Help me with a SNAKE!

[J@se]

Hi, I know there's a few Herp nerds/Snake enthusiasts on here and was wondering if I may be able to ask for some knowledge.

Location is Southern Sydney, inside the RNP. My back yard borders directly with the bush (Via a fire break)

Today I was in the backyard when I spotted a snake headed into my Laundry door from my lovely Wifes planting pots. It was ~ 80cm in length and when I got closer to check it out it disappeared into the wall of the house in a gap where the hot water pipe goes into the gyprock. I was thinking either Juvenile Brown or Green Tree Snake. I waited a while, had a Bex and a lie down. When I returned, my little mate was back on the floor of the Laundry and I managed to remove him with a minimum of fuss. It was not aggressive in the slightest during my removal. BTW long handled window squeegees are great snake pinner-downerers. The foam wipey bit ensured he remained un-bruised. I grabbed his tail and out we trotted. :fear:

So I'm thinking maybe a Green Tree Snake? We have lots of Red Bellied Blacks around and a huge Frog populace, but I've never seen a brown around. What do youse reckon?

Here is a pic I took post release.




Stock shot of a nice Green Tree Snake.

 

[thecat]

Certainly looks like a Green Tree Snake, Dendrelaphis punctulata.

 

[mxdame]

Chances are you will not see a brown as they don't get on with red belly's & while you don't want either snake hanging around, it is much better to have blacks than browns. The snake you had was a common tree snake.

 

[Comic Book Guy]

Looks like a Green Tree Snake to me.

One time I was riding my mtb down a local fire trail. The trail turns right at the bottom of a small descent. As I came around the bend I spotted one of these ahead of me on the trail. It had heard me coming and had lifted its head in the air (like in this photo). As its head came up the scales on the underside just happened to catch the afternoon sun and its whole underside shimmered. F*cking amazing.

 

[thecat]

Chances are you will not see a brown as they don't get on with red belly's .

Bit of a misconception that. While a large black will eat a smaller brown if nothing else is on offer its the same visa versa.

The reason you don't often see them in the same area is they prefer different habitates. Red bellies stay near water ways, streams, rivers, creeks, and wetland areas. Browns pretty much every where else, only going down to the water for a drink. There has been plenty of observational evidence of the two species sharing the same bunk in the boarder areas.

 

[J@se]

Thanks for the help fellas! Its good to have my suspicions confirmed, I like all snakes but the Brown is the bottom of my like list, especially around home. Red Bellies are not an issue IMO.


It was a really good natured little fella, quite timid, but was pretty easy to handle and a beautiful colour (the phone shot didn't do it justice!). I now have a soft spot for Green Tree Snakes!

 

[mxdame]

Bit of a misconception that. While a large black will eat a smaller brown if nothing else is on offer its the same visa versa.

Yeah I know these sweeping statements are never exactly right, but on our farm in Armidale we only ever see blacks or browns, never a mix of the 2 at the same time. I would prefer not to see any of them..

 

[The Duckmeister]

I was a really good natured little fella, quite timid, but was pretty easy to handle and a beautiful colour (the phone shot didn't do it justice!). I now have a soft spot for Green Tree Snakes!

Definitely not a brown then! "Timid" is not a word that could ever be used to describe them!

 

[J@se]

Definitely not a brown then! "Timid" is not a word that could ever be used to describe them!

Indeed. My backup shovel was at hand if things went south.

Its funny, it was playing peekaboo with me every time I looked at it it would duck back behind my hot water heater, then poke its head back out when I looked away! I've never seen a snake behave like it, I actually had a laugh when it was doing it.

 

[nzhumpy]

On the subject of snakes while the experts are in the house, not much of a description but all I have.

We were riding in the Blue Mtns on Sat and I was the first down the trail from our group, going along at a decent clip when something snags my rear wheel (the bike physically jolted and slowed) I kept going as I thought I just hooked a semi buried root or branch. I stop at the next clearing and wait for the others, next one comes down and asks how my heart rate is as he had to bunny hop a 1.0 -1.3m snake lying across the middle of the trail (black with yellow/light? underneath), next guy down wonders what we're on about as he saw nought.

I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure I would have screamed like a schoolgirl if I saw this thing, let alone having a go at me...

 

[sxereturn]

nzhumpy, it would have been the same species - Common/Green Tree Snake.

The Duckmeister, Browns are amongst the most timid/shy/nervous of the lot. What is often labeled as aggression is really just defensive behaviour. Don't be threatening and they won't be defensive.

