What am I?

[moosenoose]

I could identify the two cars The holden won't start right??

 

[Bluetongue1]

Problem Solved!

When I first read the opening post, the two photos there did not enlarge. I do not know what the problem was but they just enlarged for me then. On the enlarged images I can clearly see features diagnostic of a keelback. So I am now happy to upgrade my 99% positive to 100% positive.

So why didn’t i want to state it was definitely a keelback when it was pretty obvious that it was? You have two highly variable species in terms of patterning. There are some patterns that do overlap. Poor lighting and poor focus can produce artefacts in photos that do not exist in reality. But most important of all, someone may be handling the snake so if the was even the slightest of chance of being in error, I would not make the call.

People with a local knowledge of the patterning on the relevant species in the area and surrounds may well be in a good position to make such a call, when I am not. I have no issue with that so as it is explained. I would rather opt for safety first and cop the flac, than put someone at potential risk.

Blue

PS. Eitak, My sincere apologies for casting doubt where there was none. I was very slow to twig that maybe others were seeing something that I wasn't. I had arrogantly put it down to others being more cavalier and me being conservative. Time to step back and self-reflect methinks.

 

[waruikazi]

Blue, i don't think you should have edited your posts. In threads such as this i think it is important that posters are held accountable for their comments. Particularly to discourage people from having a guess, most people don't realise how potentially dangerous a guess could be.

I've made posts, similar to yours in this thread, calling people out on their ID of a snake (even when they have got it right) because there was no way they could have come to the conclusion without taking a wild stab at it. I remember one thread where most people were calling the snake in question a stimsons but the quality of the picture and location couldn't rule out it being a Suta fasciata, i felt obliged to make that comment.

Like you i always err on the side of caution when it comes to identifying snakes. Imo if you can't pin it down to atleast a genus then you need to stay out of the threads.

 

[eitak]

Problem Solved!

PS. Eitak, My sincere apologies for casting doubt where there was none. I was very slow to twig that maybe others were seeing something that I wasn't. I had arrogantly put it down to others being more cavalier and me being conservative. Time to step back and self-reflect methinks.

No need to apologise!!! I was already in doubt of what it was - hence why I posted here for a second, third, fourth etc. opinion

He was released yesterday morning. We just kept him in the scoop and walked him over to the reserve. Hopefully he doesn't return my stepdad isn't fond of snakes :/

Thanks for everyones input!!!

 

[Poggle]

As stated by previous posters the clear markings, jaw line, head etc identify a keelback. I should know as i have 3 currently living in my dam, lil buggers. All this aside i have a problem which i think i why so many people post on these. I agree with Waterrat and Gordo, for those who don't know, please don't guess as it can be detrimental to the person who is around the snake at the time. Personally well done to eitak for not interfereing or touching the snake with out an id. But this is my concern.

1. Snake pictures goes up
2. Someone guesses the snake picture
3. someone has no idea what it is but likes to post so goes with what the last person posted.
4. someone who can i.d the snakes proves people wrong
5. people make excuses for getting wrong i.d

People are allowed to comment yes, and people can make wrong i.d's ( i have done it in the past ), but snakes CAN BE a VERY dangerous animal, so the last thing we as herp keeps want to be doing is putting others at risk by not knowing what we are talking about. For those who don't know , don't guess, sit back and watch what the people who have dealt with the snakes have to say, and then by all means go for it and say "wow , well i thought it may have been this but i see now i was wrong"

Cheers,

Pog

 

[moosenoose]

Look, my advice is sound. Go in with some liquid courage and play with the snake. When you get bitten and it does turn out to be a venomous snake you can blame the alcohol and look like less of a tool

I find my best cleaning days of my vens starts with a beer in hand. Hell, I'm not going in there otherwise.

 

[Waterrat]

Is this you?

View attachment 226527

 

[eitak]

Is this you?

View attachment 226527

I cant't see it

 

[Mister_Snakes]

Look, my advice is sound. Go in with some liquid courage and play with the snake. When you get bitten and it does turn out to be a venomous snake you can blame the alcohol and look like less of a tool
I find my best cleaning days of my vens starts with a beer in hand. Hell, I'm not going in there otherwise.

That's a great idea, you can pick them up with your left hand, because you're holding a beer in the right hand, plus your friend can pour beer on you to keep you awake on the way to the hospital.

 

[waruikazi]

That was such a horrible story. Now how is he gonna crack a can with only one arm?!?

 

[moosenoose]

I'm pretty sure that bloke is dead now due to the complications he suffered from that incident. I'm almost certain he thought he was playing with a keelback looking back through his Jack Daniels goggles

 

[waruikazi]

Nope! He's still kickin it in a remote town in the NT, think he's the groundskeeper of a pub or something.

 

[Dark_Morelia]

What I'd love to see is a separate Identification subforum with specific rules that discourage such wild guesses.

 

[saximus]

What I'd love to see is a separate Identification subforum with specific rules that discourage such wild guesses.

Agreed!

 

[Bluetongue1]

Blue, i don't think you should have edited your posts. In threads such as this i think it is important that posters are held accountable for their comments. Particularly to discourage people from having a guess, most people don't realise how potentially dangerous a guess could be....

The two posts I deleted were not on the ID. They were related to a comment I questioned, which in hindsight I should not have. In deference to the posters I consider it appropriate to delete those comments. I could have made an explanatory comment but could not see the point of giving people more to read when less has the same effect. Taking on board the intention of your pot, I have altered the note in each to explain they were not relevant. As no-one had posted I simply over-wrote my last post – which would not have been written had I solved my issue just a little ealier.

.... Like you i always err on the side of caution when it comes to identifying snakes. Imo if you can't pin it down to atleast a genus then you need to stay out of the threads.

Apart from erring on the side of caution I also take into account the potential effect on the OP of stating the likelihood of an ID. For example, if I were to say I’m 99% certain it’s a keelback, some might take that as an acceptable risk to tail or otherwise handle the snake. As it became more evident that the OP has a responsible head on her shoulders, I felt more comfortable in expressing that e.g. “it is almost certainly a keelback and I know am being overly cautious”. I am not prepared to relinquish my basic protocols in this respect, despite some heavy duty pressure. However, that pressure did have thinking and wondering why. That is what I was doing when I passed the mouse of the open pics and lo and behold – up popped a full sized pic. At that point in time I reckon I could have walked out under the door!

Blue