Jan 12
Brazil Amazon, Amazon Forest, Amazon Region, Closer Look, Flooded, Forest, Introduction, Look At The Animals, Monkeys, reptiles, turtles Comments Off on Amazon Flooded Forest: an Introduction
A closer look at the animals inhabiting the Amazon region including turtles, reptiles and monkeys. July 2003
Dec 27
Brazil Andes, animals, Cloud Forests, Ecosystems, Flood Plains, Geological Formations, Guyana, Kaleidoscopes, land, Land And Sea, Lesser Antilles, Llanos, Mammals, Mountain Chains, Offshore Islands, Orinoco Delta, Rain Forests, reptiles, Rich Biodiversity, Sea Animals, Shoreline, Underwater Animals, Venezuela, wild Comments Off on Wild Venezuela – Air, Land and Sea Animals
More than 25 ecosystems are to be found in Venezuela, including over 1700 miles of shoreline and numerous offshore islands belonging to the Lesser Antilles, extensive mountain chains that form a part a part of the Andes with their stunning rain and cloud forests, the Orinoco Delta, the huge flood plains of the Llanos, the Lost World of the Guyana Sheild, the ancient geological formations of southeastern Venezuela, and finally the xerophytic zones of the coast. A tremendous number of species inhabits these kaleidoscopes of environments, making Venezuela a country of extremely rich biodiversity. In this DVD, we will travel through the images and discover the diversity and variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles, as well as underwater animals.
Apr 23
Uncategorized animals, blood, family, Herpetology, hobbies, interests, other, outdoors, pets, poison, recreation, reptiles, Snakes, Uncategorized, walking Comments Off on Looking For Snakes And Reptiles
There are few places in the world that haven’t been colonised by snakes and other reptiles. Snakes are even found in towns, although it is only the friendlier ones that usually survive our wrath. However, if you want to look for some of the more uncommon snakes, you could look in parks and fields, on beaches or in rivers and ponds and even in the sea, depending on where you live, of course, as sea snakes are inclined to inhabit warmer, tropical waters.
You will have to be alert and train your eyes to spot even the slightest movement. Wear clothes of dull, drab colours and move slowly, stopping often to listen for movement in the grass or bushes. In the beginning, you will have many false hopes, until you learn to tell the difference between the sounds of the different animals that live or hunt in the grass.
Snakes are hard to find, because most of the adventurous snakes get killed by frightened (and often ignorant) humans, but good advice is to look for relatively damp areas in arid regions and, on the other hand, dry spots in damp areas. Look for where their prey might congregate. For example, near water for toads and frogs. Look out for frightened lizards or birds fleeing for all they are worth. And listen out for geckos warning each other of the presence of a predatory snake.
If you have to move anything, at least don’t damage it and make sure you put it back as you found it. Two useful tools while out looking for snakes are binoculars (for tree snakes) and a snake-hook, which should also be used for moving bits of debris so that you don’t risk getting bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion. A camera, a torch and a notebook and pen are more or less essential, depending on how seriously you take your interest in herpetology.
You might also take a rule or tape to measure your specimens and a few plastic bags and boxes to hold them while you are doing it. However, do not kill anything and do not take anything away with you either! Besides it not being right to walk into their territory and cause them harm, it is frequently against the law too. Be very wary of handling any snake that you cannot definitely identify as non-venomous. You could be miles from anywhere and will probably not have any anti-venom with you. Since many snakes can kill within 30 minutes, you would probably die.
So, to summarize, go looking for snakes by all means. However, make your search calmly and wear camouflaged clothing. Moreover, wear strong, climbing boots to afford you some protection where you are most vulnerable and do not disturb anything unnecessarily. Take a snake-hook to move things if you need to; a tape, torch, camera, notebook and pen to record your experience and/or findings and a couple of clear plastic receptacles just in case you feel the need to pick something up.
I hope you really enjoy your hunt for snakes and other reptiles, but always keep in mind that snakes are not friendly and they are definitely not pets, so be wary of snake bites especially if your search is not taking place in the grounds of a hospital!
If you are interested in snakes and reptiles, you ought to go over to our website called Caring for Snakes
Apr 13
Cornwall Clay Pit, Climate, Cold Day, Core Building, Cornwall, Dangerous Insects, Eden Project, england, Exotic Plants, Greenhouse, Greenhouses, Holiday Cottage In Cornwall, Holiday In Cornwall, Holidays, Jumper, leisure, Mediterranean Plants, Opposite Number, Pineapple, reptiles, Sculptures, St Austell, travel, Tropical Rainforest, UK, Vacations, Warm Temperature, Weather Comments Off on A Guide To The Eden Project
If you’re planning on taking a holiday in Cornwall this year then the Eden Project is one attraction you shouldn’t miss. If you’ve ever wondered what walking in a tropical rainforest would be like ( without the dangerous insects and reptiles ) then you can enjoy the planet’s’s biggest greenhouse. The closest large city to the Eden Project is St Austell but there are loads of places nearby to stay should you would like to visit.
