Students warm to reptiles

Last week, Iona Presentation College Year 9 outdoor education students took part in a reptile handling demonstration with Vanessa Paget from Bush Wisdom Survival to teach them what to do if they found a snake.

‘Manage your emotions and step back, keep an eye on where the snake is from a distance and call the Wildcare Helpline to have someone come out and remove it,’ Ms Paget said.

Ms Paget said people should not attempt to remove a snake themselves because it could bite and relocating it in the appropriate area was essential to ensure it did not find its way back.

She also said if people found a bobtail lizard they should not relocate it too far away because the reptile mated for life and moving it could separate it from its partner.

‘If you find a bobtail with a very tiny tail and he sneezes, you need to take him to an animal hospital or he will die because that means they are very sick,’ she said.

While there were a few screams from students who shied away from the reptiles, many warmed to them and overcame their fears. Visit inmmycommunity.com.au to watch the video.