# Brown snake observation



## shlanger (Nov 10, 2008)

Monday 27th. October, was a warm day in the Victorian Mallee, 37c infact. I was assisting in the checking of drift-fence and pit-trapping lines and, as the day was warm, many small reptile species were trapped and had to be identified, recorded and non target species marked and released. We were trapping for Worm Lizards [_Aprasia sp._]. At one pit line I came across an Eastern Brown Snake, [_Pseudonaja textilis_] of around 1.2-1.3 m. with its head in a pit bucket . I captured it and on lifting it up out of the sunken bucket, it revealed the tail of some unfortunate it had stolen from our pit trap, protruding from its mouth! Prior to bagging the snake, it regurgitated up the prey item, an adult Burton's Snake-lizard, [_Lialis burtonis_]. This now very 'flacid' animal was bagged, tagged and taken back to camp for the evening weigh-in, and perhaps preserving as a museum speciman! On arrival I noticed that it had revived some what, and by morning was, as lively as a cricket! So much so, that it was released back at it's capture point! Thus: the prey had obviously not been envenomated by the Brown Snake. Was this because it was such an easy capture and the snake was conserving its venom? Comments from herps with similar experiences and/or intelligent comment please!


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## waruikazi (Nov 10, 2008)

Could the burtons have some kind of immunity to the venom? It's also worth noting that venoms work differently on different animals. It's not a snake but it's a good example, Sydney funnel webs will knock a person over no worries with a single bite but a cat can sit there and get bitten all day long with no where near the same effects that occur in peple.


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## shlanger (Nov 10, 2008)

Given that P textilis is primarly a reptile feeder, one would have thought that the venom, if used, would have a profound effect.


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## BlindSnake (Nov 10, 2008)

The fact that you thought that it was dead, may suggest that it was envenomated. But as Gordo said, Burtons might have some level of immunity to brown snake venom.


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## waruikazi (Nov 10, 2008)

But you would also think that animals that have had to evolve being a prey item to brown snakes they would develop some kind of immunity.


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## chooks (Nov 10, 2008)

Had a similar experince with an Eastern BTL Found the Eastern Brown with the lizard by the head. There was blood and a clear liquid visible. Possibly venom. Whilst taking pictures, the snake got nervous and droped the BTL and did a scaper. I retained he lizard for about 4 hours and released back a capture site. The lizard showed no ill effects.


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## cris (Nov 10, 2008)

shlanger said:


> Thus: the prey had obviously not been envenomated by the Brown Snake. Was this because it was such an easy capture and the snake was conserving its venom? Comments from herps with similar experiences and/or intelligent comment please!



Very interesting, i think conserving venom sounds like a good theory(as most know they can give dry bites in defence), perhaps as the since the prey couldnt harm the snake constriction alone was enough to hold it still while being swallowed.

I have seen a brown kill an adult female water dragon before, no way it was coming back, heaps of venom around the bite site and the lizard died in seconds. The water dragon was big enough that it would have been hard(if not impossible) to over power without venom.


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