RE: Snakes, Rats & Chats

robbiegal · September 18, 2013, 08:25:25 PM

:agreed:

it's a bit like the dingos on fraser island where the situation has gotten downright ridiculous

trout · September 18, 2013, 08:40:58 PM

Quote from: 'robbiegal' pid='28684' dateline='1379501725':agreed:

it's a bit like the dingos on fraser island where the situation has gotten downright ridiculous

:agreed:
They definitely need a permanent "Dogger" on that island :good:

Steveqld · September 18, 2013, 09:14:05 PM

Boating and Fisheries weren't well staffed up Ingham way so if they were working one out and had to go out of a night and do a job they would ask one of us to go with them. I recall that the Barramundi and the Salties had a reflection of the torch in their eyes. From memory Barra were red eyes and salties yellow or vice versa.

Bit of a worry when you can see both colours.

Oh those were the days.

robbiegal · September 18, 2013, 09:16:11 PM

bit of a worry when you fall overboard in their territory !!!

i'd reckon a man could walk on water and very fast!! ha ha

Most crocs are nocturnal hunters and as Crocs eyes strongly reflect light, even from a distance, anyone searching for crocs finds that using lights to scan the water for their eye-shine is the best way to spot them at night allowing you to see their glowing red eyes. This eye-shine comes from a special crystal layer at the back of their eye called the "tapetum lucidum" which reflects light. Crocodiles have excellent night vision as a result of this layer.""

Fulvio · September 19, 2013, 01:50:38 PM

Ii sometimes wonder what's wrong with people in this country, who get all bleedy-heart about peak predators like crocs and sharks. As if any amount of culling would ever drive them to extinction. And even if it did, nature itself has no problem with mass extinctions, which have been regular events since the dawn of time.

And then there are morons who want to try and re-engineer dinosaurs.. as if Jurassic Park didn't show why that would be a very bad idea. Even the efforts to clone a Mastodon are a bit wrong-headed, and a LOT closer to becoming reality in the very near future.

Surely life is already dangerous enough?

robbiegal · September 19, 2013, 05:23:06 PM

'spose so Fulvio

although I don't like crocs and snakes to be in my backyard
they do have a role in the ecosystem - just as we humans do
so sustainable levels are ok in my books

I do confess that I kill spiders
because I don't like them living in my house and I've been bitten three times over the years by doing usual stuff like putting on shoes or sitting at a table,
so it's sort of a type of revenge really

Fulvio · September 19, 2013, 09:04:03 PM

Quote from: 'robbiegal' pid='28742' dateline='1379577186'they do have a role in the ecosystem - just as we humans do

Ah, and this is where the discussion gets interesting... I have a few friends who are eco-warriors, and they all seem to totally not get what an ecosystem IS. They think its the status quo... that every living thing is critical to the survival of the planet and so on.

Which of course is complete BS. The planet has been wiped clean of ALL life at least five times in its history, and yet here it still is. Wipe out an ecosystem and a new one takes its place, often better than the previous one. Even in recent times, when Krakatoa exploded, nothing but a pile of ash remained. Fast-forward a few years and there was more life there than before, and more diverse at that.

Not that I'm against conservation. Far from it. I think we are altering the environment to a degree that we will cause irreversible harm to ourselves and many other species in the medium term. But I do think that if something endangers you, you get rid of it and remove the danger. Simple logic. That croc sees you as its next meal, so there's no problem seeing IT as a handbag or a pair of shoes, in my book.

Steveqld · September 19, 2013, 09:27:58 PM

Not an eco warrior but I don't think we should wipe out a species because they're dangerous. I know people who have died from a horse kick to the head but none that have been taken by a croc.

There's no place for crocs or dangerous snakes in populated areas. Current policy is they should be caught and relocated. I don't have a problem with making that solution more permanent.

Perhaps a permit system to reduce the number of crocs. My concern for the snakes is that I believe most snakebites occur when the person is trying to kill the snake. Not sure how we get around that.

Fulvio · September 19, 2013, 10:04:41 PM

Quote from: 'Steveqld' pid='28787' dateline='1379591878'Current policy is they should be caught and relocated.

Dog bites kid, cop shoots dog. Or vet makes with the jabby-jabby, for the same result.

Croc eats kid, aww, poor croccy.. let us catch you and take you someplace nice where you can eat as much wildlife as you want, you naughty boy.

We as a species have no problem murdering poor defenceless creatures of all ilk. Calves shot in the head at a couple of days old simply for being male. Chicks killed for the same reason. And never mind the billions of creatures slaughtered daily for hamburgers and the like. Not just domesticated animals, but all manner of wild things give up their lives for our dinner, clothes, accessories and knick-knacks.

I see no reason to draw the line at critters that are ACTUALLY dangerous to us.