About
To promote the study of, interest in, and conservation of reptile and frog species. This is through regular meetings, field trips and educational displays, talks with involvement with government and non-government organisations and encouraging affiliation with similar groups.
Events
Come along to our monthly meetings, Easter and October long weekend surveys, be involved in conservation projects, and get involved in bushwalks and christmas BBQs.
Membership
Become a member and enjoy the following benefits:
- priority participation in field trips
- opportunities to photograph wildlife
- insurance coverage
- meetings & guest speakers
- subscription to Herpefauna journal.
Also gain the ability to advertise for volunteers to help on honours and PhD projects.
Field Trips
Get involved with field trips, learn valuable practical skills in identifying and safely handling of reptiles, amphibians and more. Come along to our monthly meetings and listen to our knowledgeable guest speakers on a wide variety of subjects including reptile biology and keeping.
Become a member today.
2019 Meetings & Events
2020-2021 MEETINGS & EVENTS
CANCELLED -unfortunately due to the Covid-19 lockdown we have had to cancel our afternoon walk and Christmas picnic that we had scheduled for this Sunday 22nd November 2020
Stay safe, stay well, have a Merry Christmas and we hope to see you in 2021
2021 MEETINGS & EVENTS
February
Sunday 28th Afternoon walk - Wetlands of the Port River Expressway - details to follow
Leader: Peter M.
Recent Events
Brookfield Conservation Park & Moorunde Reserve - October 2019
Our October long weekend field trip was held at Brookfield Conservation Park and included a side visit to the adjacent Moorunde Reserve. Further information on this trip can be found on our Field Trips page.
Snakes in Yards
Spotted a Snake in Your Yard?
-
Don't panic
-
Move people and pets to a safe location
-
Keep an eye on the snake - it may just be passing through or looking for water
-
Don't attempt to scare, catch or kill the snake. Most people are bitten when doing these things. Also there are a number harmless Legless Lizards that occur in SA that have been killed as a result of mistaken identity.
-
If you want the snake removed, call a register snake handler.
-
Further information on dealing with snakes can be found on the DEWNR Website
Please note: Whilst several SAHG members are qualified snake handlers, SAHG does not offer snake retrieval services.
Citizen Science
If you are thinking about being a Citizen Scientist there are a wide range of citizen science projects you can become involved with. There are a huge variety of projects on offer ranging from your local neighborhood to the galaxy and beyond, many of which require the simple download of a free App to your smart phone.
Current Australian Apps include:
Atlas of Living Australia
FrogSpotter (SA)
ClimateWatch
Find out more at https://www.discoverycircle.org.au/resources/
https://citizenscience.org.au/
Frogs
Frogs, Frogs, Frogs
Seen or heard any frogs recently and want to identify them, Want to know where they live? Enjoy being a Citizen Scientist?
Check out the FrogWatch website, register, download the App and start learning about our local frogs today. www.frogwatchsa.com.au
Turtles
Murray River Turtles in Decline
Recently Prof Mike Thompson spoke to SAHG about the Turtles of the Murray River. Unfortunately our Turtles are losing the battle against egg predation, declining water flows and development. The biggest threat to Turtles is egg predation. It is estimated that there is currently a 98% mortality rate of eggs and that foxes account for 92% of egg loss.
If you live or play on the Murray River and are keen to help our native turtles, check out TurtleSat.org.au and see how you can help contribute to monitoring and protecting turtles.
The following information may also be of interest:
Report a Sighting
Got a reptile sighting to report?
If you would like to report a reptile sighting, please send the details to Adrian Uren - or Peter Matejcic - pmatejci@bigpond.net.au.
Follow us on Facebook
Turtles as Pets
Thinking about getting a pet Tortoise/Turtle?
Turtles make great pets - they are quite, allergy free and like to hibernate through winter. But before you purchase that cute little hatch-ling please consider the following:
-
they are a pet for life - literally - they live a lot longer than your average dog or cat and often may need to be cared for by 2 or 3 generations of your family (our family turtle is 30 years old and is still going strong)
-
they are not fish and should not be kept in a water tank unless they have access to a basking rock out of the water
-
as they grow their enclosure needs to grow in size with them. Outdoor enclosures with a pond, vegetation and natural sunlight are best.