what snake is this??

[Liz]

Just about choked on my lunch when this snake slithered across my .... enclosed front veranda!!!!!!!!!! :eek: It was less than 2 metres from me, where/was sitting on the couch :scared3:
Had to race for camera, of course, then try and shut front glass doors, before it could backtrack, attack and bite me :eek::eek:
It took quite awhile to find its way out (20 minutes seemed like 2 hrs to me) then it slithered under the screen, and is now laying in wait for me ouitside!!:scared2:
Is it a brown snake?? Certainly brown in colour, thin, little head and beady eyes, and well over 1 metre long.
I have now lathered front veranda edges in surface spray :thumbsup:

[Quark]

Not sure about what species, I have had a few encounters with Brown snakes and this guy looks a bit like one.

I must say if it was me I would have been going for the long handled shovel rather than the camera. Might pay to leave a shovel by the door for a while.

Regards
Trevor

[pmrid]

Well, it doesn't seem to be a green tree snake (i.e. harmless) because there doesn't seem to be any kind of pattern on it and (from what I can see) the underside is not yellowish as I would have expected. It could well be a brown which have a cream belly, and it's skin on the back seems more or less a uniform colour. They grow to 1.5-2 metres and have a range opf colourations. You said it was a brown colour I think. I'm not sure what surface spray will do to it. Haven't heard of that one before.
Peter

[sheeny]

Looks like a brown to me, but given you're in Townsville a Taipan is not out of the question. I remember Taipans were very common around Cairns when I used to live there, but I can't tell from the photos:shrug:.

Al.

[jjjnettie]

I agree with you Al. I'd say a Taipan.
If he keeps hanging around, I'd call the Council and have them remove him.
DON'T let anyone try heroics with this baby.

[gary]

Hi Liz,

Lucky you. ;)

I am no herpetologist but as Al & Jeanette mention, it does look
similar in appearance to the Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) in our
"Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia" by Wilson & Swan.

The book describes -



Are you sure you just didn't want to trump Jeanette's recent python photos?
Taipan beats Python, right? :lol:

[gregbradley]

Its either a Taipan or a Brown snake and either way extremely dangerous.

Usual advice is to leave it alone. Some snakes can be aggressive but often will leave you alone if you don't harrass them, with Tiger snake a possible exception.

Most bites occur from people trying to kill them.

There are snake traps for sale on the net. There is also a spray that is supposed to repell them.

They are attracted to areas where there is food like milk, rats, mice and also often like to live under corrugated iron. So keep debris down, get rid of mice,rats and other food sources, make sure you don't have milk around say for a cat etc. I hear snakes love milk. They also are attracted to water sources like ponds, dams where they can drink and also catch frogs.

Not sure about Taipans but browns have very shallow fangs - 4mm or so. So thick gumboots may offer protection.

I agree I'd call the council and have it caught by a professional if its hanging around the house.

Greg.

[Liz]

Thanks all for imformative comments - neither good news, be it a Brown or a Taipan!!
Trev - not going near ANY snake with a shovel, way too scary
pmrid - I would think surface sparay may deter any crawly coming onto veranda, and I will keep thinking/hoping that
Lets hope it heads over to the neighbours now, the neighbour is very handy with the shovel :)

[jjjnettie]

:lol: I'll bet one Python and raise you 2 brown snakes.:rofl:

[gregbradley]

Snakes smell through their tongue which is very sensitive. I have heard petrol or acetone etc burns their tongue and I am sure they'd want to get away from it so surface spray may well have a certain workability.

Of course all this is not proven and we are talking about an extremely venomous animal. Lucky its not spring and mating time, it might be more aggressive.

Greg.

[Liz]

haaa :D ..... you can wins hands down in the snake AND spider department, jjj.
Last year I did have a python living in the eaves over my back door for a few weeks. Wasnt so bad as knew he was a goody, but dont like either.

[jjjnettie]

I was at Shoal Water Bay during K81 and one of the boys from my Unit had to be airlifted to hospital.
A Taipan had bitten though his gaiters and boots.