The greenhouses are built within an enormous clay pit. Even though the greenhouses themselves are the primary attraction there are a bunch of things to see outside if the weather is acceptable. Once you enter the project you’ll be met by the 2 main greenhouses, a bunch of smaller gardens and in a few cases a stage where shows take place throughout the year. You check the Eden project website for more information on the location and times of shows before your visit.
The largest greenhouse is the tropical one and this is what the majority come to see. As the name implies this is where all of the tropical and exotic plants are kept including pineapple plants, coffee and bamboo. Thanks to the environment that these plants need the greenhouse is kept at a warm temperature all year around so be sure you wear light clothes. The Eden Project is kept open across the whole year so if you’re visiting on a cold day bring a jumper or coat that may be easily removed.
The second greenhouse is crammed with Mediterranean plants. Although it isn’t quite as large as its tropical opposite number there’s still plenty to see inside including a variety of plants and sculptures. There’s also a comparatively new attraction called The Core which is aimed at training children about the climate, plants and general environmental concerns. The Core building in itself is worth seeing as it’s built in a technique to mimic plant life.
Though taking a look at plants in a greenhouse may not sound like the most exciting trip for kids you’ll be stunned by the amount the Eden Project has to offer . Aside from the natural interest that youngsters have in the environment and plants there are plenty of other attractions including play areas and workshops. There’s also The Core which includes hands on experiments and attractions for youngsters. There will always be something for the kids to do and they’re guaranteed to enjoy the trip.
The Eden project is unquestionably worth visiting whether or not you aren’t staying close by. If it is one of the attractions that you definitely would like to see then it is smart to look for a holiday cottage in Cornwall that’s’s relatively close though. The closest major town is St Austell but the attraction is inside driving distance of Newquay, Padstow and Bodmin. It’s often a good idea to check the journey time before booking a villa or house though as the journey from the far corner of Cornwall is a long one. This is especially critical if you have babies.
If you would like to learn more about getting a holiday cottage then please click the link. Cornwall is a beautiful place all year round.
Mar 19
Florida advice, animals, Exotic, Florida, other, outdoors, pets, poison, reptiles, Snakes, Toxins, Tropical, USA, Venom Comments Off on Florida Snakes
The Florida snakes, together with the turtles, lizards, alligators and other reptiles are all part of a complicated wildlife structure that plays an incredible role in the maintenance of Florida’s ecosystem. There are many species of Florida snakes. There are forty-four species living in an incredibly varied habitat, ranging from salt marshes and fresh water marshes to dry uplands and coastal mangrove swamps to residential areas.
Only six Florida snakes are poisonous, and they happily live with their non-poisonous cousins, even venturing into towns and cities too. The best way to stay out of trouble with snakes is to care enough to learn about their morphology and therefore become able to distinguish between these Florida snakes. Avoidance is the wisest approach a human being can adopt in relation to snakes.
The Coral snake and pit vipers are the most dangerous Florida snakes. They can be identified by a wide range of characteristics. Pit vipers include the Rattlesnake, the Cottonmouth and the Copperhead. They all have vertical eye pupils, a v-shaped head and facial pits: one between the eyes and nostrils and the others on each side of the head.
The poison of this type of Florida snakes is haemotoxic, which means that their venom attacks the red blood cells, destroying the walls of the blood vessels and causing uncontrolled bleeding. Coral snakes however, use neurotoxic venom, with the toxins in the poison acting on the body’s nerves causing paralysis.
Most of the snake bites reported every year in the United States are attacks by Florida snakes or by rattlesnakes to be precise. Because their venom spreads quickly through the body, the victim will almost certainly die within thirty minutes without the immediate injection of anti-venom.
A big exception in this group of Florida snakes is the copperheads, the venom of which rarely requires an antidote. Their toxins are the least potent and so they are considered t be the least dangerous of the poisonous Florida snakes.
Because of the threat they pose. poisonous snakes are the first kind to attract attention, however the most widespread of Florida snakes is the black racer, a non-toxic species that relies on very sharp fangs to capture its prey.
Although the usual tendency of home owners is to remove snakes from their properties, specialists point out that, without them, rodents would breed out of control giving us even more cause for alarm.
So, unless there are any special causes for worrying, like snakes breeding in great numbers in your garden or outhouses, there is no real reason why you should interfere with the lives of these usually shy, useful animals.
Interested in the Florida snakes? To learn more about snakes visit Caring for Snakes our brand-new online resource.
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