please identify!

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ShepQLD

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just caught a very healthy black snake, about 60 cm long, high red belly. there is now a debate as to if it is a small eyed snake or a red belly black. can someone help please? snake is safe and sound is a hatchie container with a bowl of water and hiding contently in a toilet roll lol. I will release it but do want to get it correctly identified first! it was underneath my aviary.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!

 

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It's a Small-eyed Snake (Cryptophis nigrescens). It's distinguished readily from the Red-bellied Black Snake from the size of the eyes, as the name suggests.
 
I don't follow vens much, but I've had to relocate a handful of redbellys from friends houses, and I noticed the red on them seemed to come more up the side of there body's.

So I'm gonna say you've got a Small eyed snake.
 
You say "high red belly". In the second photo I can see kind of orange-brown where the dorsals meet ventrals. If it was a young RBBS, the first raw of dorsals would be brught red / crimson.
Most probably Small-eyed snake.
 
You'll need to identify it yourself- for the small eyed,15 rows for midbody scales, single subcaudal scales,ventral scales betwen 165 and 210. Out of interest, why did you catch it?
 
You'll need to identify it yourself- for the small eyed,15 rows for midbody scales, single subcaudal scales,ventral scales betwen 165 and 210. Out of interest, why did you catch it?

It was underneath her aviary.
 
If the belly colour does not extend up onto sides,I would say Eastern Small-eyed Snake.If belly colour is visible along flanks and sides it would be Red-bellied Black Snake.
 
You'll need to identify it yourself- for the small eyed,15 rows for midbody scales, single subcaudal scales,ventral scales betwen 165 and 210. Out of interest, why did you catch it?

Consider that not everyone is keen to handle live ven to count its scales. It's not the easiest practice even on a dead small-eyed snake.
 
yep lol thanks wookie, it was under my aviary, Ill relocate down the back of ther property near the creek, (it away from the house and the birds and the dogs) seems it is a small eyed for sure, thanks all for your help :)
 
the colour is not visable except from directly beneath it, it is a beautiful snake though, really bright red underneath, 100% fit and healthy. rather nice to have the expierance of understanding a bit more about it and to be able to move it to a safer spot then right next to the house!

it is in a transparent container but its hiding in a toilet roll and I dont want to handle it again unless I HAVE to, I dont have any expierance with handling vens. I was shaking just getting it into the container!! LOL
 
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