Snake experts please
Submitted: Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 21:52
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Motherhen
This tiny snake pounced on and wrapped itself around a little silver
lizard at
Pine Creek NT. The
lizard turned ghostly white, although the
grey tail shows its real colour. After a couple of minutes, the snake released its bite and the
lizard ran away. It was hard to get a clear photo in the stippled light.
Motherhen
Reply By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:09
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:09
Now for the photo i forgot to include!
Image Could Not Be Found
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Travelin OZ - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:23
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:23
Western Brown.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Teege (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:40
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:40
Yep I'll agree with that.
Western brown snake Pseudonaja nuchalis
Image Could Not Be FoundWestern brown snake. Copyright: Queensland Museum
Also known as the Gwardar, this is a highly variable species ranging from light brown to almost black above, but typically having
orange spots on the belly. They are active primarily during the day, but may forage at night during the summer months. This species occurs in a variety of habitats ranging from dry forests and woodland to central deserts. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals and reptiles.
Length: Up to 1.5m
WARNING: HIGHLY VENOMOUS/DANGEROUS
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Teege (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:44
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 at 22:44
Sorry, should have said that info is from the Qld EPA site.
teege
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 07:39
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 07:39
So if the Snake did bite the
Lizard it wouldn't take long to die ?, may be it was a meal for him / her after all.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 08:37
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 08:37
"WARNING: HIGHLY VENOMOUS/DANGEROUS"...but but but, the
lizard ran away
FollowupID:
645995
Follow Up By: KiwiAngler - Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 17:13
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 17:13
snakes have the option of biting but non envenomating - perhaps he/she took pity on the
lizard and just 'hugged' it :-)
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:07
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:07
Hi Daza
It was only a baby, and perhaps it had 'bitten off more than it could chew'. I probably startled it when i took a second photo using the flash. The
lizard well may have been envenomated - no guarantee it lived after i saw it escape.
Mh
FollowupID:
647925
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 20:59
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 20:59
Hi Travelling OZ, Teege and The Explorer - what are you like on lizards? I will try and put a picture at the end of this thread.
Mh
FollowupID:
647992
Reply By: Racey - Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 12:42
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 12:42
Hi
I think it is a black headed python, non venemous, which would account for the
lizard running off.
Cheers
Racey
AnswerID:
378641
Follow Up By: Travelin OZ - Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 21:45
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 21:45
Pythons have small scales, venomous snakes have large scales, this snake is a venomous snake, hence my reply, Western brown.
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Reply By: Kiwi100 - Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 13:45
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 13:45
Looks like a juvenile black-headed python to me. The photo isn't too clear but the Western Brown has a less-distinct (from the body) head. The
pic suggests a distinct head shape, therefore a python.
Easiest
test would be to find it again and pick it up. If we don't hear from you it WAS a Western Brown and I'm truly sorry that I misadvised you. ;-)
Michael
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 14:05
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 14:05
Hi
Black-headed Pythons have "many irregular dark brown to black bands (more conspicuous in juveniles than adults)" Storr et al 2002. These are not evident in the picture. Fact that the
lizard ran away doesnt prove much - i.e. is the
lizard still alive? Did the snake actually inject any venom - not impossible that it didnt.
Always hard to identify from a single picture - but all good fun.
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 Lifetime Member
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:08
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:08
Not a python Michael, but thanks for your input.
Mh
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 20:55
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 20:55
And i even went back to
Pine Creek, but never found him!
Although venomous, babies that size usually can't open their mouths wide enough to bite anything more than a finger. Maybe it was a good thing i never found him again. Scale count underneath would have confirmed the identification.
Mh
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 21:01
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 21:01
Hi The Explorer
What are you like on Lizards? I will try and post a
pic at the end of this thread.
Mh
FollowupID:
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Reply By: VH-GU4 - Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 14:21
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 14:21
It could be a legless
lizard?? Plenty of them around.
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:06
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:06
No, i was a snake, although only a baby.
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 21:00
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 21:00
IT was a snake (i am a chook)
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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Thoughtfully- Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 17:03
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 at 17:03
Stippled?
AnswerID:
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Reply By: get outmore - Thursday, Aug 13, 2009 at 01:18
Thursday, Aug 13, 2009 at 01:18
there are numerous snakes/pythons and legless lizards with black heads or hoods so while an perfect ID isnt possible Im definitly going with the first ID of Gwarder
- I have certainly seen ones simular
very strange it was released - im thinking you disturbed it? but then who would try and guess a wild animals motives for anything
adult Gwarder still showing black head
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:10
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 16:10
Hi getoutmore
I do agree with you and the others that it was a Gwardar. In the SW we have the similar shaped dugite, and the juveniles at that size have a dark and slighly larger head.
Mh
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: get outmore - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 18:42
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 18:42
The dugite is very closely related and while often adults can be told apart by coloration the juviniles would be very simular. Exact ID is done by scale count and from memory one has 2 more mid belly scales
- not for the amatuer
Dugite
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 20:48
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 20:48
Yes getoutmore, the dugite and gwardar have divided underbelly scales from vent to tail tip. I think they are the only ones with that pattern.
What are you like on identifying lizards (outside of WA/SA)?
Mh
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 21:04
Wednesday, Aug 26, 2009 at 21:04
Image Could Not Be Found
This fellow was taken at
Camooweal Billabong. I saw another at Adel's Grove (
Lawn Hill). They were about 200 plus mm long, and ran with the tail curled up. Pinkish shade to the spotted body (hard to get colours when they are in the shadows).
Motherhen
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, Aug 27, 2009 at 01:00
Thursday, Aug 27, 2009 at 01:00
Hi
Definitely a "Goanna" i.e. Varanus. My guess is
young Merten's Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi). They grow to 1.1m
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 Lifetime Member
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Moderator |
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