What Snake Is This

[Redback]

Came across this fella at Woods Point near Orbost on the Snowy River, when I first spotted him I thought he/she was a red belly black, but as I approached it I started to change my mind, first because it didn't move, second it doesn't have a red belly and third it had faint stripes of dark brown and black and what looks like a blue/grey belly and viper type head.

It was about 4' long (just over a metre)
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/DSC06577.sized.jpg
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/DSC06576.sized.jpg
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/DSC06574.sized.jpg

Baz.

[nealo]

A poisonous one!!!!

Trouser snake ??

Sorry...couldnt help myself:p

[JLo]

Tiger Snake
Highly variable species

[cookiesa]

That gets my vote too... also known to be very aggressive without provactation.

[Redback]

A poisonous one!!!!

Trouser snake ??

Sorry...couldnt help myself:p

Trouser snakes aren't that big, well mine isn't anyway:eek:


Tiger Snake
Highly variable species

I was thinking that, hence why I didn't get too close, I know they will strike if approached and not bugger off like the Red Belly will.

Baz.

[JLo]

<< ...I know they will strike if approached and not bugger off like the Red Belly will>>

Don't want to start brawl about snakes but I have come across (no pun intended) quite a few tigers and other 'aggressive' types and the only time they get angry is when they feel as though they are cornered or under attack, otherwise they all take off pretty quickly.

The one in your photo felt reasonably secure otherwise he would have reared its head & flattended its neck to look bigger and be ready to strike.



Cheers

[Cap]

Thats a common house snake, very good as a pet, especially around children and dogs. :p :p

[crump]

Common Tiger snake.

[Vern]

4th most venimous snake!:eek:

[scarry]

Great family pet,keeps the rats & mice away,no expensive vet bills,doesn't bark all night,doesn't need feeding every day.Don't have to take it for a walk.

Might even keep the inlaws away:p:p:D

[td express]

your a braver man than me Baz, for me to get that close to a snake would require a big ol zoom while sitting on the roof of the car...

:eek:

[Redback]

your a braver man than me Baz, for me to get that close to a snake would require a big ol zoom while sitting on the roof of the car...

:eek:

Yep that's what I used, I always give them plenty of room;)

Steve Irwin I am not:D

Baz.

[JDNSW]

your a braver man than me Baz, for me to get that close to a snake would require a big ol zoom while sitting on the roof of the car...

:eek:

Personally I prefer to get close enough to use open sights.

John

[Treads]

Personally I prefer to get close enough to use open sights.

John

+1 :p

[jplambs]

Personally I prefer to get close enough to use open sights.

John

No, thats what shotguns are for,;) already had to kill one of them this year. It had killed one dog and was having a go at the second.:(

[JohnF]

I've caught a number of live snakes but will not comment on one by a picture. But a brown snake can be stripped like a tiger, and can be jet black like a red belly black. Often a black colored brown snake will have a lighter head to the rest of its body.
I have never seen the Copperhead snake which is in that area, hence reluctance to identify snakes from photo. But I would guess it may be a brown snake.

Back in the early 1990's the first Tiger Snake that I ever caught alive was a mid grey and had no stripes. Since I have a wall chart map showing where Australian Snakes are found and that chart showed that there are no Tiger snakes where I live, so that I did not recognise it as a Tiger Snake, and took it to a snake expert for ID. We did scale counts [I counted, he held its head] and it was definately a mainland tiger.

National Parks recorded its capture on their computer after my friend showed a Ranger this snake, as it was the first confirmed live Tiger Snake from our area. [I since caught two more tiger snakes on our place, and another one was found from my place, killed on the veranda of our house by a previous owner, well before we moved to the area, found preserved in a bottle of Metho].

He found a newspaper article that pictured another Tiger Snake after it had been killed just across the road from my house [He was studying enviromental science at Southern Cross Uni at the time, and this was done for a Uni Thesis].

I have been shown Eastern Brown Snakes both with and without stripes, and from a cream color to almost jet black. A Red Belly Black Snake is fairly harmless [but do not get bitten] but if you do not see the bright red belly do not go near one.

The brown ranks as the third most deadly in the world behind the Two Tiapans, the Inland Tiapan and the Coastal Tiapan.

