Fangtastic Reptile Services

24/10/2026

Possibly in an attempt to recify their last article about plants and snakes, Better Homes and Gardens publish this. It is better but when it comes to 'attracting' snakes, if there was anything that could, my work would be far, far easier.

When it comes down to it, if you have an environment that is acceptable for pretty plants, a good veggie crop and a pretty yard, it is bound to be a suitable environment for any creature. If you build it, they will come. And having 'stuff' is irrelevant to a snake. They don't care if you have wood or bricks or rubbish or tin or nothing. And remember that snakes move around when we don't see them because we aren't there. The volume that navigate properties every day in spring and summer is outstanding and we may think that that one snake we saw on the weekend was the first but it could in fact be in a long line of reptiles that have passed by without anyone ever knowing. So don't let the fear disrupt your life. Better to wear good shoes and pants and gloves when in the garden in spring and the warmer months and be aware but not alarmed. And carry a bandage as if you unfortunate to be bitten, walking to get a bandage is incredibly unwise. As my trainers told me, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a snake.

https://www.bhg.com.au/garden/what-attracts-snakes-to-your-yard/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com/better-homes-gardens/library/media/736499902&fbclid=IwVERDUAVJOW9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHr12CzqRPX9GfKaCeNo8PUFY26lMOlJL9M1uR75eFGX6RFHJnoZov8-S2Uje_aem_9CX7cpNQmX5TjCMFvy2HqA

The common garden mistakes attracting snakes to your yard.

24/10/2026

17/10/2026

Edit: THIS IS NOT MY IMAGE. I DID NOT CREATE IT.

So after so many had a go at me about the ai created image being so inaccurate and calls for it to be deleted, I would like to post this that I just found created by someone else, possibly overseas. This instantly has issues but what is anyone going to actually do about AI not being able to accurately recreate snakes and who is actually going to stop people using it? It was also suggested using real photo images instead of AI but as I pointed out, do a google search on any snake and see how many have been misidentified by photo and I object to stressing an animal for click bait but when dealing with some of the deadliest animals in the world, we are only doing the best we can for education.

16/10/2026

I just heard Gavin Smith from ACT Snake Removals talking to mix 106.3 on pets and snakes and he raised a couple of very important points, one of which I had forgotten about.

It is a really good idea not to let your dog play with rope toys. Like feathers with cats, the association is too close and for prey driven breeds, it is better to stick with round toys.

SHOCK COLLARS AND LIVE SNAKES

When it comes to training dogs for snake safety, and I really hoped it was something I never needed to mention, but please be aware that it is illegal to use shock collars and live snakes in the ACT or NSW for snake safety training for pets. Dog trainers who don't know this need to be told and those with pet snakes need to be told. It is an unacceptable form of training and for those who say it is the only way, they are not respecting the true issues between dog and snake and many have never even trained their animal with basic obedience and want a quick fix.

Unfortunately, it seems to be something some have seen others do in other states (also illegal in most) and think it is a good way to make money (the reptile industry is unfortunately heavily focused on profit) but it is against all welfare standards that vets and trainers have spent so long gaining consensus on. So please, if you hear of any trainers using one or both of these methods, please call them out. It won't be advertised and at what point customers are told that these methods are used is possibly on the day of training which is not appropriate disclosure and not to mention highly inconvenient on so many levels.

If anyone wants to debate this, please feel free to post a reply but Fangtastic Reptile Services cannot endorse and condemns the use of shock collars (citronella is borderline) and/or live snakes for pet safety training due to the legality, welfare and ethical management of animals.

15/10/2026

After getting slammed for creating an AI image on what a snake might look like if it stuck it's head over the edge of a roof gutter and the suggestion to use real images, here is one of a tiger snake I prepared earlier. But just to be clear, getting a photo like this is complicated at best and I don't think many people will ever see a ven from this angle and this close so not sure what benefit it actually has other than for the original idea.

07/10/2026

Caution! Echidnas!

A resident monotreme has woken up somewhere at the back of Royal Hotel and is making his way to turallo Creek and hopefully beyond. If you see this little walker, please leave him be to go on his way. Keep a good distance. If it stops and locks into the ground, that is a sign it has noticed you and feel you are a threat. This causes stress. Back away slowly and if you have to watch, please do so from a further distance.

If this Echidna gets stuck in a property or disturbed by pets, please remove pets and let it go on its way. If it doesn't leave in 24 hours, please contact wildcare on 62991966.

And please be aware that our local roads and streets have all sorts of wildlife and there is no reason for any animal to be harmed by a vehicle on low speed streets.

Be safe and be wildlife friendly.

06/10/2026

More stuff about turtles

So while I was on my way to a snake rescue today I saw a turtle in the middle of the road. I stopped to move the reptile and weight for the three cars to go past. When I got out of the car to remove the turtle, it was gone. It is a bit amazing to know that if a car tyre traveling at 80-100 kilometres contacts just the right place of the upper shell of a turtle, it can then get lifted, spun and flicked, very much like a frisbee. It is very unfortunate as mentioned previously, shells are hard but not when flung at a tree. And landing upside down is very bad as they can't naturally right themselves and will die very, very slowly.

A lot of people are very good at avoiding potholes so they don't damage their vehicles. If you can avoid a pothole, you can avoid a turtle.

03/10/2026

CAUTION!! TURTLES!!

After the conversation about cruelty to animals and the ability of people to do deliberate harm, I had the truly horrible task of having to euthaniase a snake yesterday because of accidental injury. That is one of the hardest things a rescuer ever has to do and there may be those who say 'who cares? it is only a snake' but then what about this poor turtle? I was on my way home and saw it just on the road edge side of the white line and thought it was about to do the death walk. Unfortunately, it had already
done it and suffered the consequences. And before people start justifying why it is impossible to avoid wildlife on the road, no one actually says it is impossible to avoid them all. But what we do say is leaving an animal to suffer a slow death is cruelty. And no, calling a rescue group is not actually practical for a turtle as others are likely to try to rescue or attend to it and because it is small, it is way less likely to still be there unlike a roo or wombat. Turtles can't kick or bite. But whoever hit this animal just left it to drown in its own blood. If it is picked up and vets aren't open, call a rescue group. They will come get it from you or it can be dropped to the nearest carer in most directions people are travelling. And if someone didn't know they hit a turtle in their vehicle, hand your licence in. I have only ever seen very few rocks that look enough like a turtle to be confused, and I have never ever seen a rock that looks anything like a turtle with the head and legs out. And that is how this guy was when he got hit.

The rain may see turtles but this was literally only a couple of hours of the rain stopping.

Please, avoid if possible!!

And if you do accidentally hit one, don't assume it is dead. Their shell is hard and designed like that for a reason. Turtles can suffer long and agonising deaths if injured but alive so please do the right thing and check a turtle is alive by touching the feet. If they are still going, they will respond. If in doubt, assume it is alive and make a phone call. Picking up an injured turtle and taking it to a vet is acceptable. If you are concerned about being scented on, hold the animal from the front and back rather than the sides and away from the body and never turn a turtle on its back. A single old towel is enough to wrap a turtle in so it doesn't walk around the car and if it does scent, the towel can be washed or tossed.

Please be kind to turtles. They truly are innocent.