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Spiders, Snakes & other wildlife
| IntroductionOne of the most common worries of prospective migrants to Australia is "How will I cope with all the spiders and snakes?" Or maybe sharks have got you a bit freaked out. Not surprising, really, when you consider that a fair amount of TV and film coverage has been devoted to "Australia's Deadliest ..." over the years.Fortunately, in this case, you really do not have too much to worry about.... there are many challenges involved in emigrating and settling in Australia, but snakes, bugs and sharks will probably not be a major factor in your Aussie life. That said, Australian wildlife is very different from UK wildlife, and it's best to know what to expect. The next few sections have been written by our sponsor, animal expert David Manning. David emigrated to Australia in 2006 and now runs Animal Ark, a nature based educational road show based in Perth. ----- Spidersby David Manning of Animal Ark.Top of the list, I imagine, in terms of the fear factor for new migrants, would be spiders. But DON’T PANIC, the majority of spiders you come across in Australian homes and gardens are small and harmless, just like the familiar British ones. You do occasionally see little jumping spiders only a few millimetres across hopping around, and at night largish Orb spiders can be seen in the middle of their giant webs. By morning they are gone. The spider makes a new web every night and recycles the silk by eating it before morning. However, in and around Sydney lives the Sydney Funnel Web and this is one of the worlds most dangerous spiders. They are aggressive and rear up if approached, also they are large at around 5-6 cm in size so hopefully easy to spot and avoid.
----- Other Creepy Crawliesby David Manning of Animal Ark.CockroachesCockroaches are just a fact of life in most warm countries. I certainly don’t get many in my house and like spiders the kids or my partner will call (or scream if it’s a big one) for me to come and get it. Supermarkets and hardware stores sell products to spray around the home or particularly to spray the outside of your home to keep most bugs from coming in. But just by not leaving food or rubbish around you make your home less attractive to any of them.
AntsA large variety of ants live in Australia and some definitely bite. The larger 1-2 cm Jumper and Bull ants also have a sting. Ants are controlled using powders or sprays and can be a nuisance on patios and lawns but mainly are no more problem than in the UK.MosquitoesMosquitoes are a real pain. Some people are much more attractive to mossies than others but once again your best bet is to deter them. Aerogard is a top selling product that you spray on exposed skin like legs and arms when you are outside in the evenings. Along with sun screen and swimming gear it’s one of those items you tend to always have in the car. When you are entertaining or enjoying a barbie at home most families use the mosquito coils that you light or citronella candles that mosquitoes don’t like.ScorpionsScorpions do exist here as well but are not that common and you are, in most situations, not likely to come across one. They are not considered deadly anyway so again DON’T PANIC. I’ve only seen one scorpion in my 2 years living in Australia and I am the kind of guy who goes out looking for this kind of thing.----- Snakesby David Manning of Animal Ark.
----- Other Reptiles & Amphibiansby David Manning of Animal Ark.Lizards
Frogs
----- More Information
If you are still concerned about these creatures why not attend an Animal Ark road show where you can learn more about these animals and maybe overcome some of the fears associated with Australian wildlife. ----- Discussion - Selected Threads on This TopicTo see all related threads, go to the Discussion Page and enter the appropriate search criteria.
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