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What Snake Is That Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers Inc PO Box 898 Murwillumbah NSW 2484 Phone 02 6672 4789 Email [email protected] Web: www.tvwc.org NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service General Licence 10051 What is that? t is in the Spring when reptiles snakestart to • Colour of belly bask in the warm sun, search for food, If you can see it, take particular note of and look for a mate to reproduce after belly colour. Brown Tree snakes always have the winter months of relative inactivity. a salmon-coloured belly; Green Tree snakes a More activity also means more yellow one; Brown snakes a cream belly with Ireptiles are hit by cars, brush cutters, and pink blotches; a Small-eyed snake a pinkish-red attacked by dogs and cats. So, reptile carers, belly, and so forth. get ready for a busy season ahead. It is also the time the group gets calls to • Patterns on body remove unwanted visitors from their homes Does the snake have patterns on its body? or environs. Most are not so concerned These may look like tyre treads in the case of about the reptiles with legs, although a full- the Brown Tree snake and the Rough-scaled grown Lace Monitor is quite a scary sight! snake, or bands like the Tiger snake. But a snake in the house is something most • On the ground or up high people are uncomfortable about. As a general rule, highly venomous snakes are As phone volunteers and carers, we need terrestrial, ie they do not climb. If you see a to be able to identify the snakes we get snake up in the rafters, you can be pretty sure Rough-scaled snake calls about, in order to allay fears of the call- it is not a major threat – it is most likely going ers, gauge how urgent the situation is and to be a tree snake or a python. know whether we need to call a venomous or non-venomous snake handler or carer. • Nocturnal or diurnal As citizens of the Tweed, we should know All snakes may come out and bask in the sun about the snakes that co-inhabit our world. at various times of the day, even nocturnal ones (active at night). However, nocturnal Venomous or non-venomous? snakes are less likely to be out for any length Often people only want to know if the snake of time during the day. This indicator will help in their yard poses any threat to them, their identify the snake where there is confusion, eg children, their dog or their guinea pig. of the two dark snakes with a red belly, a Red- A sure way of knowing if the snake is bellied Black snake is diurnal (active during venomous or not is to check the pattern the day) but the Small-eyed snake is nocturnal, of scales on its head. If it has loreal scales apart, that is, from the Red-bellied being thick- between the eye and nostril, it is non-ven- set and the Small-eyed being thin and small. omous. Sometimes the only way to differ- A combination of these key features will entiate between two similar-looking snakes usually be sufficient to accurately identify most is to count the number of scales around the snakes. middle of their body. Keelbacks and Rough- Bandy bandy scaled snakes are often confused, but the Less common Tweed snakes former has 15 to 17 mid-body scales and Although the Tweed’s five most common the latter 23. snakes are described overleaf, several other Of course, most of us do not want to get snakes might be encountered: that close to a snake to check their eyes or count their scales! Instead we need some Rough-scaled snake – a highly venomous more distant indicators of species and, there- snake that can also climb (there always have fore, of the danger posed. to be exceptions to the rule!). Looks similar to a Keelback and is sometimes confused with a Key species indicators Brown snake. When you see a snake there are several key features you should look for that will help Bandy Bandy – a small, distinctive-looking identify it. You cannot go by colour alone. black and white banded snake that is very An Eastern Brown snake could be anything common but not often seen as it lives under- Golden Crowned snake from pale silver to almost black. And a ground and is nocturnal. It is venomous but young Brown snake often has distinct dark not dangerous. bands all around its body. Green tree snakes Golden Crowned snake – a small, venomous can be silver, blue or appear quite black. snake with beautiful markings on its head and • Thin or thick body a very distinct red and black banded belly. Brown snakes and Yellow-faced Whipsnakes Marsh snake – a small, venomous snake found may both be brown, but the Brown is a near creeks and swamps, with obvious streaks thick-set snake and the Whipsnake thin. on the side of its head. • Head distinct or indistinct from body Small-eyed snake – a slender, small black Carpet pythons and Brown Tree snakes have snake with a reddish belly, often thought to heads that are very distinct from the rest of be a Red-bellied Black snake because of this. their bodies, whereas the heads of Brown Often found under logs or in sleeper walls. snakes and Green Tree snakes are continua- Marsh snake tions of their bodies. Tweed's top five snakes Green Tree snake • Non-venomous 1 3 • Diurnal (active during the day) Coastal • Loves eating frogs and skinks Carpet • Arboreal (tree climber) Python • Yellow belly • The most • Head indistinct from its body common • May not be green but can be silver, species in blue, green or almost black the Tweed, often found in rooves, sheds, rafters, chook houses and rabbit cages. • Non- venomous • Mainly nocturnal (active at night) • Eats Yellow-faced Whipsnake mammals, • Very common snake often found in rock and eg rats, mice, 4 sleeper walls possums • Arboreal (tree climber) • Venomous but not dangerous • Distinct blotchy pattern • Diurnal (active during the day) • Distinct head • Eats skinks, frogs and reptile eggs • Unusually maternal. Pythons lay their eggs and then • Terrestrial (ground dweller) wrap themselves around them, staying there until the • Head indistinct from its body eggs hatch. This could mean up to three months without • Very shy and quick feeding or moving. • Distinct yellow patch around eyes 2 Brown Tree snake • Very common, often found in rooves. • Venomous but not dangerous. It is rear- fanged and would need to Eastern Brown snake chew you to envenomate • Very common snake, attracted to rubbish piles you 5 • Highly venomous but not aggressive • Nocturnal • Diurnal (active during the day) • Loves eating • Eats other reptiles and birds! mammals • Arboreal • Terrestrial • Salmon belly • Head indistinct from its • Distinct head body • Commonly called a ‘Night Tiger’ • Very quick mover because of its golden eyes and • Not always brown but vertical pupils can be silver, greenish • Often misidentified as a Brown or rusty coloured, with snake babies being banded. Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers Inc PO Box 898 Murwillumbah NSW 2484 Phone 02 6672 4789 Email [email protected] Web: www.tvwc.org NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service General Licence 10051.
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