Welcome to Oz Jen. We know Kiwis only come here for the warmth and then take the opportunity to rub salt into our Union wounds. Am glad you have discovered reptiles. They are definitely special animals.
There is a herpetological society based in Perth… WAHS [West Australian Herpetological Society]…
WAHS - West Australian Herpetology Society Inc . Unfortunately the meetings are just north of the city centre, a bit of hike from Mandurah. There are a couple of regulars from Mandurah though. Anyway, have a look at website – there is some useful info there and hopefully more to come in the not too distant future.
I am assuming you are purchasing from Ken. If so, he’s great. Knows his stuff and is extremely helpful. Won’t mind answering a bagful of questions. You are certainly going about it the right way by doing your research first. That can, however, be a bit overwhelming at times. There are different ways of doing the same thing and different people will often have differing opinions on what should be done. Th other problem is that not everything on the net is correct.
When you are at the library, see if you locate either or both of the following books.... “Care of Australian Reptiles in Captivity” by John Weigel published by the Reptile Keeper’s Association; “Keeping & Breeding Australian Pythons” edited by Mike Swan published by Mike Swan Herp. Books. John is the owner / manager of the Australian Reptile Park just out of Gosford in NSW. It is close to if not the premier reptile park in Australia and has been running for 50 years or so. John’s book is probably the best value for money reptile care book you will buy. It sells for around $20 and is a brilliant basis for a whole range of reptiles. Mike’s book is the bible for keeping Australian Pythons and normally sells for around $50. If you can afford it, I would strongly recommend you purchase and utilise it. Check out the net because there are search engines available for finding the cheapest prices for a given book.
The other advice I would offer is to get everything set up and running for at least a week before you bring home your snakes. That way you can check the temps regularly, day and night to make sure they are doing what they should be. Ensure you are happy with the placement of the enclosure for your viewing pleasure. I would recommend adding a bent fork of a branch (minus any bark) a few cm thick. Cut to size so it provides a stable (tripod) elevated object for the snake to climb when it wants. Lastly make sure you have located a reliable and permanent source of frozen rodents at the right price.
Perth takes a bit of getting used to – so arid and so flat in comparison. But you will soon fall in love with our blue skies, white sandy beaches and the clear waters of the Indian ocean, not to mention the hinterland.
Blue
