Australian National Botanic Gardens Growing, studying and promoting Australian plants
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	NEWS RELEASE

Swamp creator opens Snakes Alive! at the Gardens

 Swamp creator, Gary Clark, will open the Snakes Alive! exhibition at the Australian National Botanic Gardens today, Monday 15 January, at 11.00am. He will also present a book signing session at The Botanical Bookshop at 2.00pm.

Snakes Alive! runs from Monday 15 January to Sunday 21 January, and Gary Clark’s Swamp strips for The Canberra Times on those days all feature the Gardens’ most prominent resident reptiles - water dragons. He has also drawn a water dragon badge image and designed a colouring sheet for children.

Snakes Alive! is jointly presented by the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the ACT Herpetological Association, and has been an extremely popular summer event since its inception in 2002. Each year it features a huge array of live snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs , along with feeding demonstrations and public talks.

The emphasis this year is on the impacts of climate change on the reptiles of the Murray Darling Basin region. The display includes the locally endangered Corroboree Frog, Striped Legless Lizard and Grassland Earless Dragon. Also of interest is the Death Adder, and a huge variety of Australian pythons, some of which people will be able to experience first hand. In all, there are over 100 reptiles, representing 40 different species.

Featured speakers include Dr Sean Doody and Dr Arthur Georges (University of Canberra), Sarah Ryan (Murray Darling Basin Commission) and Gardens’ ranger Donna Douglass.

Full details are available at www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/exhibitions/snakes-2006.html

What Snakes Alive! opening, Monday 15 January, 11.00am

When Monday 15 January to Sunday 21 January
10am - 4pm weekdays
10am - 6pm Saturday & Sunday

Where Crosbie Morrison Building

Cost Adults $4, children $2, family $10 (max 2 adults)

Media contact:

Paul Ziesing
Communications Officer
(02) 6250 9405 & 0418 955 661
paul.ziesing@deh.gov.au