I still get some good stories and images of snakes on work sites up north but in Perth it’s all pretty quiet.

This large frog appeared at my son's house during some weeding last week - a large Motorbike Frog, Litoria moorei, enjoying the cool wet weather and all those slugs, snails and insects.

Traditional anti-venoms are expensive to buy, species specific and need to be administered intravenously by medically trained personnel. Anti venoms also have a short shelf life and are dependant on storage in cool conditions. So all of the above make them thin on the ground in many countries such as India and Sri Lanka where snakebite is a serious daily hazard.

Matthew Lewin from the California Academy of Sciences in the US and Stephen Samuel from Trinity College Dublin Ireland have created what could be an exciting new approach to treatment with a simple to use nasal spray.

The magic ingredient in this potential new treatment is neostigime combined with atropine to treat the paralysis that is a common problem with some snakebites.

So if you or your staff are interested BOOK NOW as places are limited. Call Animal Ark on 08 9243 3044 or email info@animalark.com.au.

For more information, see www.animalark.com.au/fauna-handling-training-course

I cannot find out what species of gecko are being used in these experiments but a surprising number of creatures including reptiles have been deployed in similar space experiments. The Foton-M4 craft was launched on July 19th and was due to spend 60 days in orbit before returning to earth. If contact and control of the craft cannot be re-established the mission will fail and the satellite and lizards will be lost.

A similar mission in 2007 carrying lizards, gerbils, slugs, butterflies and spiders successfully returned to earth. Sadly another mission ended in disaster in 2001 when a craft crashed on take off killing a soldier plus no doubt all creatures on board.

This was a small-toothed lizard-like animal reaching about 22cm in length. The skull is one factor studied to determine if you are a reptile or frog. Although closely related as amniotes this specimen appears to be the earliest known example of what we recognise as a reptile found to date.

Reptiles became the first fully terrestrial vertebrates and are still found globally in all but the most extreme environments - 10,000 species are known worldwide.

One awesome example of a reptile closer to home was Australia’s now extinct Megalania. This was a giant carnivorous monitor lizard perhaps 7 meters long weighing up to 1,940 kilograms. Early humans may well have encountered this creature.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2700382/First-reptile-skull-mapped-300-million-year-old-creature-reveal-origin-lizards-birds-mammals.html#ixzz38ACevBBI

I think the WAHS volunteers bought out all the local shopping centres of sausages and buns for the sausage sizzle. In 2015 we will be ready not only to feed all the visitors but also to reduce the waiting time to get in - queues were literally around the block. It will be a bigger and better event for sure. So make a note in your dairy now - Sunday 26th July 2015 at the Cannington Exhibition Centre - a great day out for all, family friendly, with lots to see and do.

Most have the remarkable ability to exude and sometimes eject forcibly a sticky fluid from glands on the tail and sometimes body. I don’t know if this fluid has been studied much, if at all, but most sources state that it’s used as a predator deterrent.

I come across the local Perth species, the South-western Spiny-tailed Gecko, Strophurus spinigerus, occasionally when gardening, often in what I assume are family groups. If gentle you can pick them up and it’s only when alarmed that they ooze the tiny honey like beads of sticky fluid. They are small lizards at about 12cm total length but very attractive with the most beautiful eyes. The eyes are snake-like in that they have no moveable eyelid, but are covered instead with a transparent spectacle scale. The eye is kept clean with a swipe of the tongue.

Colour wise they are hard to describe but greys and browns predominate with stripes, spots and some raised scales as their name suggests. They can change colour and like most geckos have a velvety skin texture. They feed upon a variety of invertebrates and for their size have very large mouths capable of managing large bugs and moths. Some species may be kept as pets in WA as long as you have the pet herpetofauna licence. Several pairs of hard-shelled eggs are laid over a season if food is plentiful.