Aussie Snakes

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Mattsnake
Posts: 73
Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Aussie Snakes

Post by Mattsnake »

I thought I would share some photos of some of the Aussie snakes that I have encountered over the last couple of years whilst herping. Unfortunately I haven't managed to photograph everything that I have seen though.. yet there are still a lot of species left to tick off! Some of the pictures have probably been seen before, but I thought I had better get a bit of variety in there! :)

Firstly the pythons..

Children's Pythons (Antaresia childreni)
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Juvenile
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Spotted Python (Antaresia maculosa)
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Stimsons Pythons (Antaresia stimsoni)
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Juvenile
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Black-headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus)
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Juvenile
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Woma Python (Aspidites ramsayi)
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Water Python (Liasis mackloti)
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Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus) - a poor bastard that was on his last 'legs'.
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Coastal Carpet Pythons (Morelia spilota mcdowelli)
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Juvenile

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Centralian Carpet Python (Morelia spilota bredli)
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Diamond Python (Morelia spilota spilota)
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Scrub Python (Morelia kinghorni)
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Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)
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Files and Mangrove snakes...

Arafura File Snake (Acrochordus arafurae)
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Bockadam (Cerberus australis)
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Macleays Water Snake (Enhydris polylepis)
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White-bellied Mangrove Snake (Fordonia leucobalia)
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Richardson's Mangrove Snake (Myron richardsonii)
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The stinky snakes... Colubrids...

Brown Tree Snakes (Boiga irregularis)
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Common Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulata)
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Northern Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis calligastra)
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Slaty-grey Snake (Stegonotus cucullatus)
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Keelback (Tropidonophis mairii)
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Now the decent stuff... Elapids.

Common Death Adders (Acanthophis antarcticus)
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Northern Death Adders (Acanthophis praelongus)
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Desert Death Adder (Acanthophis pyrrhus)
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Highlands Copperhead (Austrelaps ramsayi)
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Australian Coral Snake (Brachyurophis australis)
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Narrow-banded Shovel-nose Snake (Brachyurophis fasciolatus)
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Unbanded Shovel-nose Snake (Brachyurophis incinctus)
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Northern Shovel-nose Snake (Brachyurophis roperi)
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White-crowned Snake (Cacophis harriettae)
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Southern Dwarf Crowned Snake (Cacophis krefftii)
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Golden-crowned Snake (Cacophis squamulosus)
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Eastern Small-eyed Snake (Cryptophis nigrescens)
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Black-striped Snake (Cryptophis nigrostriatus)
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Yellow-faced Whip Snake (Demansia psammophis)
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Lesser Black Whip Snake (Demansia vestigiata)
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Devis' Banded Snake (Denisonia devisi)
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Red-naped Snake (Furina diadema)
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Orange-naped Snake (Furina ornata)
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Brown-headed Snake (Furina tristis)
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Grey Snake (Hemiaspis damelii)
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Marsh Snake (Hemiaspis signata)
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Pale-headed Snake (Hoplocephalus bitorguatus)
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Stephens' Banded Snake (Hoplocephalus stephensii)
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Dwyer's Snake (Parasuta dwyeri)
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Monk Snake (Parasuta monachus)
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Mulga Snakes (Pseudechis australis)
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Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus)
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Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus)
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Pygmy Mulga Snake (Pseudechis weigeli)
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Strap-snouted Brown Snake (Pseudonaja aspidorhyncha)
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Speckled Brown Snake (Pseudonaja guttata)
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Western Brown Snakes (Pseudonaja mengdeni)
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Ringed Brown Snake (Pseudonaja modesta)
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Northern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja nuchalis)
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Eastern Brown Snakes (Pseudonaja textilis)
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Little Spotted Snake (Suta punctata)
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Curl Snake (Suta suta)
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Rough-scaled Snake (Tropidechis carinatus)
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Eastern Bandy Bandy (Vermicella annulata)
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Centralian Bandy Bandy (Vermicella vermiformis)
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..and a dirty Blind Snake to finish it off with...
Ramphotyphlops ligatus
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Dr. Dark
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Dr. Dark »

HOLY SH*T!!! That is what I call an EPIC post! Outstanding photos of so many incredible snakes...too many great ones to even choose a favorite. Well done...well done...
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Joshua Jones
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Joshua Jones »

That's some amazing stuff you've got there! I'm not sure which Elapid I like best, but the Red-bellied black snake is definitely up there.

