Jacqui said:Ryan, are you the one who got the letter from the Vet who mentioned this place? You really took some awesome pictures. Looks like a really great place to visit. Thanks for taking us there!
GeoTerraTestudo said:Holy cow, great stuff! That's great you got to see a Fly River turtle with your own eyes.
Guggie said:Jacqui said:Ryan, are you the one who got the letter from the Vet who mentioned this place? You really took some awesome pictures. Looks like a really great place to visit. Thanks for taking us there!
I am that guy. I figured that I would check it out, found out it was open on Sundays, my wife and I went. It's darned-near brand new, multiple buildings, surrounded by multi-million dollar mansions, with free entry (donations welcome). It was very impressive, and Rob, the curator, took us around. We got to pet the snakes and the rhinoceros Iguanas, and even one of the crocs! I didn't get to touch anything poisonous, though.
Guggie said:GeoTerraTestudo said:Holy cow, great stuff! That's great you got to see a Fly River turtle with your own eyes.
I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know I was seeing anything overly interesting. Are they rare?
GeoTerraTestudo said:They are threatened in their native Australia and New Guinea, yes. But they are very unique. They are the only freshwater turtles in the world that swim like sea turtles: by flapping their forelimbs like wings, and using their hind limbs to steer, as opposed to propulsion with all for limbs. You are very fortunate to one for yourself!
emysemys said:I wonder if the gecko in the second picture was hand or machine- made. Its beautiful! And I particularly liked the snapper and the chameleon. The tortoise looked a little sad to me. Was he a gopher?