# G'day



## SteveNT (Jan 11, 2011)

G'day all

I'm Steve from Darwin, just joined today. I'm a 53yo (fossil) and I lecture in Conservation &amp; Land Managent at a tertiary instutue for Indigenous people in the Northern Territory. I train Indigenous Ranger Groups across the Top End of the Northern Territory and see a lot of stunning country very few Australians ever see. That country of course comes with a mind boggling array of plants and animals, many of them undescribed species.

It's the Wet season here and a squall line with 100kph winds just came through and blew our power out. It also blew a large blue eyed female mantis out of the trees, half way through her moult. She finished moulting in my office and is coming home with me. I will post a piccie when she is settled in.

Anyway I'm looking forward to chatting with you guys and learning about the world of international mantis people.

cheers


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## warpdrive (Jan 11, 2011)

Welcome from the USA

Harry


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## Rick (Jan 11, 2011)

Welcome


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## hibiscusmile (Jan 11, 2011)

Very nice capture you have there, welcome and can't wait to talk with you.


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## [email protected] (Jan 11, 2011)

WELCOME


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## Peter Clausen (Jan 11, 2011)

Welcome! We're excited to have a mantis fan from such an interesting place and in your line of work.


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## Jesskb (Jan 11, 2011)

welcome to the forum


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## GreenOasis (Jan 11, 2011)

I know we only just met, but can I come for a visit!? I've always wanted to see Australia... :cowboy: ...natural Australia, not Sydney or anything!  Would love to go on walkabout, throw a couple goana on the barbie...oh wait, that's probably just in the movies, eh!? :lol: 

Welcome to the forum...we look forward to the pics!


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## SteveNT (Jan 11, 2011)

GreenOasis said:


> I know we only just met, but can I come for a visit!? I've always wanted to see Australia... :cowboy: ...natural Australia, not Sydney or anything!  Would love to go on walkabout, throw a couple goana on the barbie...oh wait, that's probably just in the movies, eh!? :lol:
> 
> Welcome to the forum...we look forward to the pics!


Actually goanna has always been a favourite food with the local people but their populations have crashed since cane toads invaded the Top End a few years ago. Frill necked lizards have also become rare as have all the local animals that have frogs as a natural part of their diet.

Our latest trick for reducing cane toad numbers is to put cat food at the point where toadlets leave the water. The cat food attracts meat ants which also eat every toadlet as they emerge. This method is more effective than any of the scientific methods attempted to date and was initiated from observations of Aboriginal people in the Kakadu area.

If you visit the Top End I reccomend the Dry season (May- September) because at the moment (Wet season) you can only get anywhere by boat or plane! If anyone is coming up this way I am happy to assist with an itinerary outside the standard tourist routes.

cheers


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## GreenOasis (Jan 11, 2011)

Cane toads, huh? Are those any good for frog legs? (A dish where they are battered &amp; then deep-fried in fat or oil.) Might be worth hunting the adults, if so.

I can certainly understand the strict Australian laws when it comes to flora &amp; fauna when you have incidents like that happening!

When in doubt as to a practical solution to a problem, always look to the native people!


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## SteveNT (Jan 12, 2011)

GreenOasis said:


> Cane toads, huh? Are those any good for frog legs? (A dish where they are battered &amp; then deep-fried in fat or oil.) Might be worth hunting the adults, if so.
> 
> I can certainly understand the strict Australian laws when it comes to flora &amp; fauna when you have incidents like that happening!
> 
> When in doubt as to a practical solution to a problem, always look to the native people!


The people in Arnhem Land call the toads "rubbish frogs". They dont eat frogs but do use them as bait for barramundi and other food fish but the fish wont touch these little horrors. Even the crocodiles die if they try to eat them. Hey, I just went out and bought a second hand TV stand to convert into a snake cage and as I wrestled it up the stairs there was a big stick insect sitting in the stairwell. It's a male Eurycnema osiris. I've been looking for one for months! I will post a piccie when he has finished cleaning the cobwebs he collected off.


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## lancaster1313 (Jan 12, 2011)

GreenOasis said:


> Cane toads, huh? Are those any good for frog legs? (A dish where they are battered &amp; then deep-fried in fat or oil.) Might be worth hunting the adults, if so.
> 
> I can certainly understand the strict Australian laws when it comes to flora &amp; fauna when you have incidents like that happening!
> 
> When in doubt as to a practical solution to a problem, always look to the native people!


Cane toads are a pain. :angry: We have some here, and many people have lost their pets to them. They are pretty toxic, I did see a show on TV where some people prepare and eat them, but it is a health risk. Welcome to the forum, fossil.


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## geckoboy3 (Jan 12, 2011)

I HATE cane toads, some idiots around keep them as pets :angry: If they escape, they can INVADE &lt;_&lt; I want so cal to be cane toad free :excl:


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## SteveNT (Jan 13, 2011)

likebugs said:


> Cane toads are a pain. :angry: We have some here, and many people have lost their pets to them. They are pretty toxic, I did see a show on TV where some people prepare and eat them, but it is a health risk. Welcome to the forum, fossil.


Yes they are shockers. Most of our animals have no defence against their "bufotoxins" except one, the keelback snake. It's aquatic and only mildly venemous but eats cane toads with impunity. It is reckoned that these guys ate toads in Gondwanan times when Australia was joined to Africa, South America,India, etc, and have retained their immunity. The story in Queensland, where they were introduced in the 1930's is that most local carnivour species suffer huge population crashes then recover slowly (30 years average). Most!, many never learn!

On the upside we have relocated several vulnerable species to offshore islands and they are thriving. (Northern Quoll for example) Also crows and some herons have learned to flip them over and eat them. Their poison glands are all concentrated on their back. Hopefully we can find something that will destroy the toads (we have no native toads) without affecting our frog populations.

More importantly- I just recieved 3 2nd instar spiny leaf/ stick insects which reminds me, I must go and stare at them for a while

Enjoy


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