# Snake ID?



## Katie (Oct 31, 2013)

This little guy made his way through my front yard today... Is it a brown snake?


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## JackTheHerper (Oct 31, 2013)

If you post where you found him, it may help to ID the snake, as it is slightly hard (For me atleast) to see the head properly, but more experienced people may be able to help


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## Katie (Oct 31, 2013)

I'm in NSW


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## Trimeresurus (Oct 31, 2013)

.


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## Katie (Oct 31, 2013)

He was only small, a baby I'm assuming. I'm in Lake Macquarie NSW.. Near newcastle


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## RedFox (Oct 31, 2013)

Judging by what I can see in the photo it lacks the coffin shaped head of a coastal taipan, which only occur in a small section of NE nsw. From the photo it appear to be an Eastern brown- Pseudonaja textilis. Any of the experienced ID'ers able to confirm?


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## GeckPhotographer (Oct 31, 2013)

It's a Marsh Snake (_Hemiaspis signata_), the olive body colour is normal for the species and in the photo I can clearly see pale stripes around the snakes head area which fits only _H. signata _​in that area.


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## richoman_3 (Oct 31, 2013)

marsh snake, as stephen said you can see pale markings on the head


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## Bluetongue1 (Oct 31, 2013)

I don’t believe that you can give a positive ID from that photo as you cannot 100% rule out a Yellow Faced Whip. 
The body shape and colour is more typical of a Whip but they do overlap in those respects. The upper face stripe that can be seen looks to me to be more like green than cream or white, like it is possibly a blade of grass. It does appear to have a white lower stripe and the pale rostrum, if not lighting artefact, is characteristic of a Marsh Snake. 

A Whip travels particularly swiftly once disturbed whereas a Marsh Snake would be considerably slower. Two cream stripes on the side of the face or dark ventral scales and it’s definitely a Marsh. A black comma shaped ring around the eye with the tail of the comma at the bottom and directed backwards, surrounded by a yellow ring, making the comma stand out, or light coloured ventrals, it is a Yellow Faced Whip.

I would say most probably a Marsh Snake with a slim chance it could be a Yellow-faced Whip Snake. 

Blue


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## Katie (Oct 31, 2013)

Thanks for the responses. Hopefully we don't see the little guy around here again, I have two very inquisitive dogs who would be interested in him.


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## Trimeresurus (Oct 31, 2013)

GeckPhotographer said:


> It's a Marsh Snake (_Hemiaspis signata_), the olive body colour is normal for the species and in the photo I can clearly see pale stripes around the snakes head area which fits only _H. signata _​in that area.





richoman_3 said:


> marsh snake, as stephen said you can see pale markings on the head





Bluetongue1 said:


> I don’t believe that you can give a positive ID from that photo as you cannot 100% rule out a Yellow Faced Whip.
> The body shape and colour is more typical of a Whip but they do overlap in those respects. The upper face stripe that can be seen looks to me to be more like green than cream or white, like it is possibly a blade of grass. It does appear to have a white lower stripe and the pale rostrum, if not lighting artefact, is characteristic of a Marsh Snake.
> 
> A Whip travels particularly swiftly once disturbed whereas a Marsh Snake would be considerably slower. Two cream stripes on the side of the face or dark ventral scales and it’s definitely a Marsh. A black comma shaped ring around the eye with the tail of the comma at the bottom and directed backwards, surrounded by a yellow ring, making the comma stand out, or light coloured ventrals, it is a Yellow Faced Whip.
> ...




You guys make me feel blind, I can hardly see anything. All I can see is a bit of white around the nose, maybe I need to look at it on my computer.


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## RedFox (Oct 31, 2013)

Trimeresurus said:


> You guys make me feel blind, I can hardly see anything. All I can see is a bit of white around the nose, maybe I need to look at it on my computer.



You feel blind?... I was looking on my computer and didn't see the striping. I can only think the part I thought was a blade of grass near the eye is the stripe everyone is talking about???


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## $NaKe PiMp (Oct 31, 2013)

even from that angle i can make out the head shape and the white on sides of face,Hemiaspis signata Black bellied swamp snake,or marsh snake whatever you prefer as a common nsame


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## Bluetongue1 (Oct 31, 2013)

My issue is with the quality of the photo. I have been caught out with reflected light making it appear there aparticular marking and when another photo was posted the following day it was obvious that there was no marking. In other words, I have learned not to trust single lower resolution photos when it trying to discern not so detail.

*Katie*, 
Both speciesare diurnal lizard eaters and they will only hang around if you have plenty of Grass or Garden Skink or other smallish skink species like Coppertails. Otherwise it will just keep going until it does find some tucker. 


Blue


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## Demansiaphile (Nov 1, 2013)

It looks nothing like a whip snake.Both are harmless though so dont worry.


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## Snakester (Nov 1, 2013)

I agree with those above who said it was a marsh snake.


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## butters (Nov 1, 2013)

I agree with the marsh snake ID. 

I get both yf whips and marsh snakes on my property and I keep both species on license. To me that photo shows enough to confidently say marsh snake.

As blue tongue pointed out though it is easy to be wrong as pictures can be deceiving and without a much better pictures I would treat it as dangerous. Better safe than sorry.


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## Bluetongue1 (Nov 2, 2013)

I shall state my case slightly differently so that my intent is clear. If I could 100% believe what I can see in the photo, then I would be 100% certain it is a Marsh Snake. I hope that clarifies it a little better. It is quality of the photo I questioned from the outset, rightly or wrongly.

...


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