Keelback or Rough Scaled?

[memix7]

Last year my girlfriend called me up saying that she found a dead common tree snake at her place lol. When she sent pictures I automatically knew it wasn't a common tree snake, just couldn't work out if it was a keelback or a rough scaled. How do you distinguish them?

 

[-Matt-]

Keelback.

 

[memix7]

Also.... body was fairly intact when I saw it. Not sure how it died.

 

[gillsy]

Keelback, however at the anal scale of a keelback is divided, roughie not.

Also from the side, keelbacks look like they are smiling.

While roughies have a str8 mouth.

 

[memix7]

Any other distinguishing features? I notice that the heads are slightly different.

 

[gillsy]

Not really they range in colour too much, the keels are as defined on a roughie.

But your best way is the anal scale, it's really the only scientific way to tell.

But the easiest visiually is the smile on the keelbacks, saying that if i'm in a roughie area and I have one I will still check to make sure by the anal scale.

 

[cris]

Keelbacks also have a loreal scale(an extra scale between the nose and eye) and have fewer midbody scales. Going by the general look of snakes works well but requires experience.

 

[McGrimmis]

There are a few ways to tell if it is a rough scaled or keelback

- Rough scaled snakes have a single anal scale and subcaudals and 23 midbody scale rows and the keelback has divided anal scale and subcaudal scales and only 15 midbody scale rows.

- Rough scaled snakes don't have a loreal scale (a small scale between the notril and eye)

- Location of the fangs. Not so easy to check and probably a bit dangerous. Keelbacks (Colubrid) have fangs in the rear of the mouth as opposed to the rough-scaled (elapids) where the fangs are towards the front

lol gillsy: smiley keelbacks. and the rough-scaled always has a mean I'm going to bite you look.

 

[cris]

McGrimmis, keelbacks dont really have rear fangs, not like say a brown tree snake and only have very small teeth that are slightly larger towards the back.

So true about the rough-scaled snakes mean face :lol:

 

[memix7]

Thanks for the help guys

 

[gillsy]

Yeah keels always look like they are smiling at you like the joker!

And keelbacks generally wont bite, they are all bluff.

But to use that mechanism for ID it might be a bit late to find out it's a roughie

 

[McGrimmis]

Thanks Cris. I learn something everyday. I have a dead one in a jar so I had to go take a look. Lots of little teeth and no fangs. Assumptions! ... but I didn't think it would bite me