As the weather warms up, keep a watch out for reptiles

As the sun comes out, so do reptiles. Now is the time to look out for our scaly friends when you are out and about in the natural environment, as well as when driving on country roads.

Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula ranger Kyle Watters has helped a lot of injured animals over the years and has some important advice.

“If you come across an injured reptile in the wild please contact the duty ranger or the Natural Resources Centre in your area,” Kyle said.

“Report where the lizard is and how it is injured and the officer can then make an assessment and work out what would be best for that animal. Sometimes an animal might need to be put into care to recover.”

Kyle said it is important to leave wild reptiles alone.

“Enjoy the fact that you have seen a lizard, take photos, but please leave them alone".

“We want to keep all reptiles wild because if you take them home then you change their behaviour, and their eating habits, and they lose their natural foraging abilities.”

It is also important to follow legal requirements when selling and purchasing reptiles.

“You need a permit to sell a reptile and you also need a permit to keep more than one native animal,” Kyle said.

“When you are purchasing your next reptile please ask to see the sellers’ permit.”

Young Boston resident and lizard enthusiast Grace Thomas encourages all drivers to take more care on country roads.

“It’s not the native reptile’s fault if they mistake the road for a warm rock,” Grace said. “Please slow down for all lizards, some get quite confused crossing roads and just need a couple more seconds to get across safely.”

Grace keeps her pet lizards safe and enjoys their unique and individual characteristics.

It is also the time of year when native goannas emerge to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula started the EP Goannas Citizen Science Project in 2015 and to date more than 1,070 goanna sightings have been reported.

People are encouraged to visit the EP Goannas website to enter goanna sightings. This information is important to track numbers and behaviour.

For further information on reptiles please call Natural Resources Port Lincoln (08) 8688 3111 or visit

https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/licences-and-permits/animals-in-captivity-permits - for permits

https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/ep/plants-and-animals/native-plants-and-animals/native-animals - for more information on goannas

Epgoannas.com.au – to record your goanna sightings