That Water python was insane. I was not aware that those even existed! Awesome post, thanks for sharing. :thumb:
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Mark Brown
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Mark Brown »

Wow!!! Outstanding post and photos!!!!
mikemike
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by mikemike »

AWESOME post and some great shots of some lesser seen animals on the forum. Thanks for posting
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Will Wells
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Will Wells »

Incredible post! What camera and flash set up are you using?
Mattsnake
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Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Mattsnake »

Thanks everyone!
Will Wells wrote:Incredible post! What camera and flash set up are you using?
It depends on how old the photos are. All are taken with a Nikon D5000 body but some are with an 18-55mm and the on-camera flash, others with a Tamron 90mm macro with the on-camera flash, and others with the same macro but with a speedlite on either side of the camera that fire off the on-camera flash.
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Jeroen Speybroeck
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Jeroen Speybroeck »

Superb!
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Kelly Mc »

Thank You!!!! This is Great :thumb:
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Kelly Mc »

Oh Bandy Bandy! The pic made little song just pop out!
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Brendan
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Brendan »

:beer: Phenomenal set of photos!! Love all the variety in the Brown snakes. Had no idea there were so many.
gretzkyrh4
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

Absolutely epic post! Not sure how it took me two days to notice.

Chris
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Neil M
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Neil M »

WOW those pythons and just all the snakes in general make california seem dull! Awesome post thanks for sharing
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Fundad
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Fundad »

Thanks for sharing.. :thumb:

Don't recall ever seeing so many different Aussie species in one post.. :beer:

:beer:
Fundad
reako45
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Joined: June 12th, 2010, 9:38 am

Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by reako45 »

How to speak Australian; "This post = AWESOME." :thumb: Makes me wanna go right now. The Python speciea alone are worth it not to mention the elapids. My daughter was really into those. :beer: Thank you for sharing, now back to reality.

reako45
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Norman D
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Norman D »

Spectacular post full of great photos of unique snakes! Thanks for sharing and taking the time to put this post together!
vtzZt7
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Joined: August 28th, 2012, 5:54 am

Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by vtzZt7 »

Love keelbacks and red-bellied black snakes (both common around here but who cares).

I bet broad headed snake is on your wants list?
cameron.rognan
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by cameron.rognan »

Fantastic work, both in finding such diversity and in capturing it with photos. Please post the remaining Aussie species when you find them.
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jayder85
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by jayder85 »

This is one of my favorite posts ever on this forum I do believe!

One thing that for some reason stood out to me. The facial features Richardson's Mangrove Snake really reminds me of our Nerodia watersnakes.
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Nshepard
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Nshepard »

Awesome post! You know of any field biologist jobs over there?!
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DaveR
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by DaveR »

This is a GREAT post. Love Aussie snakes. Especially liked the "action" shot of the brown snake (eastern??) striking. Thanks.
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Neil M
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Neil M »

Just looked through this again I love it so much. If i come to Australia, can we talk? This post blows my mind
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Serpentes
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Serpentes »

Very nice shots, Matt. Some good species in there too.
Reptiluvr
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Reptiluvr »

Like everyone else has said, EPIC post. I have certainly gotten an education in Australian snakes. I never knew most of those elapids exist! Thanks for sharing.
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moloch
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by moloch »

Matt,

Those are fantastic photos and what a collection! Looks like you've found most of the species. What are the targets this year?

Great stuff,
David
Mattsnake
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Joined: January 14th, 2011, 6:41 pm
Location: Cairns, Australia

Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Mattsnake »

moloch wrote:Matt,

Those are fantastic photos and what a collection! Looks like you've found most of the species. What are the targets this year?

Great stuff,
David
Thanks David.. it's getting harder to target species this year as I'm tied up with work, but I've already managed to find one of my main targets already this season (dunmalls), which is now all of the brigalow snake species for me. I have 11 more QLD species to go which is my aim... the major ones I want to find though are inland taipans and colletts.
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chrish
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by chrish »

That's all you got? :lol:

Holy cow! Great post, great photos. That was pretty much an online field guide to Australian snakes, except the photography was better than most field guides.
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Sam Bacchini
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by Sam Bacchini »

I agree with everyone else here on the beautiful photos, and great selection of animals. I would love to be able to see all those species in the wild someday.

My one comment is on the water python. While in the past this species was lumped with L. mackloti, the current taxonomy shows all Australian animals from that group to be Liasis fuscus. L. fuscus also occurs in parts of New Guinea, but L. mackloti is restricted to Indonesia.
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venomdoc
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Re: Aussie Snakes

Post by venomdoc »

Great photos :)
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