<span class="highlight">Snake</span> ID

Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 09:30
ThreadID: 90979 Views:7505 Replies:6 FollowUps:8
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Image Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundCame across this snake one morning while jogging on the beach on Fraser Island. Could anyone ID this snake, it must be some kind of Sea Snake as it has a eel tail. It seemed sick as we stayed with it for about 2 hrs so nobody ran over it. When it finally made it to the surf it just got washed back up on the beach again. It did't seem to be injured but was very slow moving. Cheers Mick
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Reply By: rumpig - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 09:46

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 09:46
we have come across a similar sea snake when on Fraser before aswell. this one was washed up between Indian Head and Champagne Pools about 5 years ago....

AnswerID: 473928

Reply By: The Explorer - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 10:08

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 10:08
Hi

Looks like Stoke's Sea Snake (Astrotia stokesii). Dangerously venomous.

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Follow Up By: Member - Michael and Chris (QL - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 13:19

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 13:19
Hi Greg, dam good thing I have a good side step then. I ended up in the arms of my mates wife who was jogging with us.
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Reply By: Fatso - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 14:08

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 14:08
I foul hooked one while trolling one day. Problem was I wanted my lure back & he was well & truly alive. I pulled him in until he was positioned hanging on the edge of the duck board where I proceeded to bash him with the gaff handle until his head fell off.
2 hours out to sea with 2 little kids on board meant I wasn't taking chances with a poisonous snake.
AnswerID: 473943

Follow Up By: Member - Daryl N (NSW) - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 17:14

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 17:14
I guess it depends on how you value something.
Is the loss of a lure worth more than the loss of a species? This particular species of sea snakeis listed as threatened under the EPBC act. http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/marine-species-list.html
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Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 19:15

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 19:15
Ha Fatso
I hope the bloke that had a go at me for feeding crows isnt reading this post tonight. You could get an eye full.

Muzbry
Great place to be Mt Blue Rag 27/12/2012

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Follow Up By: Fatso - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 10:41

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 10:41
G'day Daryl.
The poor bugger had no chance of survival anyway if I had cut him off. He had 2 sets of triples firmly stuck in him & a 12" halco lure on the end of them.
I'm not realy any more an environmental terrorist trying to wipe another species out than any other adventurous Australian.
I did have a quick browse through that list you put up & did recognise a few species that I personally wonder are that threatened. Some of them are exceptionally common in the North.
Pee Wee, Bush Stone Curlew, Pelican, Rainbow Bee Eater, Spangled Drongo (this is not a type of politician) & even the good old Chip Gull (silver gull) are on the list, but are birds everyone lives with.
Oh I suppose, every body has to make a living doing something.

Next time I go trolling I will try & make sure that my lures only catch Mackerel.
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Follow Up By: Member - Daryl N (NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 13:22

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 13:22
Hi Fatso.
Fair comment. Good effort by the snake to have a go at a 12" lure. Roughly how long was it?
There are some interesting things on the EPBC lists and I sometime wonder how they get put on. In most cases though it is because locally (or regionally)threatened. For example the Bush stone Curlew is common up north but is now almost totaly gone from southern regions of NSW where it was once common.
Enjoy the fishing
Cheers
Daryl
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 17:58

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 17:58
Hi

The Australian Government uses the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) to protect and manage threatened, migratory and marine species.

Migratory and Marine species are not necessarily threatened (some are, most aren’t) and in fact many are very common.

Migratory species are covered by the EPBC Act as they are listed in international agreements to which Australia is a signatory. The Government therefore has an obligation to ensure no actions occur that would have a significant impact on important populations of migratory species (as do other countries by their own laws).

Similar with marine species - "Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Australia has rights and responsibilities over 16 million square kilometres of ocean.." Therefore the Government has an obligation to ensure no significant impact on marine species or ecosystems.

So in both cases just because they are listed under the EPBC Act doesnt mean they are rare or threatened and its more about important populations of migratory or marine species not so much individuals of each species (as most are common anyway).

Anyway – all native Australian fauna is protected by default unless designated vermin/feral or if “exempt” from protection by some other state or federal Act (e.g. I assume fish caught by anglers are exempt somehow or other).

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Follow Up By: Fatso - Thursday, Jan 05, 2012 at 22:22

Thursday, Jan 05, 2012 at 22:22
Yeah pretty gutsy effort for that snake to have a go at my Halco.
From memory it was only about 4'6" long & wasn't much fatter than my lure.

Thanks for the explanation on the EPBC Act as well Greg.
Fatso
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Reply By: gke - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 15:59

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 15:59
Usually eagles, ospreys etc. when they hunt on the beach take their find back to a tree.
One year camped on Fraser there was a dead sea snake on the beach and I watched as a sea eagle swooped down, grabbed it and took it out beyond the breakers before dropping it and returning to a tree.
I was amazed and wondered how they learned (presumably) that they were not for eating.
Cheers, Graham
AnswerID: 473948

Reply By: stoney123 - Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 20:52

Tuesday, Jan 03, 2012 at 20:52
i am camping at meroo and a week ago there were lots of bush mice on my tent at 9pm, now their are none. (you can see one or two speeding about at 5.00am

As campers we have a good relationship with the red bellies here, they curl up next to your tent at night. The mice come to your tent at night looking for food scraps you drop. The snake strikes. You can lay in bed and here the mouse squeal, and then hear the snakes jaws expand and slowly start to crush and swallow the mouse.

No one has ever been bitten here.

We have an agreement with them.

AnswerID: 473985

Reply By: Member - Bucky - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 06:04

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 06:04
Michael & Chris

I am sure I have seen that variety in Camberra.
Usually mixed with a heap of other snakes, carrying on like little children.

I know what it is,

it's a "Politician snake", in it's natural skin.

Cheers
Bucky
AnswerID: 474014

Follow Up By: Member - Michael and Chris (QL - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 21:31

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2012 at 21:31
Hi Bucky,
I know one polly it isn't, Julia wouldn't qualify as the snake was quite slender. Cheers Mick
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