SNAKES OF AUSTRALIA

 

SOME SNAKES OF AUSTRALIA

The most deadly Australian snake is undoubtedly the taipan (oxyuranus
scutellatus). There are two types of taipan found in Australia, the coastal taipan
and the inland or western taipan, the latter being the most venomous land snake
found on earth.
Growing to a possible length of 2.9 metres, the taipan has a light olive to dark
brown back with a lighter coloured head. The underbelly is cream in colour. The
taipan can be found in open forests, coastal heaths, grassy beach dunes and
cultivated areas such as cane fields. It lives in the far north of Australia and down
the Queensland coast, but has been found as far north as the Murray river in
western New South Wales.
The taipan is an aggressive hunter, moving at speed through grasslands with ease.
On finding its prey by scent, the reptile flings itself at the victim and inflicts
several rapid bites. Like most other venomous snakes, the taipan uses its venom
sparingly. As they don’t regard man as prey, they have been known to strike and
bite without releasing any venom at all, leading to no adverse effects.
Although the taipan is the deadliest Australian snake, few snakes can match the
sinister reputation of the eastern tiger snake (notechis scutatis). However, recent
observations indicate that their ferocity and aggressiveness are not as bad as once
thought and that actually they are fairly timid. There are different types of tiger
snake found in Australia but they are all highly poisonous and should be avoided.
Until recently tiger snakes held the record for the most snakebite fatalities (now
overtaken by the eastern brown snake).
The body of the tiger snake has cross bands of yellow or cream on a background of
grey, green or brown and this is what gives them their name. They have a heavy
build and can grow up to 1.8 metres. In the wild they are mainly a swamp dwelling
species and are often found around waterways. Their habitat is now threatened by
the clearing of such areas for development. They have been known, though, to
climb into surrounding vegetation to a height of about 1 metre. They mainly feed
on frogs and mice as adults but will take the odd bird or lizard.
Another highly dangerous Australian snake is the copperhead (austrelaps
superbus). Although it is non-aggressive, if provoked it raises its forebody from the
ground and flattens its neck, angry and hissing, ready to strike. Like all other
Australian poisonous snakes it is an elapid, which means it has a neurotoxic
venom. This venom mainly attacks the nerves of the body, but it also contains
blood destroying properties. The poison from elapids is generally very dangerous to
humans and the copperhead is no exception having very potent venom.

Colour and size vary with where you find the snake. However, they can grow up to
1.8 metres in length and can be tan, brown or black. One feature of copperheads
is that they are more tolerant to cold and can be found lying in the sun in mid-
winter when other snakes are hibernating.
The food of the copperhead, like most snakes, is frogs and reptiles. What is
unusual is that they are threats to each other because they are sometimes prone
to cannibalism.
Pythons are also found in Australia, the carpet python (morlelia spilota) being the
most common. There are several different types of carpet python in Australia. They
are widespread and can be found in a variety of habitat from wet tropics to dry,
nearly arid, desert. They can be found in variable colours but usually have lighter
blotches on a darker background. Carpet pythons are also bigger than most
Australian snakes and can grow up to a length of almost 4 metres.
The carpet python is largely nocturnal and preys mainly on mammals, birds and
reptiles. Non-venomous, pythons bite into their prey and, when the prey struggles,
it only sinks further onto the fangs. Next, the python coils around the animal to
squeeze its breath out or, in some cases, to constrict its muscles and cause the
main blood vessels to burst.
One of the easiest snakes to identify in Australia is the bandy bandy (vermicelli
annulata). This is a distinctly marked elapid snake with black and white bands
around it. It is found in 80% of mainland Australia. The bandy bandy averages
about 60cm in length but can grow up to 80cm. It is found in all types of habitat
from rainforest to swamps to deserts. It is usually found during the day under
cover or on a mild night moving around the ground.
The bandy bandy is a crepuscular or after-dark hunter though it seldom feeds due
to its low metabolic rate. Unlike many of its cousins in Australia, it only feeds on
blind snakes.
Being an elapid, the bandy bandy is definitely a poisonous snake and looks
alarmingly dangerous as it resembles the Malay krait and, when threatened, will
flatten its body and raise its body in an aggressive manner. However, the markings
and behavior are a bluff and its venom is only mild and virtually harmless to
humans.