Journal archives for November 2020

23 November, 2020

Identifying snakes in Albany and surrounds

Albany is not a hard area to identify snakes. The most common species living here are Dugites and Tiger snakes. these are not very similar in appearance, but they can be similar, especially when the dugite is a darker color. I have noticed a tendency for dugites living here to be a darker colour than in areas further north, where it is quite warm. Maybe it is because down south it is beneficial to be a darker color that soaks up the sun.
Anyway, Dugites do have lots of differences to tiger snakes. Dugites are generally very fast to escape, and rarely confront you unless cornered. however, if they are startled or cornered, they may raise their forebody from the ground in an 's' shape and open their mouth. This is very different to a tiger snake which typically flattens its body, but similar to a short-nosed snake... Dugites have a narrower head than a tiger snake, and a longer, thinner body. they are often found in bushland, whereas a tiger snake prefers area with water. Dugites are more likely to escape before you see them, but tigers are lazy little beasts, and I have known them to sit there and flatten their neck at me because they just want to 'keep their spot in the sun.' This is not them being territorial. No snake is territorial, and they will not fight you- if they can help it. If you give a snake an escape route, it will always take it. Often a snake will advance toward you to make you retreat, but this is just a ploy to give it some space. Here is a great documentary on snake behaviour- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yJHEZfH-DE&feature=emb_title

There are other snakes in Albany.
Some species that you may see include-
South western carpet python- this species is easy to recognize, however it is not as common as it once was, and can be found in very few areas around Albany now.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6744&subview=grid&taxon_id=32171

Bardick- also easy to recognize, it is brown and can be dangerously venomous
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6744&subview=grid&taxon_id=35270

Short nosed snake- a harmless, grey, cute snake. See below.

Crowned snake- also small and harmless, but has a bar across the nape
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6744&subview=grid&taxon_id=539637

Muller’s snake- very rare; still no photo of a living specimen on INat
https://www.google.com/search?q=Rhinoplocephalus+bicolor&safe=active&hl=en&sxsrf=ALeKk022Yo6cxOFenjatTG1VS47_CDQUuw:1606094379799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwii_e7nv5ftAhWxyzgGHbDjCCoQ_AUoAXoECCwQAw&biw=1920&bih=937

Posted on 23 November, 2020 01:23 by snakesrcool snakesrcool | 7 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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