05 August 2013 2 of 2


PAPUA NEW GUINEA (NCD)

 


PAPUA NEW GUINEA SNAKEBITE PROJECT
RE-ESTABLISHING CONTACTS

The final stop was the University of Papua New Guinea Biology Faculty on the main Waigani Drive campus. It is a very long time, probably the mid 1990s, since I have visited UPNG's main campus and all the people I knew there had moved on, so I was at a loss who to approach to gain access to the spirit collection I knew they had in their biology section. After a few enquiries I was introduced to Paulus Kei and when I told him my name he immediately knew who I was and generously gave of his time to show me around the collection. There would be no problem with me coming back to examine specimens. Paulus even left me to sort through the Toxicocalamus and see what was available.

In the courtyard I discovered the original snake and turtle pit was now home to a young female New Guinea crocodile (Crocodylus novaeguineae). Maybe I can obtain better photographs of her too on my next visit.

The former snake pit in the biology department of
the University of Papua New Guinea
The curent resident is a young female
New Guinea crocodile, Crocodylus novaeguineae


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