Not exactly an ID... territory size question

[snakesalive123]

I have what I am quite sure is a coastal taipan visiting my chicken pen. Unlike the big carpets we also get here, I don't run into him much. He also doesn't seem to trouble the chickens like the carpets do and prefers the rats (which kind of endears him to me despite his lethality). The other morning was the second time I have seen this guy, the first was more than a year ago. I'm pretty sure it was the same snake.

We also get brown snakes so there is a chance he is a massive brown snake too. But I don't think so. The first time I saw him, I interrupted him mid-morning chasing a rat like in a cartoon with his head raised, more or less looked him in the face from a distance of about a metre, and his bright eyes were very striking. Prettier than a brown.

The second time (the other morning) I accidentally hosed him and he emerged from under the wood at the edge of the pen shaking the water off of his head, then exited the pen via the door displaying his enormous length to me.

My question is - with a snake this size (at least 2.9 metres) either brown or Taipan, what is the size of his territory? You see I am wondering if he lives in my garden all the time and I just don't spot him, or if he is an occasional visitor that just pops in now and then. We are on the river on the far edge of west Brisbane so he's not short of habitat.

Also - can either of these snakes hear me coming if I stomp? I am just hoping to hear I can safely tramp around my garden if Mr Giant Snake is about and that he will discreetly exit before I get near him.

He is a very handsome animal with a real look of confidence in his eye.

I don't want to get on his bad side!

 

[Bushman]

You've got a great attitude towards having a large venomous snake visiting your garden, especially considering that it sounds like a Taipan.
I don't know the size of this individuals territory and I doubt that anyone will be able to tell you that, however your garden is probably just a small part of its home range.
Snakes like this are typically very alert, especially Taipans, so if you stomp around like you suggest, it's most likely that it will "hear" you coming and retreat. Although they don't have ears and can't hear most airborne sounds, they still have vestigial ear bones (as far as I know) so can pick up vibrations, particularly strong ones through the ground. Snakes certainly don't want close encounters with people and will avoid them in most cases wherever possible. It's important to never approach or especially corner a large venomous elapid like a Taipan.

 

[snakesalive123]

Thanks Bushman - I must confess that it is less good attitude and more recognition that he is higher on the food chain than I am. If he keeps to himself and leaves my chickens alone then something that size has earned the right to live in my back yard.

I'm not a great fan of relocating snakes because we live near a reserve where some get left by people and they just go zoomp up the bank, through the backyards, and up the road in the direction they came from, usually ending up run over.

If removed I am certain one of his offspring would just move in and take over the vacant territory anyway, so I might as well learn to live with him!

 

[$NaKe PiMp]

where do you live? can you try to get a photo of the snake??Australian snakes do occupy distinct home ranges and in tracking studies Red Bellied Black Snake males have one of the largest home ranges up to 40 hectares as do Diamond python have been recorded similar size. In another study brown snakes had about 5 hectares they roamed in that particular study,if my memory served me correctly. I am unaware of tracking studies on Taipans and publication of the sizes of home ranges.
I get Eastern Browns in my yard but can only wish i had Taipans come visit down here way out of there range of distribution in Sydney.