If you are walking in the bush and happen to turn over a rock like this, and notice a snake curled up under it, the first thing you should think is that there is a strong possibility that THE SNAKE WON’T KILL YOU!! I talk to many people about wildlife and snakes are very often a taboo subject. “The only good snake is a dead snake” is unfortunately a common saying. People see a snake and immediately assume it must be poisonous. This is a bit like thinking that every new person you meet is a serial killer! In the Perth region we have a huge variety of snakes (about 17 species) and only a couple are dangerously venomous.
This afternoon I took a break from the office and went for a short walk in some local bush in the Perth Hills. When I turned over the rock in the above photograph, I was really pleased to find this snake:
This beautiful animal is a Gould’s Hooded Snake (Parasuta gouldii), one
of our local species that is often found under small rocks on granite
outcrops. It is a member of the venomous land-snake family, and
therefore does have forward-facing fangs that carry venom. HOWEVER, the
strength of the venom is relatively mild, a bite being described as less
intense than that of a bee-sting. And this is only if you get bitten!
In my experience most individuals of this species are quite placid and
will not try and bite unless handled roughly.
Gould’s
Hooded Snakes are nocturnal and feed mostly on skinks and geckoes. An
interesting part of their biology is they do not lay eggs but give birth
to live young. This is a strategy often used by reptile species living
in cold climates, where the environmental temperatures are not warm
enough to incubate eggs.
Sometimes Gould’s Hooded Snakes are confused with juvenile Dugites (Pseudonaja affinis),
which
ARE a dangerously venomous species. This is where it is important to learn how to recognise different snakes. Both have a black head, but the key feature to look out for is the paler mark in front of the eye, quite obvious, and present only on the harmless species. The ground colour of this snake is also much more redder or orange, whereas the Dugite is greyer or greyish-green. And once you’ve seen a few, you’ll notice they have a very different general ‘look’ about them which tell’s you they are a friendly local.
ARE a dangerously venomous species. This is where it is important to learn how to recognise different snakes. Both have a black head, but the key feature to look out for is the paler mark in front of the eye, quite obvious, and present only on the harmless species. The ground colour of this snake is also much more redder or orange, whereas the Dugite is greyer or greyish-green. And once you’ve seen a few, you’ll notice they have a very different general ‘look’ about them which tell’s you they are a friendly local.
Hi Simon, yes I know some people will kill these when they find them, Seems to be the uneducated about nature that think every snake is a serial Killer. Keep up the Great work, Carl Danzi
ReplyDeleteFound what I thought was a baby dugite in our shower recess, now realise that it was probably a Gould's hooded snake. Collected it and released into nearby bushland.
ReplyDelete