The 2010 Australian Herpetological Symposium, Cairns, Oct 1, 2, & 3

[The Reptile Outlet]

lol Jeff & Michael........

Yep Jeff, more money to spend now. lol.... Fantastic presentations weren't they? I made notes, but my mind is still foggy from trying to absorb soooooo much.

Hehehhehehe Michael...... I'd love a copy of those unedited talks too. lol.

Seriously everyone, it was absolutely so very worth while. I'll post more, including details on the winner of the photo contest (I need to phone the organisers to get this from them), when I start to clear some of this 'fog' from my head. I've just flown back in. Sooooooo tired and brain dead at the minute!

cheers
Joy

 

[silverback]

Geckos ...... also tend to attract more female keepers. Perhaps snakes are seen as more macho?

i can assure you, there were so many glamorous females at this year's symposium, i thought i had walked into the brownlow dinner.

the winning image in the photo competition will be posted when we get back to sydney.

no matter what price the symposium discs are sold for, nothing can replace meeting and befriending the legends that all who attended were honoured to meet.

the theme was "professional herpetoculture" and all speakers demonstrated why they were invited to speak, all display absolute professionalism.

for 2011, we will have more of the best from around the world. we will be announcing next year's list of speaker's shortly, and calling for submissions to complement those presentations.

thankyou to all the speakers for making it a memorable event, thankyou to all the new friends we made, sorry to all the old friends we had so little time to spend with.

i could write a whole lot more, but you'll have to buy scales and tails to read more.

one thing i can say is people's views of "going herping" should take on a whole new meaning after seeing Emmanuel van Heygen's talk about his Madagascan herping adventures.

 

[Kitah]

I really think I have to start saving for next year! Hopefully uni will be a bit more forgiving

 

[Troy K.]

Thank you so much to the organisers of this event. Had a great weekend and learnt so much. It was good to catch up with some old friends and always fun meeting and making new ones. I strongly recommend that people try and get to next years symposium.
Troy K

 

[Pythoninfinite]

I can only second what has been said here already, even an old commie like me... Still, as Peter Johnson points out, a plane needs 2 wings to fly, a right one and a left one... although I think they still have planes with one wing in Qld lol!!!

Seriously, although I got onto my Brissy-Cairns flight with seconds to spare, and got a flat battery in the middle of nowhere yesterday on my way home (adding 3 hours to an already 6 hour drive!!!), it was a fabulous weekend. The lineup of speakers (both imports and locals), the venue and facilities(comfort, service... and the food was incredible), and the location (Cairns) were all very special indeed.

The genteel manner of all the speakers, and their willingness to share the details of their many years of working with herps, was impressive. Each and every one of them was accessible and happy to engage Symposium delegates at any time through the weekend. Despite the dangers of flying in Queensland (how they keep them in the air with such big right wings I'll never know...) I'd be back there in a flash...

I think I can guarantee the next one, booked for Taronga in 2011, will be similarly stimulating. Some people have commented about the cost, but for a really great weekend in luxury surroundings, in an incredible place and engaging with some of the most interesting herp people I've ever met, it is truly a bargain. At most it represents the cost of a few hatchies. I'll be reflecting on it for a long time to come.

Congratulations to the organisers, all of them, and thanks to the speakers - each and every one of them have major contributions to make to herpetoculture in this country. The overseas guests assist greatly in removing the blinkers from our somewhat parochial eyes.

It was a memorable event.

Jamie.

 

[Waterrat]

I too got a lot out of it. Apart from picking Rico's brain on GTPs, Alan Repashy's words are still ringing in my ears, my interpretation of what he implied is: we may be a bunch of good breeders but very few of us (including some BIG names) have any business sense. All we seem to be able to do is advertise how much cheaper we are going to sell our reptiles this year than we did last year. "Create you market first, then breed to match the demand". When I asked Alan how to create my market, he let out a few words of wisdom. This guy successfully runs several business and employs several people. Worth listening to?

 

[Kurto]

I too got a lot out of it. Apart from picking Rico's brain on GTPs, Alan Repashy's words are still ringing in my ears, my interpretation of what he implied is: we may be a bunch of good breeders but very few of us (including some BIG names) have any business sense. All we seem to be able to do is advertise how much cheaper we are going to sell our reptiles this year than we did last year. "Create you market first, then breed to match the demand". When I asked Alan how to create my market, he let out a few words of wisdom. This guy successfully runs several business and employs several people. Worth listening to?

Interesting thoughts Michael, I have to agree; There's only a couple of breeders here in Oz who really know how to market their product(animals), though having said that it's still illegal in most states to "sell" anyway!

