Re: Snakes (Drosera)

John Taylor [The Banshee] (rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU)
Thu, 16 Sep 93 17:36:02 +0000

>> If you think our rattlers are bad, I hear Australia has snakes which =
>> are
>> more venemous, more numerous, and more aggressive! Anyone planning a
>> Drosera hunt?? :-)
>>
>> -Michael
>
>Well we do have a wide array of venomous snakes, but it is fairly rare that
>people get bitten. The main thing is not to disturb them. I do have a distinct
>memory of my uncle beating a six foot tiger snake to death after my five-year
>old cousin nearly stepped on it, but otherwise I've only seen snakes sunning
>themselves on paths.
> I have seen Drosera, though, in Victoria (the state where I live) and on
>Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. D. Binata seems to be the most common that I've
>seen.

Eh? Where are you looking? In the parts of Vic that I frequent, D. auriculata
is the most common, followed by D. pygmae, D. spathulata, D. glanduligera and
D. binata is roughly that order. So far I have only found a few binatas in
only two areas (that I can remember)! If you ever do the S.W. coast walk in
Tassie, you should be able to find D. arcturii without too much trouble on
some of the "hills". (My parents did, and they aren't CP enthusiasts!)

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John Taylor [The Banshee] | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |
| rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au | Department of Applied Physics |
| MOKING IS A HEALTH HAZARD. | Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+