Tessa’s Reptile Services

07/10/2026

🐢 ATTENTION TURTLE NESTING 🐢

Ok everyone please drive with caution aroind all our lakes this afternoon .... we have long necked turtles nesting with this barometric buildup (rain clouds building ) in good numbers.

Please shoo crows away but leave the turtles be to nest , you don't need to go near them or pick them up unless they're at risk of injury from a car .

Just safely watch a wonder of nature from a distance so you don't interrupt their laying process and drive with caution please around our lakes .

Already seen one turtle hit today.

01/10/2026

Was called down to a local beach this evening by concerned local residents to check on this poor sea turtle that had washed up tonight in the rough seas that was definitely deceased from its swollen state.

I confirmed for Wildlife helpline it was definitely deceased, let the staff at Aqwa Perth Aquarium that it was deceased and only requires DBCA to collect the carcass in the morning.

I'm not giving out any location to make sure this animal is left alone respectfully overnight till it's collected tomorrow.

Hard to say what killed it but part of the diet for turtles are jellyfish and unfortunately a lot of sea turtles mistake dumped rubbish in the water as food and it kills them eventually because they can't submerge as gases build up in them .

28/09/2026

When you’re out there flexing and a bigger bro enters the gym 😆

28/09/2026

What am I looking for in this tub ? 🐍

Why it’s so important to wear shoes this time of year

28/09/2026

Received a call from a concerned family who found a injured possum in their backyard in Wanneroo. I could see where he had been dragging himself around in circles and he had a laceration to his knee.

Unfortunately this poor young male appeared to be paralysed, so I rushed him to EVH Emergency Vet Hospital where he was assessed immediately and a spinal fracture was confirmed. He was euthanised humanely and I'm very grateful to the amazibg crew at EVH for their help.

As to the cause ? Well he could have fallen ftom one of the tall gums being chased by a cat , been chased by a dog or just fallen ..... I never try to assume unless it's obvious because you'll just never know.

28/09/2026

Mumma long necked turtles are currently nesting along Banyandah Boulevard and Scenic Drive , Wanneroo.
Found this girl heading up to lay whilst I was releasing a snake.

Please take care driving around all our natural lake reserves today , it's not hard to avoid an animal the size of a dinner plate.

27/09/2026

Thanks Suzie for calling me for this juvenile Dugite. A little lizard hunter at this size, chasing skinks and legless lizards for his meals.

People ask me why smaller juvenile snakes are so enthusiastically defensive or "bite more than adults do" (which is not exactly a true observation) and it's quite simple .... the fittest survive and if I take on anything bigger than me , I'm gonna fight for my life to survive.

We look like big giants from their level , they will do all they can to survive against a larger predator so they don't become a meal or killed.

These little guys have to work harder then larger snakes to survive or end up being eaten or killed by cats, birds , other snakes and goannas.

25/09/2026

Good to see, our WA reptiles deserve protecting when you see how much they sell for overseas

A pair of Danish tourists have been kicked out of Australia after being caught at Perth Airport with a shocking plan to smuggle native snakes out of the country.

Story in comments.

24/09/2026

I've been alerted to a post insinuating claims that I've committed certain actions ... funny thing is , it's definitely not me who called as claimed in the post and the statements made about me publicly are all false.

I've been to the police this evening , no report has been filed by this individual, my license was checked and nothing has been reported by anyone about me.

I was with witnesses all day today who can confirm I have no idea what I'm being accused of.

I have ALSO given the post in question and comments on the post (as unfortunately this makes others liable too for commenting), to the police to review and keep as evidence and they've seen my phone log , message logs , the whole lot. I haven't called anyone and made no threats on any media platform.
I actually went in and provided clear evidence this persons claims are FALSE.

They have either got the wrong person or just making stuff up since they haven't even actually filed a report.

Someone seeking sympathy for something that didn't happen is pretty sad.

I'll be seeing my lawyer tomorrow to write a concerns notice which will require the post to be deleted and a public apology to be issued for the false claims made about me.

The police stated the post is defamatory and puts me at risk as it's all false information, so the person who posted this is now liable for "criminal defamation".

The post has been also reported to Facebook and a report has been filed with the Office of Esafety Commission online report system.

Just a small reminder when you are scrolling that not everything you read is true on Facebook

People need to be more aware of the consequences of what can happen when you type / post something defamatory on social media if you have no actual evidence to support the statements of your claim.

16/09/2026

Snakes shed their skin, called ecdysis, to allow for physical growth and to remove old, worn layers or parasites.

The Shedding Process

New skin growth: A fresh layer of skin develops underneath the old outer layer.

The "blue" phase: Fluid builds up between the layers, turning the snake's body dull and its eyes a milky blue. Vision is temporarily reduced during this time.

Clearing up: The fluid is reabsorbed, and the eyes clear back to normal before the skin actually peels.

Sloughing off: The snake rubs its head against rough objects like rocks or branches to split the old skin near the mouth, then crawls out of it by turning the skin inside out from head to tail.

How Often It Happens

Young snakes: Growing rapidly, they may shed every few weeks.

Adult snakes: Healthy adults typically shed between 4 or more times per year, depending on the species, the snake’s health and age and how much they are eating and growing.

What stage is Gail in?

Pseudechis butleri
Spotted Mulga or Butler’s Mulga