# Snake Identification from Shed Skin Please



## John Parsons (Sep 1, 2018)

Hello,

I am new to this forum. I just found a shed skin in my trailer last night. Attached are some photos. Could someone please let me know if you can identify what kind of snake is that and is it a venomous snake?

Thank you.


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## Bl69aze (Sep 2, 2018)

@GBWhite @Bluetongue1


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## John Parsons (Sep 2, 2018)

Here are two pictures of underside

of the tail.


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## Sdaji (Sep 2, 2018)

Location?


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## Bluetongue1 (Sep 3, 2018)

Locality is an important clue for narrowing down the possibilities in many, if not most ID’s, hence the above request.

Straight off the bat it looks a Common Tree snake _Dendrelaphis punctulatus_ but appears to lacks the usual ridges near the outside edges of the ventral scales. To confirm it is a tree snake (i.e. a colubrid) and not an elapid, the scales between the eye and nasal scale are diagnostic. In colubrids there is a separating scale between the nasal scale and the preocular scales, known as the *lorea*l scale. This is not present in elapids (i.e. nasal contacts at least one preocula).

I am no expert at it, however I will have a go based on the scales that can be seen and will endeavour to provide explanation...
The width of the ventrals clearly exceeds more than 4 body scales, so it is not a python – further confirmed by possessing less than 22 rows of scales around the body. Based on the divided anal and subcaudals, quite a few genera can be eliminated. The relatively long, light body build, large eyes and apparent length, leaves _Dendrelaphis_, _Demansia_ and _Pseudonaja_ as the remaining contenders. The straight (vs rounded) rear edge of the parietal scales, and arrangement of upper postocular & temporal scales is much more typical of Dendrelaphis. This genus can be confirmed from the presence of a loreal scale. The location will indicate the likely or definite species.


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## GBWhite (Sep 3, 2018)

I've been away for the weekend and couldn't download the pics to have a better look until today. Just the head shields alone rule out any species of python.

Bluetongue1 is correct that based on the scales that can be seen (and in particular the divided anal and subcaudals) it can only be one of the Genus mentioned. At first I thought Common Tree (Dendrelaphis) or one of the Whips (Demansia) but from what I make of the mid body scale count seems to rule both out as it appears to me that there are more than 15. Location will be a key factor for a positive ID.


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## dragonlover1 (Sep 3, 2018)

I don't understand why people asking for identification never supply location? Do they think reptiles are the same all over the country? Or is it too much trouble to state location?
I found this in Sydney,or this was in Alice Springs etc.


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## pythoninfinite (Sep 4, 2018)

Looks way too robust to be a Common Tree Snake. 

Jamie


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## Sdaji (Sep 4, 2018)

Yeah, by giving a location you immediately rule out the majority of all the possibilities. Most places only have a few dozen snakes out of the few hundred species in the country or few thousand in the world. Some places have less than 10 species. 

The divided anal shield is a good clue.

Length of the slough may also be useful, although in this case probably not.


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## Mitch.11 (Nov 13, 2018)

I've seen similar sheds of Eastern Small Eyed Snakes (Cryptophis nigrescrens).


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