# Papua black snake alive and well



## Colin (Sep 18, 2009)

*Published On:* 9-18-2009
*Source:* The National

THE Papuan black snake, thought to have become extinct due to cane toads, is alive and well in parts of the Central province, according to snake expert David Williams.
However, Mr Williams said it was unlikely to bite people like the deadly Papuan taipan, and should be protected and preserved as part of Papua New Guinea’s natural heritage.
“It is important that people also be told that our studies of the behaviour of this snake suggest that it is very shy, extremely reluctant to bite, even when handled, and combined with the knowledge that none of the patients has seen at Port Moresby General Hospital in the past five years, had been bitten by black snakes, it is very unlikely to cause snakebites,” he told The National.
“As a potentially threatened species, and one that is well-known to all Papua New Guineans and expats alike as a native animal symbol of PNG, it should be protected and preserved as an important part of PNG’s natural heritage.

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