 

[Mywifesirrational]

I grabbed his tail and out we trotted. :fear:

J@se, you have large balls of steel!

I used to be pretty relaxed around snakes, until an eastern brown chased me 30m down a track last October, it was gaining as I was wearing a 25kg pack and simultaneously shitting my daks.

Good looking snake.

 

[The Duckmeister]

nzhumpy, it would have been the same species - Common/Green Tree Snake.

The Duckmeister, Browns are amongst the most timid/shy/nervous of the lot. What is often labeled as aggression is really just defensive behaviour. Don't be threatening and they won't be defensive.

I was at a seminar presented by a snake-catcher recently, and he described Browns' behaviour as "active defence". Yes, they will only strike if they feel threatened, but their eyesight is comparitively good as far as snakes go, so they tend to be a lot more reactive than other snakes. "Timid" was not a term that was used in relation to them! Tigers are actually a lot more timid/docile, perhaps partially 'cos their sight is crap; they won't see you until you're almost standing on them. The massive Chappell Island Tigers are so docile they can be picked up & they'll only wriggle a bit & not really bother having a go.

 

[nzhumpy]

nzhumpy, it would have been the same species - Common/Green Tree Snake.

Thanks mate, still glad I never saw it.

 

[No Skid Marks]

An adult green. They only get this big if there's lots of dogs nearby.

 

[thecat]

nzhumpy, it would have been the same species - Common/Green Tree Snake.

This time of year in the Bluies? Would have suggested copperhead.

. Tigers are actually a lot more timid/docile, perhaps partially 'cos their sight is crap; they won't see you until you're almost standing on them. The massive Chappell Island Tigers are so docile they can be picked up & they'll only wriggle a bit & not really bother having a go.

A snake isn't going to have a go at something it not likely to eat unless it feels the need to defend itself. Chappell Island tigers are huge and the adults have no natural predators, therefore they don't feel threatened too often. Still wouldn' be picking one up unless you really know what you are doing...

Browns on the other hand see most things as a threat. They can't hold a baseball bat (cas they got no arms) so that leave a bit of threat posturing, a quick escape and if all else fails fangs and venom

 

[J@se]

View attachment 262706An adult green. They only get this big if there's lots of dogs nearby.

Thats about how big it looked when I saw it sliding into the Laundry!:behindsofa:

 

[redbruce]

nzhumpy, it would have been the same species - Common/Green Tree Snake.

The Duckmeister, Browns are amongst the most timid/shy/nervous of the lot. What is often labeled as aggression is really just defensive behaviour. Don't be threatening and they won't be defensive.

Anyone who has spent a lot of time in the bush will know this is not quite true.

J@se, you have large balls of steel!

I used to be pretty relaxed around snakes, until an eastern brown chased me 30m down a track last October, it was gaining as I was wearing a 25kg pack and simultaneously shitting my daks.

Good looking snake.

Much more typical. 30m 'aint being defensive, its being agro.

I was at a seminar presented by a snake-catcher recently, and he described Browns' behaviour as "active defence". Yes, they will only strike if they feel threatened, but their eyesight is comparitively good as far as snakes go, so they tend to be a lot more reactive than other snakes. "Timid" was not a term that was used in relation to them! Tigers are actually a lot more timid/docile, perhaps partially 'cos their sight is crap; they won't see you until you're almost standing on them. The massive Chappell Island Tigers are so docile they can be picked up & they'll only wriggle a bit & not really bother having a go.

On the money.

 

[outtacontrol]

Yeah I'm not sure about the whole timid thing. I have come across some Browns a few times, always been at least 5m from them and always stand still (like frozen, and it has always ended with them coming at me fast and hysterical screaming.

Usually in that order...

 

[The Duckmeister]

Chappell Island tigers are huge and the adults have no natural predators, therefore they don't feel threatened too often. Still wouldn' be picking one up unless you really know what you are doing...

True dat last bit.

Lack of predators is not the primary reason that the Chappell Is. tigers are so big; it's dietary. The island is home to a huge muttonbird rookery, far bigger than any of the other islands in the area (for a reason known only to the birds themselves). Muttonbirds nest in burrows, which is quite handy on two fronts for the snakes.. Not only do they get a nice warm bed, there's a captive dinner. The easy pickings are also a step further up the food ladder in terms of size that most other populations of tiger snakes don't have access to.

It's quite similar to the supersized McFatMeals causing the obesity problems in human populations (expressed extremely simplistically).