Snake Identification please
Submitted: Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:16
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Member - bungarra (WA)
Been asked to identify this snake. Peel Region WA.
No comments on the fact that is dead please.!
I am simply asking as I have been asked and it is an unusual one to me
Thanks
What snake?
Reply By: The Explorer - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:37
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:37
Hello
Looks like a Gwardar (Pseudonaja nuchalis)
Same pattern (but a bit darker) shown in this picture here..
Gwardar pics
When you say the "peel region" can you be more specific - on the coastal plain or up in the hills?
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: Member - bungarra (WA) - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:45
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:45
Forgot to add we are talking the same snake......just two different common names....as we know they can look quite different in pics.....I found a pic almost identical in one of my reference books
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Reply By: Member - bungarra (WA) - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:42
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:42
Thanks Greg
Found on the coast near
Mandurah inside a house. I have told them I believe it to be a Western Brown
Graeme
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:45
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 15:45
yeah - same thing
i.e. Gwardar = Western Brown
Didn't think they got that far south but would appear they do.
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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Reply By: Member - Serendipity(WA) - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 16:24
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 16:24
Its a big un - be careful
Slippery sucker.
LOLOLOLOLOLO
David
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Reply By: Motherhen - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 18:41
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 18:41
The best prove of ID is to check the scalation on the under side. The south west snake I am most familiar with is the Dugite, a member of the brown snake family, and "cousin" of the wheatbelt Gwardar. It has divided scales from vent to tail tip, and single scales across the rest of its underbelly. I think the Gwardar is not quite the same, but I am away from
home and my snake books.
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 19:53
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 19:53
Hi
Gwardar has same divided anal and subcaudal scales as Dugite so underbelly scales are no help in ID (Mulga Snakes (King Brown) and Tiger Snakes are different so maybe that's what you are thinking about).
Other scales on the body need to be used to separate Dugites from Gwardars (e.g count of midbody scales, and type of rostral scales). Also Dugites are confined to lower southwest and wheatbelt - Gwardars are almost state wide (excluding extreme south west - rough line from ~
Mandurah to
Esperance).
Yes using colour patterns can lead to errors - Gwardars have amazing array of colour morphs, Dugites less so. Have to be a bit careful as some look the same (colour pattern wise) hence my surprise at a Gwardar in
Mandurah - didn't think they occur there but based on pattern that's what it looks like...could be wrong.
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: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Monday, Mar 21, 2016 at 20:48
Monday, Mar 21, 2016 at 20:48
that's an interesting site. Thanks for sharing!
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Reply By: Member - bungarra (WA) - Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 20:33
Saturday, Mar 12, 2016 at 20:33
Thanks to you both
I am very familiar with the Dugite, tigers etc as unfortunately they are hear on the damn lawn and verandahs very regularly. Also I have come across the Mulgas etc when out prospecting many times.
As it is only a photo it is difficult however the patterns are very distinct and I have never seen that variation on any of our more common Dugite's. The text book and internet pics simply dont have the number of variations that exist out there.
My reference book "Australian Reptiles and Amphibians" by Leonard Cronin has a really good pic and it is surprisingly so close to the pic I was supplied that I am 100% stratified it is a Gwadar - Western Brown..........even though it was the Yunderup area..
Thanks for your contributions all of you
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