Reptile experts dispel rumours that bobtail lizards keep snakes away from the garden
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Have you heard the one about snakes being afraid of short-tailed lizards?
Yes? Well, don't believe the myth.
There's an old wives tale that claims if you have shingleback lizards, often known as bobtails, in your yard you won't find any snakes there.
Although the saying has been debunked, reptile experts say they are still hearing it repeated as fact.
Michelle Jones, a reptile rescuer in WA's Midwest, said suggesting bobtails kept snakes away was akin to urban legends about crocodiles living in sewers.
"How many people's hearts I've broken when it comes to telling them the truth," she said.
According to Ms Jones, the saying may have pre-settler roots, and the story simply evolved over time.
"From speaking with the Yamatji elders a couple of years ago, I honestly believe that the major story that came through came from big sand goannas eating big snakes … the specific lizard just hasn't been defined," she said.
Another snake handler in Broome, Chris Mitchell, said the myth was true to an extent.
"If you have medium-sized lizards, you won't have small snakes, but if you have substantial big snakes then the lizards won't keep them away at all," he said.
"There's so many fallacies out there, it's incredible."
He said he had seen evidence of cohabitation of snakes and lizards.
"I was called to a house once, when I had to remove sheets of tin … there was a northern blue tongue, a Stimson's python and a moon snake all living under the same sheet of tin," he said.
"So they can live together quite reasonably but when one's hungry, depends on who's the bigger animal.
"It's one of those early-day type tales that expanded from there, it's like everyone is scared of king brown snakes, when in fact king browns are one of the most placid snakes around."
King brown snakes are large and highly-venomous, but in some parts of Australia are reported to be shy and quiet.
Mike Bamford, a veteran West Australian herpetologist — someone who studies reptiles and amphibians — said he heard the rumour about bobtails keeping snakes away, from his parents.
"When my parents arrived in the 1950s, there were bobtails in South Perth and the local people told them [the saying]," he said.
"It was all a load of rubbish, I've never seen any evidence that bobtails and snakes are mutually exclusive."
Mr Bamford said people often asked him to debunk the myth, a good sign the rumour was on its way to extinction.
"I don't think they necessarily believe it's true … when I say it's not true, I think they're pleased to hear that because if you're to like any reptile at all, you've got to like bobtails," he said.
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Ms Jones said due to technology, shared knowledge had never been more accessible.
"Social media is allowing us to share things so these tiny snippets of information that we thought we knew for so many years are getting changed every day and it's brilliant," she said.
She said she hoped myths — like snake-repellent devices and using lizards to ward off snakes — would fade away.
"Maybe things that are in textbooks and what we've been told might change in the future."
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Reptile experts dispel rumours that bobtail lizards keep snakes away from the garden – ABC News
