# Identification of snake please



## Banjo (May 21, 2011)

Hi All, I found this dead snake on a bike track in the Browns Plains area (SE QLD), roughly 20cm long. Sad thing is you can see where someone has on purpose skidded a bicycle over it. 
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## Snakester (May 21, 2011)

Boiga irregularis?? That would be my guess


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## myusername (May 21, 2011)

Looks like a keelback. Can you get a shot of the head from the side?


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## kawasakirider (May 21, 2011)

I put a snake up to ID not so long ago. Looked like that and everyone said it was a keelback. I could be getting it confused with a rough scale, but yours looks similar to what I posted.


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## Banjo (May 21, 2011)

View attachment 201141
Here you go picture from side on.


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## jordanmulder (May 21, 2011)

keelback


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## Banjo (May 21, 2011)

I have just been looking on google and they are very close when looking at the keelback and brown tree snake for identifying. Would this be more difficult when they are very young?


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## jase75 (May 21, 2011)

It's a Keelback.


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## saximus (May 21, 2011)

Are the scales "keeled"? I'd say it's definitely a keelback. BTS look quite different. Especially the eyes


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## Snakeluvver2 (May 21, 2011)

Check out that smile!


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## Banjo (May 21, 2011)

Jannico said:


> Check out that smile!



Yeah, poor bugger is resting in peace.


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## dihsmaj (May 21, 2011)

Keelbacks smile... but you wouldn't want to get too close to an unidentified snake that could either be smiling... or not.


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## waruikazi (May 21, 2011)

Keelback, no doubting.

BTS don't have keeled scales, have a triangular body and clean bellies.


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## Banjo (May 21, 2011)

Plimpy said:


> Keelbacks smile... but you wouldn't want to get too close to an unidentified snake that could either be smiling... or not.



Please read the post, the poor thing was dead whem I found it, otherwisw I would not have interferred or taken photos etc.


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## dihsmaj (May 21, 2011)

Banjo said:


> Please read the post, the poor thing was dead whem I found it, otherwisw I would not have interferred or taken photos etc.


 
I know, I was just saying that, Banjo.


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## fugawi (May 21, 2011)

The line between the nostril and the eye is the laureal scale, indicating a colubrid, so not Rough Scaled Snake (Elapid), but definately a Keelback.


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## Banjo (May 21, 2011)

Plimpy said:


> I know, I was just saying that, Banjo.



No worries Plimpy, and thanks everyone for the replies. Still saddens me when I see a snake that has been killed on purpose.


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## myusername (May 21, 2011)

It sucks mate but I would try not to worry about it too much. If it makes you feel any better there are heaps of keelbacks around! I've had to remove two from my girlfriend's place in the last two days. 
I got some pretty average pics of the one from today. Unfortunately we didn't have a camera on us when we let yesterday's keelback go, it was a bright yellow/green colour. I've never seen one like it. Today's keelback was a pretty typical greyish colour, but it was super aggressive in comparison to the other's I've removed. This is just me letting today's go at a very nearby creek:


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## snakeluvver (May 21, 2011)

Yeah definately a keelback (for once lol)
I personally find it easy to distinguish keelbacks from roughies visually without checking the loreal scale.


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## Banjo (May 22, 2011)

We often see snakes down where we found this dead one, as there is some swamp and a creek nearby, it is great to see them but often it is just a glimpse of them as the retreat back for cover fairly quickly. Another find down the same area is large water dragons if you are quiet enough you often see them sunning themselves on logs and branches just above the creek.


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## waruikazi (May 22, 2011)

Are you on foot when you see them?


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## Banjo (May 22, 2011)

waruikazi said:


> Are you on foot when you see them?



Sometimes on foot sometimes on push bike, depends on what the kids are doing. But there are a couple of spots where the water dragons sit and bask so we are always quiet and sneak a peak over the creek bank, one we have seen a couple of times would be approx 1 meter long, but we have only ever seen this one from a distance 100 meters or so. 
The snakes we have only ever seen when on the treadly so with the fast approaching danger they move out of the way fairly quickly and the kids being educated about snakes they never go near them and just admire them from a distance till they disappear.
There is quite a lot of bush near our place with plenty of creeks all meeting up and some swampy areas so I have been fairly keen to herping in there. 
Over time we have seen a 2 dead coastals, one wouldn't have been a year old by the look of it, and the other a beautiful specimen about 1.8 meters which had a dead bird next to it.


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## waruikazi (May 23, 2011)

I was just going to suggest that you try finding them on your pushy rather than on foot. I've noticed something about a rolling wheel that the snakes don't seem to find as threatening as foot steps.


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## kawasakirider (May 23, 2011)

Probably a lot less vibration from the pushy tire, as it's not slapping against the ground.


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## Waterrat (May 23, 2011)

I really like these "please ID" threads. You always get ample opinions and wild guesses from whose who have no idea and even more confirmations from those who do. Quite amusing.


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## Banjo (May 23, 2011)

So is there any particular website that is better than the other of snake ID's.


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