By Steve K. Wilson
It is hard to believe how lucky we are in the Scenic Rim to have such a diverse and beautiful assemblage of fauna, flora and landscapes. We are now very pleased to have an informative and colourful publication created for us by the wellknown herpetologist, researcher, author and photographer Steve K. Wilson.
The book is designed as an introduction to the reptiles that live in the region. It seeks to highlight some of the more familiar and interesting species and draw attention to reptiles as an integral component of the broader biodiversity of the region.
Steve has set this book out in an interesting and enjoyable manner, with each section covering several species of reptiles. Under those sections there are descriptions and interesting information on behaviour, diet, habitat and breeding. The sections covered are Identifying Reptiles, Dangerous Snakes, Town Dwellers, Homes and Gardens, Along the Waterways, The Mountain Retreats, Eucalypt Forests, Little Snake Lost, First Aid, and a complete list of the reptiles of the Scenic Rim.
One of the interesting sections is Little Snake Lost, which is a story of a researcher some 20 years ago that came across a tiny blind snake in the Fassifern Valley. This specimen has been preserved and was recently named as Anilios insperatus, or Fassifern Blind Snake. No other specimens have ever been found to date. Although this book doesn’t cover all of the species of reptiles in the Scenic Rim it is nonetheless is really good read about 58 species that do occur here.
This book is available from Scenic Rim Regional Council and local Information Centres (Beaudesert, Boonah, Canungra, Rathdowney, Tamborine) and also The Piccabeen Bookshop, Tamborine Mountain.
Published by Scenic Rim
Regional Council, 2016
Paperback, A5 format, 112 pages
Price: $10 to $12
Review by Martin Bennett
Acting Land for Wildlife Officer
Scenic Rim Regional Council