[Liz]

Thankyou Greg, sounds pretty logical to me.

[gary]

According to this document published by NSW Health which is part of
"Snakebite and Spiderbite Clinical Management Guidelines" -
http://www.health.sa.gov.au/DesktopModules/SSSA_Documents/LinkClick.aspx?tabid=57&mid=403&table=SSSA_Documents&field=ItemID&id=257&link=C%3A%5CDocuments+and+Settings% 5Cdhc000033%5CDesktop%5CA+HEAT+(Sto re)%5CSA+Snakebite+Guide+screenres. pdf

[leon]

Don't know mate, :shrug: but make sure it stays at your place please, Alice would run a marathon if she saw something like that up close :scared: :scared:

Leon :thumbsup:

[astroron]

I had a visit from a common old garden Tree Snake a couple of weeks ago:)
Yours is definitely not one of these:)

[[1ponders]]

Hard to tell in your photos and the only definite way is to do a scale count but there is a fairly sure way to tell the difference between a taipan and browns. The brown snake's neck follows cleanly through to the head while the Taipan has a slightly narrowed neck. But the biggest difference is the Taipan has a longish angular head shaped like a coffin and the tip of the snout is a lighter colour, often pinkish. http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/animal/a6/Oxyuranus_scutellatus02-Taipan-by_Dennis_Desmond.jpg

Either way, steer well clear of both of them.

[[1ponders]]

Here's a better photo, but this snake's whole head is pink.
http://www.kingsnake.com/elapids/Oss5.jpg

[AlexN]

Taipan for sure.... You can tell by the shape of the head, and the shape of its scales around its eyes..


As has been mentioned. call the local council, and they will send someone out to catch it and relocate it... Do not attempt to kill it, or even worse, attempt some crazy "tv show style" picking it up and carrying it away.. Keep well clear of that fella, and have it removed..

[Liz]

Mmmm, mystery. :shrug: but still a nasty, either way.
Yes Ron, have a few of those ... green snakes around too.

Yikes, just saw you post Alex .... so a very probable Taipan .... dont worry about me going near it .... no way jose.
Iwill ring the Council if I see it again.
Here is another pic, plus a pic of the piddly tail.

[gregbradley]

Good to know, thanks Gary.

Greg.

[gregbradley]

Here is a possible solution - an electronic solar powered snake repeller.

http://www.stop-snakes.com/Australia%20Page.htm

I am getting one as I had a brown snake hanging around my obeservatory/weekender and as I stumble around at night sometimes going to and from my observatory it would weigh on my mind at times. Especially
when I found one sliding under the house slab moving across the walkway I traverse several times a night

Greg.

[Craig.a.c]

The snake in question is an Eastern brown, NOT a coastal taipan. Eastern browns are the second most venomous snake in the world. If that was a coastal taipan you wouldn't have been able to get so many pics of it, they are extremely shy snakes and will take off very fast.

As for snake repellers, they are a load of rubbish. The only thing you can do to try and keep snakes away from your property is by keeping it clen and clutter free, even then they will still wander through.

[mat,v]

That is definitely a brown snake,,,,be careful,they'll be moving quick with this heat,,,,leave a bowl of milk near where you think he may be residing and hit him with a 12 Guage,,:whistle:,,,did i say that,,,MAT :thumbsup:

[Liz]

It was very nervous, moving each way quickly, but couldnt find any way to exit ... I was behind closed glass doors about 3 metres away with a nice zoom lens.

Hmm, 2nd most venomous snake in the world, ah, thanks Craig.

Another vote for a Brown Mat. :help:hmm ... the only guages I work with are needles ... and that would be a mighty big thick one :whistle:

Just got up outa bed to check the cricket score - SA 2 for 299 (AUS 209 1st inn)

[pmrid]

Yep, brown. BTW I heard that an asprin in the milk is cheaper than the 12-gauge. Any truth in that?
Peter

[jjjnettie]

I thought that was the recipe for getting rid of kitty kats.:(

[Octane]

Liz,

Yikes! Hope he doesn't return!

Regards,
Humayun