Hi Mark
its very difficult recommending cameras.
I used to have a high level point and shoot(nikon 8700) which took really nice photos and had a great macro function and pretty reasonable zoom. It also allowed for manual over rides and some creativity. I was very happy with this camera, however I upgraded to a Nikon d200...a truly great camera(now superseded) but not one for someone new to SLR photography. The difference is truly amazing and it is a real pleasure to use although it is big and heavy. There really is no comparison to using a point and shoot and an SLR.
One of my biggest gripes with the point and shoot was the autofocus.....in poor lighting..eg at night it would often not focus or take a long time to. With the SLR the focus is almost instant. This makes a huge difference when photographing animals. I can now also rattle off shots in quick succession...5 a second...and the camera turns on and is ready to shoot instantly....no waiting for the lens to wind out and no shutter lag when you press the button.
It all boils down to what you want to shoot.....tiger snakes no doubt!....do you want to use it in the field, at home, close ups (you dont want this to happen
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2008/11/02/7278691-sun.html), at night. If you go out herping are you prepared to carry around a big heavy camera or would you rather just have one that slips in your pocket. Can you see yourself using photos in a book or magazine, or do you just want them for the odd A4 print and web use?
There are plenty of SLRs just a few years old that are available at good prices....no need to get caught up in the megapixel race.....better to get a cheaper body and spend more on a good lens. Dont let some salesman talk you into getting something with all the latest gimmicks....really not necessary. There are good bargains(new and used) online but work some of the camera shops to get a feel for something you might like.
I would stick with Nikon or Canon if you look at getting an SLR.
Also there's always something you can tweak with a digital image so consider getting some image editing software not far down the line...and some extra hard drives for storage!