Krait

The story of the Krait is a remarkable tale of courage and heroism by Australian commandos during WWII. The boat they used, the Krait, is named for the most poisonous of reptiles in SE Asia and India.

This is a krait.


Earlier tonight as I was researching a problem with a new Leica when what should come wriggling across the floor towards my dainty naked pinkies but a krait. I rescued the cat from certain death and ushered the cute little killer out the door.

Here is a picture.

Actually, this one's not a krait, it's a bandy-bandy. Harmless. Has a very specific diet. Eats blind snakes. I'm rather pleased to learn that I don't have effin kraits to deal with along with all the other beasties which seem to constantly invade - spiders, toads, possums, pythons, bush turkeys...

Earlier today a young magpie came in to investigate and had an adventure evading the increasingly interested cat, flying into windows and screen doors. I caught the magpie and fed it some of the cats food on the verandah, and it was shortly thereafter dogfighting its mates around the garden.

Another snake story I may have mentioned on this blog involves copperheads. My knowledgeable neighbour Bob has dealt with hundreds of snakes in his time as a cane-cutter and banana farmer, and informed me that the copperheads I'd found in the house (four of them now) were "not that bad". Turns out Australia has 9 out of 10 of the world's most deadly snakes. The copperhead is last on the list. Not that bad!


(Pics above not mine - one is from http://www.fotopedia.com/ not sure about the other - apologies to owner)

Thylacine Skull in Tasmania

A fairly fresh looking thylacine skull has been found in Tasmanian forest in early January 2012.

Paper Nautilus

Some years ago my friend Rob Thompson and I were flying my glider from Tasmania to mainland Australia when the weather closed in as we were approaching Flinders Island. We were forced to land on tiny Cape Baren Island (population about 250) at an airstrip which has a very short cross strip in case there are strong winds. By now it was blowing hard, and it was a very difficult landing.

We stayed overnight with the postmaster and his wife. Their son was in the RAAF (The Royal Australian Air Force) so they were very pleased to host a couple of fellow pilots. The postmaster's wife was a Tasmanian aborigine. The history of the Tasmanian aborigines is a very sad one indeed - the race was almost wiped out by the impact of the Europeans.

The postmaster collects paper nautilus shells which are from a type of squid which sometimes wash up on the beaches of the Bass Strait islands in the thousands after storms. Very few of the delicate shells survive as they are pecked and eaten by birds. I brought several of the rare and beautiful shells back to Sydney in the back of the glider, very carefully packed.

I made a present of one of those shells to Emile for his 18th birthday.