# Yellow Belly Black



## nathanbrisvegas (Dec 4, 2005)

can someone please tell me ??

is a yellow belly black a black snake or is it just a colour variant of the green tree snake ? and if anyone could post piccies that would b great


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## MrBredli (Dec 4, 2005)

Hmm.. not sure what you mean, there's a Yellow-bellied Sea Snake..?


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## hugsta (Dec 4, 2005)

I believe it is a colour varient of the GTS.


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## Dicco (Dec 4, 2005)

Just a colour varient, you can get in in GTS and even some Tiger Snakes in WA and on some of the southern islands


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## MrBredli (Dec 4, 2005)

Yeah, i just had a quick search of the net and the only mention i could find of it referred to a Green Tree Snake. I think it is a term used by people who wouldn't know a Diamond from a Woma.. i could be wrong though. After all Shinglebacks have a different common name in practically every state. Yellow Bellied Black Snake might be the common name used in some places?


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## nathanbrisvegas (Dec 4, 2005)

thanks for that


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## Pike01 (Dec 4, 2005)

Yellow bellied black is Pseudechis butleri, or some people call copperheads that in some parts of its range.


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## peterescue (Dec 4, 2005)

considering P butleri's range I find that rather a strange notion.
I think it applies to any snake thats black on top and yellow-ish underneath. rbbs coming into shed. I have been asked if one of mine was a yellow belly, some browns, tigers, green trees and numerous others. Probably even taipans in PNG.
Hey, Ive got a shingleback thats black on top and yellow underneath.


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## Brodie (Dec 4, 2005)

Yer ppl are stupid, why do you think they call everything a brown snake?


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## JeffHardy (Dec 5, 2005)

My wife was born and raised in south-western Queensland. She tells me that the Yellow-bellied Black Snake was what the locals, including her mother and father called what is now known as the Western Taipan. Inland Taipan, Fierce Snake or Small-scaled Snake.


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## Pike01 (Dec 5, 2005)

Hi Pete, dont know why that is strange, its a true black snake with a yellow belly.Its what i was told a yellow belly black snake was, 20 years ago when i asked. Dont see what its range has got to do with it.When i saw this thread the first thing i thought was butleri.But if it was from someone from the gerneral public, it could be anything depending where you are.


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## zen (Dec 5, 2005)

Many members of the public refer to *Copperheads* as *Yellow-bellied Black Snakes*. 

Understandably so, as Copperheads are often quite dark in colour, sometimes almost black above, with bright yellow lower flanks.

Thank god for scientific names, as common names are so varied regionally, that they cause a great deal of confusion :?


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## peterescue (Dec 5, 2005)

I havent been there but the only ones Ive seen have light speckles. Id never heard them referred to as such. Id have thought mulgas from the same region would be more likely candidates and far more widespread.
The main word to focus on though is "I" in an statement coming from me. :wink:


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## westaussie (Dec 5, 2005)

P. butleri has been called, a yellow bellied blacksnake, Also known as a spotted mulga.


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## TrueBlue (Dec 6, 2005)

Depends, where in oz you are as may snakes get called yellow bellied black snakes by the public, as long as it is black and has a yellow belly. This can include, common tree snakes, copperheads- these are also sometimes called redbellies too, tigers, water pythons, browns- eastern and western, both taipans, butlers, a number of small inland elapids, and the list keeps going.


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## salebrosus (Dec 6, 2005)

I always thought the yellow bellied blacks referred to the Copperheads.

Simone


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## PilbaraPythons (Dec 6, 2005)

When living in Innisfail North Queensland the water python was some times referred to as the yellow bellied black snake.No doubt this has resulted in a few of them being killed.
Cheers Dave


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## zen (Dec 6, 2005)

*Where in Oz?*

TrueBlue, you've made an excellent point here:-


> Depends, where in oz you are as many snakes get called yellow bellied black snakes by the public



Nathan, we really need to know what part of Australia you're asking about :?:


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## Springherp (Dec 6, 2005)

Yeah, The black/dark grey phase of the highlands copperhead often has bright yellow sides, most prominant around the the upper neck. I have plenty of pictures of this form but no access to them at the moment.

Zen mate, I'm back online! 8)


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## nathanbrisvegas (Dec 6, 2005)

i in brissy thanks for all ur replies and i hope that its been usefull for others aswell!


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## zen (Dec 7, 2005)

Thanks for the locale info Nathan,

Brisbane eh! 
Not my stomping ground, but after looking at the books...
:idea: I'd say the locals up there are referring to _Dendrelaphis punctulatus_, which is black dorsally & has yellow flanks/ventrals in that part of Oz. There's a good example of this colour variation in "A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia" by Steve Wilson & Gerry Swan. 

Just an educated guess.


G'day Austrelaps, good to see your back on line mate  .


Cheers zen


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