THE AUSTRALIAN (Sydney, Australia) 10 January 08 Researcher hunts for lizard lore (Bernard Lane)
Blue-Tongue lizards, unlike bohemians and intellectuals, are fond of suburbia.
They delight in backyards, so much so that blue-tongues tracked by one study might be regular visitors to as many as 17 different backyards.
“People absolutely love them,” said researcher Emma Vasey, who has just wound up a “citizen-science” survey asking South Australians for their thoughts, sightings, stories and photos of these peaceable, sometimes misunderstood skinks.
“People wanted to know how they could attract blue-tongues to their garden.”
Water and fresh fruit might do the trick; long grass and the odd drain-pipe could give blue-tongues shelter - or at least cover - from cats and dogs.
Studying for her masters in environmental management and sustainability at the University of South Australia, Ms Vasey wanted not only to collect lizard lore but to see how radio and the internet could tap into popular attitudes and knowledge about suburban wildlife.
She and her supervisor Chris Daniels, professor of urban ecology at UniSA, fielded calls on ABC metro and regional radio; they visited schools to give talks, which were streamed live via the ABC website. Ms Vasey hosted an ABC weblog and sent hard-copy surveys to those without internet access.
Almost 2000 surveys came back and Vasey plans to write up the results early next year for her citizen scientists across the state (she herself hails from the Riverland district, where the “sleepy lizard” species of blue-tongue, rather than the more urban eastern blue-tongue, is found).
“People really like hearing about the wildlife in their backyard, they would like to see another survey,” Ms Vasey said. Popular candidates are possums, magpies and spiders.
Although blue-tongues are a much-loved presence in the suburban idyll - could it be the dramatic contrast between their sluggish form and that brilliant flashing tongue? - myths and misconceptions remain.
“The most common would have to be that they will not let go if they bite, that you have to chop their heads off,” Ms Vasey said.
Another quaint notion is that a blue-tongue bite reappears on its anniversary. For the record, a startled blue-tongue may bite but its small teeth rarely draw blood. And it has no venom.
Researcher hunts for lizard lore

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