[crump]

Common Tigers used to be found as far up the east coast as Maryborough,QLD. Habitiat loss and the introduction of the Cane Toad drastically reduced the numbers in the last half of last century in this northern part of its range.A population that existed near Maryborough approx 20 years ago is now presumed extinct, but the species is still relatively abundant in the Border Ranges area of QLD.Colouration can be highly variable but it can be easily distinguished from most other species by its stocky build realtive to body length and broad blunt head as well as more rugose scalation.The threat dispaly involves flattening of the neck/nape to a much greater degree than most other large elapids, and is somewhat "cobraesque'. The snake pictured is a Common Tiger Snake.

[davewalk]

Looks similar to the 6ft tiger I discovered in my compost bin that caused a large and sudden bowel evacuation.:o

[crump]

Looks similar to the 6ft tiger I discovered in my compost bin that caused a large and sudden bowel evacuation.:o
Lucky you were near the compost bin, but I'll pass on your homegrown veges.:D

[davewalk]

Lucky you were near the compost bin, but I'll pass on your homegrown veges.:D

Funnily enough, it was a good crop of vegies that year!

[moose]

I spotted one of these the other day. I nearly ran it over on my mountain bike, but spotted it in time to stop. It looked fairly mad and flattened out it's neck when I came along, then continued on it's way thankfully. Looked the same colouring as the one in the pics, and about the same size.

[CraigE]

Looks like a tiger to me. The best way to identify is by the shape of the head and any markings / colouration around the head. Tigers vary dramatically in colours and markings which is why you look at the head if unsure. As said it is possible it is some sort of brown too. Will have to look at my book when I get home.
The colouration of a tiger can vary from blac/blue through to brown with or without stripes. The head is very distinct from the body in shape. The belly can vary from pale yellow right through to red (hence why a lot of people including myself thought they have seen red bellied blacks in WA, where they dont live). Have also had someone swear we get yellow bellied black in WA (snake does not exist).


Tiger Snakes

The Tiger snake is a venomous species that is located in Australia, primarily in the southern areas. It is also found in Tasmania and the coastal islands of Australia. The Tiger snake comes in a variety of colors, depending on their region of location. They are all classified under the genus Notechis as well as further subdivisions of Notechis.

The Tiger snake is part of the family Elapidae and is restricted primarily to tropical regions near Australia. This species is a large group of various populations with much differences in color and size. There are also color variations according to the season.The Tiger snake can be up to 7 ft (2.1 meters) in length. Its pattern consists of darker bands that contrast or are indistinct and are anywhere from pale to dark in color. Colors include yellow, olive, jet back, or orange brown. Usually, the underside of the snake is lighter in color and orange or yellow. The Tiger snake makes use of its venom to kill its prey and if it feels threatened, it will bite an aggressor, usually as a last resort. If a human is bit by a Tiger snake, it can be fatal potentially. This species of snake can tolerate low temperatures although ti is usually more active on nights that are warmer.

Tiger snakes do not lay eggs. They give birth to live young, usually between 12 - 40. This species is not usually aggressive and will usually try to get away when danger ensues. If they are threaten, they will flatten out their neck and raise their body off the ground in a threatening and intimidating manner.

Depending on where the Tiger Snake lives, there is a wide disparity of characteristics in this species. These snakes are also classified according to the island or region where they live. If you are trying to identify the Tiger snake, you should remember that the color is not a very reliable method of identifying them. That is because there is a large number of acceptable colors for this species. The best way to identify the Tiger snake is with a scale count or venom test kit.

[Bush65]

With respect to the other posters, if Crump says it is a Common Tiger (or what ever), that is the clincher for me.

[3 Sisters]

Browns have a smaller head don't they?
Red bellies also flatten neck a lot, and I've seen one raise it in captivity.
Not sure why, but I always grab em on the tail, always let go straight away, as they go spastic. Not sure how they pick them up, I think I'd use a forked stick for that.
The last brown I grabbbed, that was fairley long, went under my car, I ran around to see where it went, but couldn't find it out the other side, I feared my Disco or working under it for months after that.
At least I think it's a brown(brindabella MTNs near canberra).
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9184/p1010061k.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/i/p1010061k.jpg/)

[crump]

thats an Eastern Brown.As for tail grabbing(if you dont know what it is and what your doing, leave them alone) as the weight of the animal "takes up" you can actually feel the vertabrae connective tissue or whatever seperating or stretching, I doubt they find this pleasant.In certain species hatchlings you can actually do permanent damage by simply unravelling them from a branch.

[CraigE]

As said do not pick snakes up by the tail as this hurts them and causes injury. Generally just let them go their own way.