It’s a very different world to Australia, similar but alien in many ways, especially when you compare the wildlife, not mentioning the weather.

UK: A monarchy in north western Europe occupying most of the British Isles comprising England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Our toads are infamous and a pest introduced in Queensland in the 1935. The cane toad, or giant toad, wreaks havoc with our native wildlife, poisonous if consumed or bitten near its toxic parotoid glands, few native animals can effectively control them. In the UK there are several amphibians and the common toad and Natterjack toad are native and much smaller than the cane toad.

The UK also has just 2 species of frogs; Australia has 230. Britain also has 3 species of newts, small tailed amphibians, which are totally absent in Australia.

Dates and locations are below. Book soon for the various, dates and locations around WA.

https://www.snakeavoidance.com.au

British native beavers survived for millennia until hunted for fun, fur, meat and castoreum - a substance found in special anal sacks and used in perfumes by humans, but for waterproofing fur and scenting by the beavers themselves.

Recently a pair of beavers has been released under license to return this species to the British mainland. The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England is the release and study site for the latest reintroduction.

There have also been several unofficial (illegal) releases elsewhere in the UK in recent years. But this marks the official government approved return after a near 500-year absence of a long lost native. Let’s hope they enjoy beavering about once more in the UK.

Bites usually cause little reaction, however one man in Blackpool was bitten in his bedroom and spent 9 days in hospital, and was even coughing up blood at one stage. He almost had his arm amputated – doctors drew a dotted line near the man’s elbow and said they would be 'very worried' if the infection passed the marks. Another man in Leicestershire did have his leg amputated after a series of medical issues resulting from a bite.

NHS reports that 54 people reported to hospital with reactions to spider bites, overtaking for the first time snakebite related injuries in the UK. However that is still far less than those affected by bee and wasp stings which account for a dozen or so British deaths annually. Few spiders globally compare.

Probably the world’s worst offenders for deaths and agonizing effects are:

• Sydney funnel-web (Atrax robustus)
• Brazilian wandering spiders (Phoneutria fera and Phoneutria nigriventer)

The European adder (Vipera berus) is actually quite common and found mainly in heathland habitats. The last death from a bite was in 1975; they can make you very sick and medical treatment is obviously recommended for any bite.

Adders feed primarily on small mammals such as voles and mice, but occasionally birds may be eaten also. They have live young. The European adder is a true viper and although similar looking, they are unrelated to our death adders, which belong to a different family of snakes - the Elapidae. This is a case of convergent evolution though - similar habits and features from different lineages.

His aim is to get them listed as a protected species to enhance efforts to ensure the population is better supported and protected. More at http://www.gracethehedgehog.co.uk

Swans are notoriously aggressive when protecting their nests and young (cygnets) and can injure and have even killed a man before by drowning. Mr Nasty however seems to be especially aggressive. They kill other birds by pecking and then climbing on them pushing them under the water to drown.

Our black swans in WA are on the state flag and also on our WA coat of arms.

Just call and pay quoting ENGLISH for the discount - valid until end September 2018.

The Eurasian beaver is one of the largest rodents reaching around one metre in body length before the tail. Averaging 20 – 24kg they are the second heaviest rodent, only really surpassed by the capybara of South America.

Once they were widespread across UK, Europe and parts of Asia. Their populations have recently increased via introductions in Norway and Sweden as well – so the beavers are back.

Beavers are pretty unique creatures actively shaping the landscape they live in on a vast scale. By creating wetlands with dams, lodges and even canals they manage and move water around in a way equalled by no other mammal (except maybe humans). As a keystone species they can positively affect the environment with an overall increase of biodiversity by creating numerous habitats for other species to thrive in.

It is also thought that they will help prevent flash flooding that has affected many British villages and towns. The recent release of 2 beavers into Greathough Brook will allow studies to be made to see if their engineering skills in slowing water movements will help alleviate severe flooding that has occurred in the nearby villages of Lydbrook and Upper Lydbrook.

The beaver diet is almost exclusively plant based – they eat a range plants and also the bark of trees. They have been reported to consume fish as well but prefer to forage dead fish rather than hunt live ones.

Beavers are largely monogamous and can produce around 3 kits (young) a year.