Broad Headed Snakes

[moosenoose]

Hi Folks,
I was looking through a endangered species listing and came across the Broad Headed Snake. The thing that stood out to me was they have the most striking head shape I?ve ever seen in any Australian Elapid. I tried to find a photo but none other than the picture in the book I was reading does it any justice!

The taxon are apparently found near and around the Sydney region and although they are venomous (containing neurotoxins), they haven?t been classified as a highly lethal snake. Perhaps they sit in as much the same category as the red belly in regards to toxicity (I?m not entirely sure about that :roll.

The bigger question is: Can you keep them??? Has anyone here had anything to do with these? Because if these are as endangered as they say, surely it would be in the interests of places like DPI and the NPW to allow experienced keepers hold them on license, breed them, and help preserve them. Just a thought!

Broad-headed snake - endangered species listing

The broad-headed snake (Hoplocephalus bungaroides) is listed as ENDANGERED on the schedules of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act. The species was listed because:
Its population and distribution have been reduced to a critical level
It faces severe threatening processes

Photo: http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/fauna/com-Reptile.html

ps: They are in the same family "Hoplocephalus" as the Stephens Banded Snake just out of interest :wink:

 

[farmdog]

The bigger question is: Can you keep them???

if so you got less chance then me of getting 1 their dear Luke

 

[moosenoose]

Hahahaha A funny Bugger!!!! You wait!! :lol: :lol:

 

[farmdog]

k got 1 confirmed olive comming my way and maybe 2 yet to be confirmed

Hahahaha A funny Bugger!!!! You wait!!

 

[Tommo]

preety sure you cant keep them, and anyway they are potentially deadly. amazing looking snakes, check out the two other subspecies, pale headed snake and stephens banded snake, you have a better chance of getting these

 

[Switch]

Yes u can keep them in NSW, Level 2 Category 1 License required, Not sure about other states, I know a guy that has recently bred them in captivity.

 

[Switch]

Beautiful snake, i am sweating on a category 2 so i can get one.
Class 1 Category 2 you can keep the following Venomous snakes

White-crowned Snake
Collared Whipsnake
Pale-headed Snake
Broad-headed Snake
Stephens' Banded Snake
Collett?s Snake
Red-bellied Black Snake
Whip Hooded Snake
Mallee Black-backed Snake
Spectacled Hooded Snake
Eastern Bandy-bandy

 

[moosenoose]

Oh Okay, then there you go you can get them! Well, not me so much but someone else (hear that Dogboy!?? :lol Does anyone know what sort of prices they summon? I've never seen any for sale :roll:

 

[peterescue]

We had one to show people at the last course a few weeks back. I didnt photograph it for some reason.
It is held on license and believe it or not the guy got it by swapping a tigersnake(or so Im told) With is the antivenom they go with if you have been seriously bitten.