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

Don't accept payment plans! Because you will be raising someones snakes for them!
Do not talk **** about the opposition!
Do not accept deposits on animals before you know exactly what your inventory will be!
Set up separate accounts from the start so you know what your money is and what is snake money!
Beardies being raised without UV lighting at all!
Geckos raised from day one on an artificial diet and still going 14 years on!
Using ultrasound in green pythons and how to interpret the images!
Deaths involving pregnant females and necropsies done to asses what the causes were!
Feeding green pythons 30 to 40 feeds a year of one full grown mouse, to achieve breeding condition!
Data involving a year cycle in a green tree python at Signal herpetoculture!
Super zebra granites!
Blue eyed green tree frogs!
How to take photos of geckos and frogs in mid air!
How to tAke photos of snakes striking!
Gateway reptiles!
Setting up dams and filters for breeding of soft shell turtles!
The list is endless! I would have to get all the presentations to take in some more information!

 

[CarpetPythons.com.au]

I also found it extremely interesting to see that Michael Cermaks hatchlings weigh on average 4 grams more than what is being bred by Signal herpetoculture. Good stuff Michael.

 

[levis04]

Yeah Bob i would have thought Rob Porter would have got the job, oh well there is always next yr. Alot of people in Aus are doing amazing things with geckos now days. Maybe if you get the gig next yr Bob you could pack me in your suitcase LOL!
Regards ryan

 

[silverback]

CarpetPythons.com.au that list is a fraction of the subjects addressed at the symposium. it is great to see you have absorbed a lot. i have already spoken to people in the zoo industry who want to adopt things they have learned, and i know people have already ordered things like data loggers which many only learned of their applications at the symposium.

there was so much information, it is impressive that these guys are so willing to share it all. the discs will be a valuable asset to breeders, zoos, and any passionate herper.

we are already in negotiations to bring some big big names here for taronga. some we have already confirmed. there will be something for everyone. geckos, frogs, vet stuff, dna technology,snakes, and i'm afraid, probably gtp's because rico has nothing else to talk about!

the talks are great, but for any passionate herper, the whole week-end, day and night, doing nothing but talking herps, is a buzz. taronga will be an extra day and night.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

And I can drive there without risking my life on a one winged plane...

J.

 

[FAY]

As for speakers...David and Tracey Barker?

 

[silverback]

photo competition winner

attached is the winning entry.

the photographer is Royden Lepp from Seattle

we are trying to bring him here as next year's judge, but the bad news is that david northcott can now enter next year!

 

[silverback]

i would like to point out that judging is not a simple exercise, david spent many hours going through each and every photograph in the shortlist ( 93 images ) methodically scrutinising the sharpness as well as other aspects. he will be commenting on his top 24 in articles in S&T on how each were critiqued. we hope this helps a lot of budding photographers, and we are trying to arrange a photography workshop with some of the world's best photographers at taronga. please wait for details.

 

[Slickturtle]

Hi Silverback

i would like to point out that judging is not a simple exercise, david spent many hours going through each and every photograph in the shortlist ( 93 images ) methodically scrutinising the sharpness as well as other aspects. he will be commenting on his top 24 in articles in S&T on how each were critiqued. we hope this helps a lot of budding photographers, and we are trying to arrange a photography workshop with some of the world's best photographers at taronga. please wait for details.

The photos were indeed great. But I wouldn't have chosen this one. Maybe for an Australian to win next year they will have to submit a pic of an American reptile. LOL

Slickturtle

 

[Wally]

I wouldn't have chosen it for the fact it's an altered picture. As great as the Frilled Neck looks against the black background, it's been fiddled with too much to win such a competition. JMO.

 

[Waterrat]

Wally, "fiddling" or adjusting images in post-production is the way of modern photography. The competition didn't specify that the submitted images had to be natural / pure / untouched.

Funny you say that Slickturtle, the runner up image was of a Bornean frog taken by an Aussie photographer. :lol::lol::lol:

 

[Kurto]

Wally, "fiddling" or adjusting images in post-production is the way of modern photography. The competition didn't specify that the submitted images had to be natural / pure / untouched.

I'll remember that for next time!

 

[Wally]

Wally, "fiddling" or adjusting images in post-production is the way of modern photography. The competition didn't specify that the submitted images had to be natural / pure / untouched.

Funny you say that Slickturtle, the runner up image was of a Bornean frog taken by an Aussie photographer. :lol::lol::lol:

I'm surprised you'd say that given your penchant for backdrops in photography, of which I'm a fan.

I'll remember that for next time!

Me too, I guess.