Correspondent Samina Rakhshani writes beautifully about the gloriously golden coloured eyelash viper at Taronga zoo, regaling its good looks and highly successful mating history, producing 14 babies this year (“Easy on the eye, this dad has a lash”, “,DT, 9/12). Love at first sight becomes understandable. Lots of sex appeal to scale with its bouncing curvature, enchanting eyes and its apparently overloaded personality, according to zoo snake handler Chris Dryburgh. Looking so impressive has clearly won Chris’s heart in the adorable animal stakes, but before we all reach out for a cuddle, Google advises that all 340 species of vipers are poisonous. I guess we will all have to compromise and have a long distance love affair with these beautiful snakes adorning the Taronga Zoo in their natural glory. Alan Sexton, North Parramatta 10 Dec 2025
