# Id please



## godwill78 (Jun 28, 2013)

I live in Hervey Bay qld, found this little fella next to passenger side front tyre. Just curious to what it exactly is. Thanks


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## $NaKe PiMp (Jun 28, 2013)

need side on pic of head for reliable ID in this case, in a photo Keelbacks and Roughscaled snakes look similar


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## Trent005722 (Jun 28, 2013)

look like a keelback but could be a rough scaled


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## jase75 (Jun 28, 2013)

Its a Keelback, fairly typical Keelback pattern and body shape.

Sent from my XT925 using Tapatalk 2


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## Bushman (Jun 28, 2013)

Snake Pimp is right that you can't be sure which species it is from the photo provided.
As mentioned, it looks most like a Keelback or a Rough-scaled Snake. It looks more like a Keelback _(Amphiesma mairii_) than a Rough-scaled Snake to me, however because the former is harmless and the latter is potentially dangerously venomous, it would be unwise to give a positive ID based on that pic alone.


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## $NaKe PiMp (Jun 29, 2013)

yea just to be 100% a side face pic clears all doubt,even though its more likely keelback


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## godwill78 (Jun 29, 2013)

*not the best pic*



$NaKe PiMp said:


> need side on pic of head for reliable ID in this case, in a photo Keelbacks and Roughscaled snakes look similar


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## Venomous_RBB (Jun 29, 2013)

Looks like a keelback to me. (I have looked at both pics)


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## Firepac (Jun 29, 2013)

The picture is poor quality but zooming in appears to show a loreal scale and it has the 'smile' typical of keelbacks.


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## butters (Jun 29, 2013)

Also looks like something chopped off the end of its tail


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## baker (Jun 29, 2013)

I agree with it being a keelback as the head shape does not suite a rough scaled snake to me. 


Bushman said:


> Snake Pimp is right that you can't be sure which species it is from the photo provided.
> As mentioned, it looks most like a Keelback or a Rough-scaled Snake. It looks more like a Keelback _(Amphiesma mairii_) than a Rough-scaled Snake to me, however because the former is harmless and the latter is potentially dangerously venomous, it would be unwise to give a positive ID based on that pic alone.


Would it be possible for you to PM me the paper for the change in keelbacks? I wasn't aware that they had been moved. 
Cheers Cameron


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## andynic07 (Jun 29, 2013)

baker said:


> I agree with it being a keelback as the head shape does not suite a rough scaled snake to me.
> 
> Would it be possible for you to PM me the paper for the change in keelbacks? I wasn't aware that they had been moved.
> Cheers Cameron


It appears to me that Amphiesma mairii is a snake from Papua New Guinea.

Herpetology R-129115: Amphiesma mairii


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## Bluetongue1 (Jun 29, 2013)

You can get a positive ID from the first photo. The dark barring is diagonal. There are pale and dark flecks present amongst the ground colour. The snout of the Keelback is slightly rounded and while that of the Rough-scaled is blunt to squared. The head shape is more angular in Keelbacks and more close to parallel in Rough-scaled. The sides of the head slope in towards the top in Keelbacks which means most of both eyes are visible from directly above and the outer edge of the jaw can be seen beyond the outer edge of the eyes. The side of the head in Rough-scaled snakes is pretty much vertical so less of each eye is visible from directly above and they both protrude beyond the head.

Keelbacks have a fragile tail which Rough-scaled snakes do not. So if a Keelback is handled roughly while held by the tail, there is every likelihood it will break. While both snakes could lose a section of tail, it would be very for a Rough-scaled and not at unexpected with a Keelback.

Blue


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## Bluetongue1 (Jun 29, 2013)

baker said:


> Would it be possible for you to PM me the paper for the change in keelbacks? I wasn't aware that they had been moved.
> Cheers Cameron


_Amphibiesma mairii_ is an old name used back in the 70’s. I suspect Bushman has done what I occasionally do and slipped back into old habits. In fact less than two weeks ago I referred to a Coastal Carpet Python as _Morelia__ spilota variegata_. Here are name changes and respected authors that have accepted them, asa lifted out of the Reptile Data Base website...



Tropidonotus mairii GaRAY 1841: 442
Tropidonotus australis GRAY 1842: 54
Tropidonotus semicinctus DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 603 (part. ?)
Katophis plumbea MACLEAY 1877: 36
Tropidonotus angusticeps MACLEAY 1884: 433
Tropidonotus ater MACLEAY 1885: 67
Tropidonotus mairii — BOULENGER 1897: 703
Tropidonotus mairii — DE ROOIJ 1917: 79
Natrix mairii — WORRELL 1946
Amphiesma mairii - COGGER & LINDNER 1974
Styporhynchus mairii — COGGER 1983: 214
Tropidonophis mairii - MALNATE & UNDERWOOD 1988: 109
Tropidonophis mairii — COGGER 2000: 628
Tropidonophis mairii — WILSON & SWAN 2010

Blue


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## wildthings (Jul 3, 2013)

hmmm I have referred to a book I have had ..for too long, the price tag is in pounds haha, It says the rough scaled snake is Tropidechis Carinatus and the Keelback or Freshwater snake is Anphiesma mairii, are they both wrong, the book was written by Graeme Gow


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## baker (Jul 4, 2013)

Thanks for that Blue. After I asked I decided to look it up and found the same thing you posted. Taxonomy is a confusing thing at times. Wildthings it is most likely that at the time of printing for that book keelbacks where Anphiesma mairii and then it got revised and changed to Tropidonophis mairii. The rough scale name is correct though. 
Cheers Cameron.


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## Bushman (Jul 7, 2013)

Bluetongue1 said:


> _Amphiesma mairii_ is an old name used back in the 70’s. I suspect Bushman has done what I occasionally do and slipped back into old habits. ...


Sorry guys. Blue is right. I memorized the latin name for this species when it was grouped within the Asian genus of Keelbacks Amphiesma.


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