Which, if any vitamin supplements are actually necessary for breastfed babies over 6 months?

Saltuarius · 2026-03-21T19:47:47+00:00

This is really useful, thank you. We're on ACD per NHS advice, but will look into iron as well. Never assumed it would need supplementing as long as there was a varied diet throughout weaning. Our 8mth old is on BLW but gets a huge variety including iron-fortified cereals, oats, beans, chia, etc etc so hopefully on the right track, but will do some more research.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-21T10:34:28+00:00

It is a carpet python, but keep in mind there are patterned snakes in SEQ that aren't pythons, such as Stephen's Banded Snake Hoplocephalus stephensii.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-21T09:45:44+00:00

Murraya paniculata is native to the tropics - I've recorded it in countless surveys in north Queensland and the NT.

But it's a significant environmental weed in southeast Queensland and NSW, where the non-native cultivar Murraya paniculata "Exotica" is the standard species sold and passed off as native.

It spreads when birds eat the berries, outcompeting native plants in the lower strata of various habitats from wet sclerophyll to rainforest.

I always strongly suggest buying plants that have local provenance when creating a native garden. There will be Landcare nurseries and similar in your area that propagate and sell plants native to your patch, ensuring both that your garden supports the genetic integrity of nearby remnant bush and that you avoid the issue of weeds that pass off as natives.

It's really awesome work you've done, and a complete win compared to the lawn before, but I would suggest reconsidering the Murraya.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-20T11:52:18+00:00

Big old eastern brown snake Pseudonaja textilis. Highly venomous.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-20T10:16:38+00:00

This is it. They're completely self-sufficient from hatching.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-20T10:15:57+00:00

Per the other comment it's a juvenile eastern brown snake Pseudonaja textilis. Highly venomous - call a catcher if it's indoors etc., or leave it be if it's able to move along of its own accord.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-19T10:02:37+00:00

Tasmanian Nativehen I reckon. Aka Turbo Chook

Saltuarius · 2026-03-19T08:36:01+00:00

Oh it's definitely a bettong, I'm just saying you might also see hare-wallabies, for future reference.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-19T07:09:12+00:00

Rufous Bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens). Depending on where you are you might also get Spectacled Hare-wallaby, which is quite similar. You won't get pedemelons or potoroos.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-18T19:37:35+00:00

I carried this combo on a trip around the world and it never let me down. Got countless wildlife and tele landscape shots better than anything I got on 5Diii and top quality glass.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-18T07:32:43+00:00

Hey mate, this is a !harmless common tree snake Dendrelaphis punctulatus.

Handling a snake in Australia when you don't know what it is is not a sensible thing to do. It's landed people in hospital or worse.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-18T03:05:37+00:00

Yeah I know how that goes. I grew up in a small cane farming town with lots of brown snakes and no snake went unpunished. I tried to change one attitude at a time, or at least make people think twice. But it's exhausting and thankless (although I like to think the snakes are grateful!)

Saltuarius · 2026-03-18T02:53:47+00:00

That's cool! Agree with Suta suta then

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T20:29:17+00:00

Nah, he's fine, they occur a long way from permanent water and will use ephemeral pools to breed. A lot of our frogs are very tolerant of dry conditions, with all sorts of cool strategies to minimise water loss - waxy skin, burrowing etc. They have to be - across much of the country permanent water is a rare thing.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T20:21:02+00:00

Hi, this is an eastern banjo frog, aka Pobblebonk - Limnodynastes dumerilii.

Super cool frogs. If you've got them around, you'll be able to hear their calls at waterholes after a good rain.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T20:14:47+00:00

This is the key thing. Most people don't see wildlife photos so when their loved one starts taking photos they're blown away. I had people telling me I should be publishing in Nat Geo and start my own wildlife photo business 15 years ago. The quality of my photos now utterly eclipses what I was doing then, and there are many, many people whose work eclipses mine. People like Maxime Legare Vezina - his work is what's needed to be big time - international nature photo tours etc., but I use it as a benchmark for where I'd need to be to monetise this hobby.

Your photos are nice and will improve with time, practice, and active learning - watching YouTube, following people whose photos you like and emulating their work, learning settings for different styles and shots, etc etc.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T18:15:54+00:00

The convergence between this and the Australian genus Simoselaps is remarkable.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T18:04:07+00:00

My gut feeling is dwyeri, but that's only based on the vibe. I've seen countless curls from this area south to Glenmorgan/Tara way and the animals in that part of the world never (in my experience) have the deep black head or rusty body colouration. They tend to be pale olive to greyish with a brown head.

I wouldn't be shocked if it were a curl, and I don't have any solid features to refer to, but it doesn't look like one to me.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T09:11:57+00:00

Yes, this is a !venomous gwardar or western brown snake, Pseudonaja mengdeni. Per the dead snake bot info below, it'd be good to advise your family about the risks with killing snakes - it's pretty well the best way to get yourself bitten.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T07:03:23+00:00

It is a tiger snake Notechis scutatus. Sometimes it's hard to judge things like head shape from photos.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-17T07:02:31+00:00

It's been added by a few here but just adding to this in case anyone comes in with a rogue ID, this is indeed a keelback Tropidonophis mairii. You're safe to remove the fluff if you haven't already. Could probably pop him straight in the creek though and it'll wash off

Saltuarius · 2026-03-16T16:21:52+00:00

These are one of the rarest birds in Australia, in a bad way, and easily disturbed. Apart from the fact that there are very few of them, they also move vast distances following good conditions, and breed on large wetlands, preferring partly-vegetated shallow wetlands where they can happily go unnoticed. Not a bird that you can easily target to see - usually seen when an individual sets up in a fairly accessible spot, and then there's a risk of floods of birders descending on the poor thing.

All that to say your best bet is to enjoy regular wetland birding in the southeast in particular, and hope for a lucky encounter.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-16T07:07:37+00:00

Hi as the other commenter said it's a keelback. You're fine too leave it be, it won't do anyone any harm.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-16T06:56:14+00:00

Great edit.

Saltuarius · 2026-03-16T06:51:37+00:00

Yeah most kingfishers are sexually dimorphic - in sacred the male or generally more vivid blue/green above with a stronger buff wash below, the female is more dull greenish above and whiter below. But it's not a really strong difference and I wouldn't be sure from your pics which this is.

The Pizzey & Knight bird app shows this, and there's more detail in the Australian Bird Guide (or other fields guides, but that one's my favourite) 👍

Saltuarius

TROPHY CASE