Tessa’s Reptile Service urges dog owners to stop toy fighting to minimize bobtail lizard attacks

A reptile expert has pleaded with dog owners in Perth to avoid the popular game with their pets, warning it could lead to a sharp increase in the number of dead bobtails.

The owner of Tessa’s Reptile Service says she has noticed an increase in the number of dead bobtails in suburban Perth, mostly related to car crashes or dog attacks.

Tessa Esparon, a trained reptile and venomous snake rehabilitator and rehabilitator, said she has been “inundated” with calls for injured bobtails this week.

Increasingly warmer weather forces creatures to go outside more often.

“Most of them have been knocked down on suburban roads and from being attacked by dogs, which I understand are sometimes out of the owner’s control, so I help without judgement,” she said.

“But today I had to take my 8th in for euthanasia so please if the community can try to help with the next one as they are really dealing with it (at the moment).”

Ms Esparon warned pet owners against fighting dogs as it encourages them to attack “anything that moves in an S shape”.

“Swinging or swinging a rope or dog toy from side to side to get your dog to jump up and grab you for a fight unfortunately mimics many of the movements that snakes, bobtails and goannas make,” she said.

“You’re unconsciously rewarding your dog for wrestling with you with a toy or rope by getting excited and encouraging him as he pulls along with you.

You’re basically training your dog and rewarding him for chasing anything that moves in an S shape or moves from side to side… That’s most of our scaly wildlife.”

She suggested dog owners place sections of 100mm PVC pipe along garden beds or half-submerge them in water so bobtails can hide from pets if they find their way into yards.

Ms. Esparon also suggested training dogs to avoid snakes.

She asked road users to be especially careful.

“Call your local wildlife center if you find an injured animal or need advice on how to make your area more bobtail-friendly with your pets,” she said.