About Walkabout Reptiles
Walkabout Reptiles
Walkabout Reptiles was established in 2003 by Stephen Boys.
We are:
- Fully Licensed by the DPI to perform mobile wildlife displays: License /Authority No: 48521
- Accredited by the Department of Education (2005)
- Fully insured for Public Lability
- Maintain a current Working with children check
- Full covered for workers compensation
- Maintain a senior first aid certificate
The Stars of the Show
We provide a unique array of wonderful reptiles and frogs from all over our beautiful country!
The usual suspects are:
Crocodilians: Juvenile Saltwater or Estuarine crocodiles
Lizards: Blue tongue lizard, Shingleback lizard, Bearded dragon
Snakes: Black headed python, Children’s python
Amphibians: Green tree frogs
Turtles: Long neck or snake neck turtle
Steve admires an endangered flatback sea turtle whilst working at Sydney Aquarium
Celebrating the launch of the book he co-edited with Fran Stopford,
The Hawkesbury Herpetologist a Retrospective.
(Left to right fellow founding members of the Hawkesbury Herpetological Society – Jim Stopford, Frances Stopford, Jan Banks and Jeff Banks)
Steve rubs shoulders with the wonderful – Val Taylor. Wildlife advocate and conservationist.
About Steve
Stephen Boys is the Director of Walkabout Reptiles and has had a lifelong interest and passion for Reptiles and nature in general. He has studied herpetology at TAFE under the guidance of well know herpetologist/Author Harold Ehman.
He worked with ABEL Ecology in the Blue Mountains for a stint, whereby Stephen was employed and participated in many field work/survey activities in search of endangered or threatened species.
In the late 1980’s he participated in the WIRES reptile handling course, where participants were educated on reptile handling techniques, including our deadly elapid species.
With a deep commitment to conservation, he spent six years around this time volunteering for WIRES in the Blue Mountains region, rescuing, caring for and releasing many species of native wildlife back into their natural habitat, including snakes.
A founding member of the Hawkesbury Herpetological Society in 1993, he went on to become co-editor with Frances Stopford in 1994. He spent the next 20 years contributing, producing and editing both the Broadhead newsletter and the popular publication the Hawkesbury Herpetologist, originally started by herpetologist – Richard Wells. This culminated in a final book on the History of the Society that was produced in 2016 – titled the Hawkesbury Herpetologist – A retrospective. A publication he and the society is extremely proud of.
In the early 2000’s Steve worked at both Sydney Aquarium and what was then known as Wildlife World. Here he assisted in the development of public display techniques and related standard operating procedures for reptiles at this facility.
In 2003 he established his own reptile display business that was initially known as Blue Mountains Reptile Displays. This name would soon after be changed to the more unique and easily identifiable – Walkabout Reptiles.
There was conscious effort to create a new style of presentation, not experienced before in Australia. Here Steve would combine a talent for song writing and his love of reptiles and dose of Aussie of humour to develop the Walkabout Reptiles Musical show.
This created something truly unique that friends have described as a cross between Steve Irwin and the wiggles!
Nevertheless, this has become one his most popular displays and has been performed to tens of thousands of fun loving kids and adults for that matter for just over 20 years and has become one of his most requested performances.
Still today, Steve’s prime motivation is to create an educational experience that engages the young minds of tomorrow, instilling a deep respect and admiration for ALL creatures and our wonderful array of reptiles, with the hope that they will carry and pass this on for generations to come
Steve and wife the ‘Fabulous Franca’ get to cuddle and Anaconda