, great question. There is one exposed post in his enclosure (this is after we modified the existing enclosure), that post is covered with a piece of clear, polycarbonate roofing which he can not climb. Cheers, Pete.
