# Please help indentify this snake?



## billiebeeev (Jan 9, 2014)

I have found this snake and a few others the same in my brothers backyard in Qld
I was wondering if anyone knew what type It is? And if it's deadly or venomous as I am worried as










they have kids and dogs 



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## jase75 (Jan 9, 2014)

Its hard to be 100% sure from those pics. Are they eggs its hatching out of? I would have to say it looks most like a small Keelback. If so they are harmless, best not to take any chances with it though.

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## chimerapro (Jan 9, 2014)

If you don't know what it is why has it been housed in a tank?? ( I can see its been in captivity for a while due to feaces being present) The pic is hard to give a 100% correct id but I'm leaning towards a common brown snake judging by what little head scalation I can see. I suggest it should be released in nearby bushland or handed over to a licenced and experienced snake catcher as you have stupidly risked your life and the animals welfare by catching and keeping it. If you don't know what it is and aren't licenced to catch it PLEASE leave it alone. Thanks for not being stupid enough to kill it though


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## butters (Jan 9, 2014)

Those photos are terrible for trying to make a positive id.

can you get any better ones? Particularly of the head, nose and body scales but they would need to be in focus.

The scales on the body almost look to be keeled ( a ridge down the middle of each scale). If so it would narrow it down to keelback or rough scale. A good head photo will tell which of those it is. 

If no keel then possibly a brown but it doesn't look like any of the juvenile browns I have seen. 

Either way I would just let it go where it was. You said there were others there so removing just one will make little difference.


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## wokka (Jan 9, 2014)

Its a bit of a worry when people go catching and keeping snakes when they dont know what they are. Equally as worrying are two conflicting ids- one venemous and one not.


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## butters (Jan 9, 2014)

For what it's worth my bet is on keelback. Looks like every hatchling keelback I have seen. 

Without a decent photo though it's just a wild guess and would be irresponsible to outright suggest a non venomous species when it could very well be that better photos would prove otherwise.


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## Bluetongue1 (Jan 9, 2014)

Just for future reference, the first two photos are useless for ID and the third is useable but in focus would make all the difference. A focused shot of the body from above and the head from the side in addition to the front and showing some ventral scales (as done) are generally the most useful for ID. Queensland is a hell of a big place and a more a specific geographic location could be critical to making a correct ID.

I think you should ignore the comments about having put it into an aquarium container. Without the person knowing how it was collected, by whom and for what reasons, summary judgement is inappropriate. 

So what should you do in future if you find a snake on your property and want to know if it is dangerous or not? Get someone to keep an eye on the snake at a safe distance and check your local telephone directory for ‘snake catchers’ or ‘snake relocators’ or ‘snake removals’. You can access the website www.*wildlifeqld.com.au* as they have a list of relevant professional in several regions of the bottom half of coastal Queensland. If you can safely get some decent photos, as described, the same people have organised a snake ID service at [email protected]. The important thing is not to interfere with a snake as this has resulted in a number of fatalities. Even small young of highly venomous species can deliver a lethal bite. We are talk 20 – 30cm animals, so not very big. Play it safe and leave it to the experts.

Your snake is almost certainly a harmless Keelback. However, to the untrained eye these look identical to the dangerously venomous Rough-scaled Snake. The striated appearance of those scales almost in focus, is due to a central keel on each scale – something the Keelback shares with the Rough-scaled Snake. The patterning of the dark bands is diagonal in places whereas the dark bands on Rough-scaled snake are in a transverse line. The sides of the head of the Rough-scaled Snake are not parallel but tilt in slightly towards the top. RS also have a slight eyebrow ridge and minimal protrusion of the eye, which is not the case with Keelbacks. The dark lateral ends of the ventral scales are typical of many Keelbacks. Ventrals on a Common Brown Snake are usually cream, sometimes yellowish and marked throughout with elongated brown to orange splotches – noticeably absent n this specimen.

Irrespective of whether the ID I have given, my advice is that you contact an expert (refer above) to come and confirm the identification and release the animal appropriately.

Blue


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## OldestMagician (Jan 10, 2014)

chimerapro said:


> If you don't know what it is why has it been housed in a tank?? ( I can see its been in captivity for a while due to feaces being present)



The brown bits in the sand look like they're off a tree to me, rather than being faeces. Suggesting it may be an old tank that has been left outside or something. 
Just to give OP the benefit of the doubt


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## Pythoninfinite (Jan 10, 2014)

Brown Snake juvies nearly always have a dark head and a band on the nape of the neck, if they aren't banded full-length. A consistent characteristic of Brown Snakes is salmon spotting on the ventral (belly) surface. The spots are often the first thing you notice when they arc up into the characteristic "S" threat display.

Keelback.

Jamie


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## Woma_Wild (Jan 10, 2014)

OldestMagician said:


> The brown bits in the sand look like they're off a tree to me, rather than being faeces. Suggesting it may be an old tank that has been left outside or something.
> Just to give OP the benefit of the doubt



Either way, it is an unidentified snake "found" caught and placed in a tank. 
Not something that would be recommended.


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## Pythoninfinite (Jan 10, 2014)

Woma_Wild said:


> Either way, it is an unidentified snake "found" caught and placed in a tank.
> Not something that would be recommended.



Not a problem if it was just to get an ID and then released.

Jamie


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## Darwin-boy (Jan 11, 2014)

agreed i do it all the time find snakes in the wild put them into a spare enclosure observe them to see if they are injured and well feed them and release them where i found them the next day after a feed unless injured then take them into a vet... but living in darwin i still live my life by if i dont know what it is i wont touch it simple....


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