Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well Sam I was stating to shvar I think it was (if it wasnt i apologize for bringing you into this) that i begged to differ on his statement that these episodes of shows were "staged".

My observation from the croc hunter mainly is that when he introduces a reptile whether its a monitor a snake or bearded dragon in the wild he introduces it as a single animal. My argument is that if these animals are social by nature and not by the confines of our boxes in which we keep them that leave them with no choice than to be civil toward one another, then wouldnt steve irwin introduce them as pairs or groups?

Lets say that shvar is right and that these shows are staged and wes and others in the croc diary show staff go out and look for the animals before steve gets to take all the fame and glory then wouldnt they find pairs or groups if they were social animals and then be introduced in the program as social animals that live in groups or pairs?

I used the Komodo example as well because I did not want to use the oz goannas as my point of argument and observation. Komodos are in a more confined enviornment meaning that they live in a more limited space than do oz goannas. Yet the only time you see komodos together is in feeding frenzies or females using nesting resources in close proximity. I just saw this and decided to comment on it as it does not seem social behavior. I see it as individuals being civil toward one another when there is limited resources than can be shared amongst other members of the same species.

another point of argument for the shows not being staged is the rescues they perform when a goanna is in some ladys chicken coop munching on chickens. Is that staged ? I dont think someone would want to volunteer their livestock so a monitor or jungle carpet can devour some chicks or hens for ratings. I wouldnt unless I got paid to reimburse the hen. And if they do pay to reimburse for the loss of the chick or hen then they would have to pay up often because they have alot of these episodes.

Im not expert I was just making an observation that may or may not support Sams comments about goannas not being social in the wild maybe I got off track but i see similarities here about when nature tv hosts not finding these animals in groups. Whether its staged before hand or not if the animals are not found in groups they are not social, they just get together a couple of times a year to mate and share meals they smell

yikes that was long
Am

Unfortunately I am probably the last person to ask (or the last you should listen to) about specific "wildlife shows". All I can offer is that any time I have done a TV segment the producer has had something in mind, and expected me to stage it, with a lot of set-up of camera angles and so on preceding any tape being expended. I guarantee there'd be no monitors visible within a quarter mile after people have tromped hither and yon, the crew yuks it up, and the presenter has seen a skink and run screaming back to the cars, and won't come out. In that case somebody else read her questions to me, and I picked a knothole at about the right height on a stump and spoke to that. "No worries, we'll take some background shots and blue-screen her in later."

Anyway, yeah, a lot of this stuff is pretty faked. I wouldn't take my biology lessons from the TV if I were you.

SS

The wildlife shows are the absolute worst ways to see animals of any kind in groups. The vast majority are staged. How do I know? Look for me on croc diaries, etc. The only real ones are the snake/wildlife calls where animals are in people's yards, etc. As for the Komodos, I was there a couple of years back and saw 32 animals - all separate except for 2 large opportunistic males eating scraps under the ranger's picnic table. I think the grouping comes with resources and reproduction for the most part in wild goannas (and yes, I've seen many in the wild and have bred them). Just my 2 cents.

I dont think I ever stated anything about them being biology lessons so if you want to make a mockery of something go back to frank and jerk him around I was clearly stating some things that were noticed that went along the lines to what you and Dk were saying about there not being monitors all over in pairs and groups and so on and so forth. They are observations, I dont have a pen and notebook in hand taking down every little thing they say. Ill leave that to you scientists to do all the writing ....... It was an observation its all it was and if it supported something then great if it didnt then no big deal but I dont think it makes room for sarcasm. But I do see your point on the staging aspect....
No rudeness intended but sometimes you scientists stay in the bush so long you forget how to deal with people

My apologies, it was not specifically directed at you. I encounter this matter all of the time with university students, who imagine that they can take a 5 minute walk and see what David Attenborough filmed. After 5 minutes they conclude that "nature has no plot", and get disturbed because there is no narration, and no commercial breaks, either.

SS

Ha ha ha ha ha thats funny sam because that reminds me of me when i was in college just not too long ago. I would brush the professor off and it caught up to me in finals. Anyhoot I learned more when I got my first herps than I ever did when i was taking biology in college so i guess its all a matter if you really want to apply yourself or not. I finally decided to apply and look at all the fun I am having. I am planning on going to oz soon would love to hear a seminar or two from you or others like you, but ill let you know when I go over there and maybe you can direct me in the riht direction if you do not do that sort of thing

cross man

Hey by the way no harm no foul .........so do you keep any varanids?

Plenty of people can pitch in if you want to do an Oz goanna tour, and the best people will be those who live there. Where to go depends a lot on when you go, and on local factors in the arid zone (like, has it rained thereabouts in the last 5 years or not...). Plan, plan and plan, then be ready to be flexible. The Oz dollar is having the greenback for lunch at the moment, too.

I don't keep much (2.1 gouldii, 1.1 salvadorii), mostly because I am often away for up to a year doing fieldwork, and don't trust fill-in keepers.

Well its pretty flexible my sister lives there so I can go pretty much whenever. The trips is paid she works for sun microsystems and under her contract she gets to fly in family once a year expenses paid by sun its a promo thing for them to get more workers down to the land down under as far as I am concerned. But ill ask her to do some research for me since shes there and have her let me know when it would be best for me to come ? I didnt get the expression for the mighty dollar are you saying its expensive right now ?

ha ha ha sorry

Hi,

I've known and shared goanna-related materials with Steve and Teri for years. I have alot of photographs/slides they have shared with me, many from their own Australian Zoo and many from the wild; pics of huge adult V. giganteus, V. varius, V. mertensi, V. indicus, and V. tristis. The only photographs that had more than 1 Varanus in them were of the V. mertensi, and pics of Steve catching them via diving for them....those pics were not staged, as Jeff Lemm has stated. If you ever visit Berkeley, let me know and I can show them to you, but do not/will not put them on the internet (or know how too for that fact)...

cheers,
mbayless

Who are you referring to Mark? When you visit Berkely or if you visit Berkely ?

When and/or if seems approapriate to me....many people visit the city across the bay (San Francisco) and sometimes come over here to Berkeley...if your in this neck of the woods, let me know.
markb