you like; there’s no regulation at all. We have Sydney
Funnel-webs and Southern Tree Funnel-webs, along with
other stuff including trapdoor spiders.
iH: You also breed scorpions?
JB: We’ve bred Black Rock Scorpions and Flinders
Ranges Scorpions, but they have a long gestation period
(can be 12-18 months) and are highly strung, so you’re
lucky to get 6-12 per year on average. The biggest litter
I’ve had was 42 from a Flinders Ranges Scorpion. I’ve
never heard of Red Desert Scorpions being produced in
captivity.
‘We are passionate about what
we do, and see this as a great
opportunity to assist people
fascinated by these animals.’
I started up Townsville Snake Catchers after I got here
and now have about 20 jobs per week, doing inspections
and relocations. We wanted to set up a retail outlet to
make up for not being able to do expos down south, and
found suitable premises in Mount St John. It will cater
for anybody interested in reptiles and invertebrates, as
well as birds and domestic fowl, and opens in about a
week.
iH: Sounds exciting. Are there any new critters on the
horizon?
JB: It’s all about interest with me. Erin and I are
passionate about what we do and we see this as a great
opportunity to educate and assist people fascinated by the
idea of keeping these animals. We are trying to get
Western Goliath spiders up and going and are also
looking to expand into giant centipedes – the thrill of
handling them intrigues me.
iH: That’s a long gestation period. You can order animals and equipment online at:
www.reptilesandinvertebrates.com.au
JB: I once sold a Rainforest Scorpion and it gave birth
three years later! Also, visit James on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/jamesbindoff90
iH: How do you manage the baby scorpions? And on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/
jamesbindoffreptilesandinvertebrates/
https://www.facebook.com/
animalandreptilesuppliesaustralia/
JB: We take them off mum as soon as they have had
their first moult, which is at roughly two weeks. Then we
give the female a bath and feed her – usually she hasn’t
eaten since the birth and it takes a toll on her. The babies
get fly larvae and pinhead crickets. They grow very
slowly; Flinders Ranges Scorpions live for about 12-15
years and don’t reproduce until they are 6-7.
iH: And you’ve been busy since you moved to
Townsville!
JB: I’m always busy – too busy to think about much.
And keep an eye out for the grand opening of his retail
outlet in Townsville!
Below: the vehicle for James’ success!