By Margaret Maccoll
“Don’t offer an animal your finger because it could just take it,” was wise advice Martin Fingland gave to the throng of children and adults who attended last Fridays environment forum run by Noosa Parks Association and Noosa Council.
Martin of Geckoes Wildlife had plenty of interesting fauna on hand to show guests at the Weird and Wonderful Wildlife school holiday event and the children were thrilled to gain a close encounter with them.
Among the many interesting bits of information Martin passed along to the group included some about crocodiles and snakes living in Noosa. He said crocodiles had been sighted in the Noosa and Mary rivers and as far south as the Logan River.
“They’ve been here before and they will probably come again,” he said.
Snakes like the carpet python he was holding are less of a rarity as Noosa caters to their needs – “nice climate, bush environment and plentiful food” he said.
“It’s the biggest native predator living at your place,” he said. “Most people have had a carpet python living at they place and if you haven’t you just haven’t seen it yet.”
He said there was no hiding from a python which tracks its prey using infrared which can detect heat emitted by our bodies.
“The simple rule with snakes is don’t touch it, leave it alone.”
