Aussie Elapids

[moloch05]

Hello Steve,

I just looked at one of my old books, "Snakes and Lizards of Australia" by Gow and Swanson. In there, they do include a Western Crowned Snake and list it as Drysdalia coronata. I guess that someone must have split these at a latter date. I a surprised that they were ever combined since the head shape is quite different. The head of the Western Crowned Snake is very flat and I assume that it must be a burrower.

Sdaji,
I enjoyed your recent Bardick post. Those in the west live in different habitat to where you see them in Vic. I found them to be the most common in this coastal heath:

... but also saw one in dry heathland:

Regards,
David

 

[Omgitschris]

amazing variety of aussie eplapids, love the last bandy bandy shot, australia does have some bland elapids, but we have a few colourful ones with unique displays that adds up for that stuff. and ours are deadlier than any of theirs

 

[moloch05]

Hello Jimmy,

"Which elapids are mostly day active?"

Red-bellied Black Snakes, the various Brown Snakes, Mulga, Marsh Snakes, White-lipped Snake, Tiger Snake, Copperheads, Whipsnakes and Taipans are all diurnal. Some of these will shift to nocturnal activity during hot weather.


Regards,
David

 

[sarah_m]

Did you get any replies to your post in America?

 

[Sdaji]

How would you describe the differences between eastern and western Bardick habitat? I have never seen them in coastal areas, but is the coastal heath where you found them to be common much different from dry/inland heath, other than being near the ocean?

I'm glad you enjoyed my Bardick thread, but wow, you have made countless posts which put any of my field threads to shame! I am in awe of how much field herping you manage to get done, and that you put so much of it into enjoyable threads. Wow!

 

[Elapidae1]

Thanks for your time moloch05. So they are a seperate species ?

 

[eipper]

Steve,

They are not only separate species but also in separate genera

Cheers,
Scott

 

[Elapidae1]

Steve,

They are not only separate species but also in separate genera

Cheers,
Scott

Thanks

 

[kensai]

Death Adders can be a lot more colourful than that specimen, also a good Colletts is a stunning animal.
I dont think a comment like they are colourless and boring could escape without a suitable reply, the originator doesn't know ******* from clay

 

[Poggle]

Great pictures, not many have pics of the white lipped whip snake... one of my fav snakes

 

[Sdaji]

Great pictures, not many have pics of the white lipped whip snake... one of my fav snakes

Everyone from Tasmania has about a million pictures of them Those of us from the mainland see less of them though. I have only seen about five. They're one of my favourite snakes too

 

[redbellybite]

YOUR PICS ARE FANTASTIC ...loved this thread glad ya stuck it to them ....

 

[moloch05]

Thanks, everyone.

Jordan, Stewart and Henry all kindly added many more pics to my post on FieldHerpForum. We collectively have photos of a pretty good chunk of the elapids. To see this, click on the following link:
FieldHerpForum • View topic - Aussie Elapids (many more pics added)


Sdaji,
I always thought that Bardicks in Victoria lived in mallee/spinifex country. Your comment about heath makes me think that I had it wrong.


kesai,
I would love to see a colourful Colletts in the wild. I think that they must be hard to see due to their distant (to me) habitat and their secretive behaviour. I cannot recall seeing anyone's photos of wild animals. I wonder if any of the forum participants have encountered these?


Regards,
David

 

[Sock Puppet]

Thanks for that last link David (he says while adding to "Favourites" list). You can almost feel the envy from those o/s posters. Excellent pics added to original thread.

 

[Sdaji]

David,

right, I see what you're getting at now. Yes, you get them in mallee/spinifex country in Victoria, but also n heathland. Most of the ones I have seen have been from mallee communities, and most often not too far from spinifex. Maybe they are a bit more generalised in habitat preference over here because we have a lower elapid diversity, leaving more open niches for them to utilise. Interesting observation.

 

[Serpentes]

Fantastic, Moloch!

 

[ozzieimages]

Awesome photos there David, you have been a buisy boy..

Baz

 

[borntobnude]

i guess that the americans are looking for some nice blue snakes with purple stripes . they are just jeleaous that they dont have the platypus

 

[varanid_mike]

The bardicks I have found in vic and other states in the past have been in spinifex, interesting point though sadji
love the pics Steve

 

[ShnakeyGirl]

Amazing photos, I much prefer our subtle elapids than those of overseas. It was lovely to see some Inland Taipan pictures, I've always had a soft spot for them