Help to identify a snake from Barrington Tops NSW

[bowesmana]

On a walk through Barrington Tops this week, we spotted 11 snakes on one day, 8 clearly being red bellies. We did not see enough of 2 to identify, but the last one I can't identify. Can anyone help please. It was about a metre long and seen at about 300m elevation in the eastern side of the Barringtons. My first idea was that it was a black form of the Lowland Copperhead, but that's as close as I got.





Many thanks
Antony

 

[XKiller]

Marsh snake.

 

[jase75]

Yup Marsh Snake.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Hemiaspis signata is the scientific name. Other common names include Blue Bellied Black, and personally I call these White Lips even though most apply that to Drysdalia.

 

[bowesmana]

Thanks all for the quick responses! Yes that was clearly it.

 

[ryanm]

Hemiaspis signata is the scientific name. Other common names include Blue Bellied Black, and personally I call these White Lips even though most apply that to Drysdalia.

Doesn't Blue Bellied Black = Pseudechis guttatus????

 

[Mr.James]

Not a blue bellied. its a marsh snake.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Not a blue bellied. its a marsh snake.

Doesn't Blue Bellied Black = Pseudechis guttatus????

Marsh Snakes are very commonly referred to as Blue Bellied Black Snakes, just because something else has that name, doesn't mean you can't call this that as well. Besides it is a common name. Common names are whatever anyone wants to call something. Calling that snake a Brick is 100% correct, I just decided it was a Brick, now it is and that is true as long as I define what a Brick is as it. I said it's scientific name so as far as anything is concerned I'm the only one in here to have actually got the right snake. Who the hell knows what a Marsh Snake is? Could be anything? Could be a species of Dragon.

 

[ryanm]

Marsh Snakes are very commonly referred to as Blue Bellied Black Snakes, just because something else has that name, doesn't mean you can't call this that as well. Besides it is a common name. Common names are whatever anyone wants to call something. Calling that snake a Brick is 100% correct, I just decided it was a Brick, now it is and that is true as long as I define what a Brick is as it. I said it's scientific name so as far as anything is concerned I'm the only one in here to have actually got the right snake. Who the hell knows what a Marsh Snake is? Could be anything? Could be a species of Dragon.

Mate, calm down. I can't find anywhere online that a Hemiaspis signata is referred to as a Blue Bellied Black, however it is referred to as a Black-Bellied Swamp Snake quite a bit, whereas Blue Bellied Black is overwhelming used to refer to Pseudechis guttatus.

 

[Echiopsis]

Common names are a waste of time. That said, creating your own alternative universe style common names only serves to further confuse matters. If people stuck to the common names 95% of the people in the game use it would make life a little easier for the layman.

Call it a Marsh snake, people will know what your on about.

 

[waruikazi]

Come on mate, use your noggin. You are one of the smarter young herpers out there who people do admire and listen to. Going on like this is out of character for you and frankly what you're going on about is stupid.

Marsh Snakes are very commonly referred to as Blue Bellied Black Snakes, just because something else has that name, doesn't mean you can't call this that as well. Besides it is a common name. Common names are whatever anyone wants to call something. Calling that snake a Brick is 100% correct, I just decided it was a Brick, now it is and that is true as long as I define what a Brick is as it. I said it's scientific name so as far as anything is concerned I'm the only one in here to have actually got the right snake. Who the hell knows what a Marsh Snake is? Could be anything? Could be a species of Dragon.

 

[Mister_Snakes]

Who the hell knows what a Marsh Snake is? Could be anything? Could be a species of Dragon.

Yes, a species of dragon

 

[Snake_Whisperer]

Yep, never heard of a Marshie referred to as a blue-bellied black. Have heard black bellied swamp snake though, is that what you're thinking of? If you said "Hay Azz, reach under that bush and grab that brick for me." and I got bit, i'd smack the crap out of you before I passed out! If you said it was a marsh snake under the bush, I'd have known you meant H. signata, as would just about everone here. If you'd have said, it was a blue bellied black, myself and almost everyone else here would have replied "Wow, I had no idea P. guttatus was found here!" So you see, common names matter, when the collective believes it matters.

 

[Fuscus]

Found one the other day and a couple of walkers said it was a black snake. Technically...

 

[Cockney_Red]

Swampy...

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Sorry not to have replied, been busy. Around here I have heard many non-herpers call them either Blue Bellied Black, or White Lipped Snakes, not Blue Bellied Swamps. The point I was trying to make is that when I am simply broadening the information I am giving in my post I do not like to be called wrong on something as utterly subjective as a common name, of which a species can have hundreds, not necessarily widely used, many misnomas and often applied locally. Common names really are useless.

Yep, never heard of a Marshie referred to as a blue-bellied black. Have heard black bellied swamp snake though, is that what you're thinking of? If you said "Hay Azz, reach under that bush and grab that brick for me." and I got bit, i'd smack the crap out of you before I passed out! If you said it was a marsh snake under the bush, I'd have known you meant H. signata, as would just about everone here. If you'd have said, it was a blue bellied black, myself and almost everyone else here would have replied "Wow, I had no idea P. guttatus was found here!" So you see, common names matter, when the collective believes it matters.

I'd never say any of the above. I'd use it's scientific name, I don't refer to animals by their common names unless I am asked what the common name is, then half the time I say I don't know.

 

[leverett13]

Guys....it's clearly a keelback

 

[Snake_Whisperer]

Guys....it's clearly a keelback

No mate, the correct name is Oxyuranus temporalis. At least, that's what I hear is the proper name for these "keelbacks" everyone keeps talking about. :?

 

[waruikazi]

I wonder how many people who pull the keelback line know the story behind it?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I thought the Jonno one was just scutellatus like normal? Have temps even been collected? Last I heard it was just preserved specimens? I don't know anything about Taipans though.