Reptiles Snake thread

[iamdlewis]

Since we have a thread for many animals but not snakes I thought I would start one.

From my trip to Costa Rica an Eyelash Palm Pit Viper. A local guide had said one of these had been around the biding blind the last couple weeks but hadn't been seen in a few days so we lucked out on this.

• ILCE-7RM4
• Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/250 sec
• ISO 1600

 

[Unframed Dave]

Nope!

 

[iamdlewis]

Nope!

I don't see what is wrong with a snake thread we got one for squirrels.

 

[Richard A]

I'll go out looking for some Eastern Browns or Tiger Snakes when I'm down the coast next week.

 

[DaveC Oz]

December 2020 my wife was working in the garden at a friends property. Shortly after working on one garden bed, this Tiger snake emerged.

• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 193.0 mm
• ƒ/5.5999999046326
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 100

• E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS
• 134.0 mm
• ƒ/5.5999999046326
• 1/160 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Richard A]

Did you hear about the Melbourne snake catcher who suffered a deep bite from a Tiger snake a few days ago? He’s lucky to be alive but will probably suffer permanent nerve & muscle damage.

 

[DaveC Oz]

Hadn't heard, but several friends have had dogs bitten this season, and my sister had a small brown in her driveway. My nephew is in northern Victoria on a small farm. He's told us that he sees both Tigers, and Browns almost daily.

 

[Richard A]

There was a young French backpacker working as a farm hand in The Mallee who died from an Eastern Brown bight before Christmas. He was dead when they found him. Also, a lot of dogs have been bitten in SE South Australia apparently.

It's quite surprising, as we have a world wide reputation for having a range of deadly animals here (which we do have) but 2/3 of the animal caused deaths in Australia every year are caused by horses.

Anyway, we have sort of hijacked @iamdlewis' thread here...

 

[AlphaWorld]

I visit zoos a fair bit, and summer before last I was surprised to see a young tiger snake crossing the path - probably barely over a foot long (which means it's MORE dangerous, not less - the young ones tend to empty their venom glands into you). I took a couple of (shaky!) shots of it and showed them to a keeper. They are apparently a common sight at Werribee Open Range zoo in summer, and the keepers are really only concerned if they look to be hanging around on a path (this one crossed the path and headed into bush) - they have a snake catcher on-call pretty much all of daylight savings time.

I mentioned it to a keeper at Healesville Sanctuary (way over the other side of town, in the foothills), and asked if they saw many tiger snakes - "no, mostly copper heads" was the uncomforting reply Melbourne Zoo keepers said they'd seen the occasional Eastern Brown snake, but not often.

Yeah, there are a lot of species of venomous snakes around Australia. But most people rarely see one - I've seen just two in the wild in several decades.

 

[Richard A]

Yeah, there are a lot of species of venomous snakes around Australia. But most people rarely see one - I've seen just two in the wild in several decades.

I actually stood on a Death Adder many years ago, when I was in high school. It was at a place called Wondabyne on the north side of Broken Bay where the train line crosses. I was wearing rock climbing boots & they are short, stubby snakes so it couldn't have bitten me. One of my mates nonchalantly picked it up. We all did know how to handle snakes. It's a pity we didn't have mobile phone cameras back in 1977!

 

[Richard A]

Well if 2/3 of deaths caused animals are from horses I would think your country would be pretty similar...

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Yeah, but horses don’t hang out in trees nor under piles of junk. They don’t scurry across the floor or run up your wall

Have you met Australian horses?

 

[DaveC Oz]

Welcome to Australia, where everything wants to kill you.

Have you met Australian horses?

In defence of Aussie animals, the vast majority are non-lethal. We also do not have, bears, tigers, pumas, etc. and yes, Thad, I've met many Australian horses. , however, may I suggest that we let thread get back to being a photo thread about snakes.

 

[Sdawes]

Since we have a thread for many animals but not snakes I thought I would start one.

From my trip to Costa Rica an Eyelash Palm Pit Viper. A local guide had said one of these had been around the biding blind the last couple weeks but hadn't been seen in a few days so we lucked out on this.
View attachment 57386

Great image ,Laguna Del Lagarto by any chance ?

 

[iamdlewis]

Great image ,Laguna Del Lagarto by any chance ?

The guide put the checklist for that time as "Donde Cope- La Unión de Guápiles". It was at a private bird blind area.

 

[iamdlewis]

• ILCE-1
• Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS (SEL100400GM)
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/800 sec
• ISO 400