![]() ![]() The heron in the background is looking for a snack Upon arrival and seeing the mess of marine iguanas (yes, “mess” is the collective modifier for a group of iguanas), our naturalists searched for a path around them without disturbing the nesting grounds or accidentally stepping on marine iguanas that so easily blend with the rocky landscape. One of the first marine iguanas I saw next to some mangrovesĪs we were in the Galapagos during mating/hatching season, it was necessary to be a little more careful walking around. This was the first close encounter with these amazing creatures. These amazing reptiles were found around most of the islands, but there were far more on Isla Fernandina at Punta Espinosa, which we visited on the third day of the Lindblad Expedition. Read the original article.One of my favorite animals to see around the Galapagos was the marine iguana, an endemic species only found in the archipelago. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Rhys Jones, Lecturer in Biology, Cardiff University But I suspect very few people gave a second thought to the plight of the snakes left hungry on the beach. No surprise then to witness the relief felt when the little iguana slipped through the snakes' constricting coils and escaped to safety. ![]() Throughout history we've presented the snake as a symbol of evil and danger. After all, we are most often afraid of the things we don't understand and struggle to anticipate. It is perhaps because snakes' eating habits, appearance and movement is alien to us that we fear them. Once prey is consumed, the snake may not eat again for several weeks. As ectothermic – or cold-blooded – animals, reptiles only require around a tenth of the food intake of a similarly sized mammal to survive. Evolution has instead led them to consume their prey whole, digesting bones and all. Unlike mammals, snakes don't chew their food and have no appendages with which to carve up a share of their quarry with their kin. Collectively, the actions of these snakes can appear terrifying, but once a snake eats, it loses its desire to hunt again. The time of year when these iguanas hatch is for these snakes the equivalent of Black Friday bargain hunting – it's every snake for itself, because if they miss out here, they'll go hungry. Rather than capturing a coordinated attack from snakes hunting as a pack, the clip from Planet Earth II actually shows a number of snakes acting individually, on instinct. ![]() And rather than hinder my career, my stand attracted BBC producers with better judgement, and eventually led to me presenting my own primetime BBC One wildlife series, Rhys Jones's Wildlife Patrol.īut while it worked out well for me in the end, the same cannot be said for the racer snake, which has already been roundly and colourfully attacked. A couple of days later, though, I received another call telling me that the documentary had been poorly thought out and that a decision had been made to cancel the production. I remember thinking that that would be the last chance I'd ever have to work for the BBC, but also feeling that I'd made the right decision. "Do you know anyone else that would be interested?" "Okay," the voice replied, seemingly without hearing a word I had just uttered. The arrival of marine iguana hatchlings presents an important feeding opportunity for the racer snakes. A documentary of that calibre would present adders in a poor light, and it was not a project I would want to be part of. It was a delicate snake that could easily be injured, and it would be unethical to undertake such an exercise just for the camera. Taking a deep breath, I clarified through gritted teeth that Britain's only venomous snake was both shy and reclusive and not at all aggressive. "We especially want to see the fangs, and the venom … just how much venom can we see from milking an adder?" "We'd love to shoot a documentary about adders with you," the voice on the other end of the phone exclaimed. ![]() In fact, my first break as a wildlife presenter came about following a phone call from the BBC Natural History department regarding snakes, having seen me deliver a talk for the British Association of Science at Cardiff University. This of course does little to alleviate public ophidiophobia, an irrational fear of snakes. Snakes are often portrayed as slimy, cold, angry sticks with teeth rather than anything resembling a living, breathing creature. Reports involving snakes are commonly misrepresented or deliberately sensationalised. It's all too easy to demonise the snake, and for years that's exactly what the media has encouraged. ![]()
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