Recently met up with........

[Rocket]

Well I recently met up with Dr. Mark Hutchinson, a herpetologist that works in the science area of the SA Museum. He took me through some of the specimen collections but I was obviously more interested in the reptiles.

Here's a few photos I took and these have been posted with full permission.

The following are: Eublepharis macularius, Strophurus elderi, Oedura gemmata, Nephrurus wheeleri and Nephrurus deleani. I will shortly post photos of: Pygopus nigriceps, Pygopus lepidopodus, Nephrurus asper, Saltuarius swaini and Cyrtodactylus louisiadensis skulls as well as Varanus varius jaws.

If theres anything else your interested in seeing, let me know, chances are I took photos of it as a preserved specimen.

Sorry to those who feel 'freaked out' by these photographs.

 

[moosenoose]

Looks like an Asian deli 8)

 

[Rocket]

Some more......

 

[ryanharvey1993]

looks like they had a fair bit, i always enjoy looking at the preserved stuff. i just dont see why they have to kill so many of some species, like the jewelled gecko and scaly foots for instance.

 

[Rocket]

Some Oedura monilis, Nephrurus laevissimus, Egernia whitii, a taxidermed Varanus giganteus and a two-headed Trachydosaurus.

 

[Rocket]

Some Lialis burtonis, Crocodylus porosus, Diplodactylus tessellatus, Tiliqua adelaidensis and Nephrurus milii.

 

[Rocket]

The Varanus varius jaws, Lucasium stenodactylum, Strophurus ciliaris (now krisalys?), Delma nasuta and the specimen shelving used for some mammas and birds.

 

[Chris1]

looks like they had a fair bit, i always enjoy looking at the preserved stuff. i just dont see why they have to kill so many of some species, like the jewelled gecko and scaly foots for instance.

yikes!!

were all those animals killed for the purpose of preserving them or had they died thru other causes?

 

[ryanharvey1993]

yikes!!

were all those animals killed for the purpose of preserving them or had they died thru other causes?

they are killed for scientific research, not everyday you would come accross a perfect condition jewelled gecko that is dead

 

[Rocket]

Many died due to other causes but of cause, some were also euthanaised for strict scientific research purposes. It's not like the museum is taking too many of a certain species if it had too much of an impact on the natural abundance of the species.

All specimens are tagged and relevant details are also recorded such as initial capture locality, date, findings etc....

 

[salebrosus]

What a waste of elderi!

 

[Carpetcleaner]

That's amazing. How lucky were you to go there?!?!?!
Some people may find that gross, but us herpers would look at it in awe something akin to discovering Willy Wonka's chocolate factory....wouldn't advise licking the walls here though.....

 

[anguskennedy]

How nasty were those Varanus varius jaws! Its obviously a small one too....

Moral: dont get bitten by a goanna!

 

[Chris1]

aww, thats a little sad,..but woulda been a pretty cool experience anyway,..!!

 

[salebrosus]

I am curious to know that whatever scientific reasons are for these animals being euthansed and studied, is the information passed on to other museums? Does each museum get permission to do this with the same species i.e. does Sydney museum get to study the same animals Adelaide does etc. I understand it has to be done but that jar with the elderi and other geckos is sickening. There looks to be a large number of specimens.

And people jump up and down when a kid takes a wild bluey or carpet python?

 

[ryanharvey1993]

I am curious to know that whatever scientific reasons are for these animals being euthansed and studied, is the information passed on to other museums? Does each museum get permission to do this with the same species i.e. does Sydney museum get to study the same animals Adelaide does etc. I understand it has to be done but that jar with the elderi and other geckos is sickening. There looks to be a large number of specimens.

And people jump up and down when a kid takes a wild bluey or carpet python?

think thats a lot of jewelled geckos, you should have seen the ctenotus jar at australian museum, it was a big jar and was completely full of them. yes it isnt the best that they take so many as they wouldnt need that many for research IMO, it is such a waste

 

[Rocket]

Salebrosus, I completely understand where your coming from and have no more to say in their defence as I don't know all the scientific explanations etc...

To everyone else, yes it was a great experience, whilst I prefer to look at live animals, it's still a great way to learn so much!!! Will post more tomorrow of a Dolphin featous (sp?), turtle ovaries, young birds and mammals etc... Plenty more legless lizards and geckos to show aswell if your still interested.

 

[OzGecko]

I am curious to know that whatever scientific reasons are for these animals being euthansed and studied, is the information passed on to other museums? Does each museum get permission to do this with the same species i.e. does Sydney museum get to study the same animals Adelaide does etc. I understand it has to be done but that jar with the elderi and other geckos is sickening. There looks to be a large number of specimens.

And people jump up and down when a kid takes a wild bluey or carpet python?

Animals are taken on any field trip the museum conducts so that they have a record of what is found where. What has happened in the past with these large collections of particular species is that someone will do a study on the animals and invariably find some difference amongst the speicimens leading to now species/subspecies. Tissue samples are also taken (liver I believe) from which gentic studies are performed. It is because of the taking of such specimens that they discovered the new species of Taipan. From what I've heard Mark actually caught that animal on a joint SA/WA/NT museum field trip. At the time they thought nothing more than the animal was a western brown. It wasn't until it got back to WA museum that they worked out it was something else.

 

[Rocket]

Heres some more... and the turtle ovaries as promised.

 

[DrNick]

Heres some more... and the turtle ovaries as promised.

All great pics Shawn, would have been a very interesting experience. Certainly makes my agave worm in a tequila bottle look very insignificant :lol::lol:

*Nick finds himself strangely craving pickled onions*