Posted on May 19, 2010 - by admin
Common Death Adder
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Acanthophis antarcticus or the Death Adder
The death adder is a nocturnal venomous snake. Unlike most snakes, the death adder hunts only by ambush. They lie hidden under leaves, waiting for prey to move within striking range. To entice prospective meals their way death adders possess a lure at the end of their tails. The snake moves this lure to make it look like a small worm. The potential predator then becomes the prey.The venom of the death adder is highly neurotoxic, causing muscle paralysis. (more…)
Posted on May 20, 2010 - by admin
Arafura File Snake
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Acrochordus arafurae or the Arafura File Snake
The Arafura file snake inhabits the lowland freshwater systems of northern Australia and New Guinea. As a non-venomous snake they kill their food (mainly fish) by constriction, much like land-dwelling pythons. The skin of the file snake is very coarse (hence the name ‘file snake’), which enables it to grip the slippery fish it preys
on. While quite agile in the water, file snakes are awkward movers on land. Despite this, they can travel for hundreds of metres when necessary. (more…)
Posted on May 21, 2010 - by admin
Children’s Python
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Antaresia childreni or the Children’s Python
The Children’s python is one of the smallest pythons in Australia, reaching a maximum length of about 1 metre. They get the name Children’s python not because they eat children, or because they make great children’s pets, but from an English naturalist by the name of John Children. The Children’s Python is usually found on the ground, utilising rocks, logs or animal burrows for shelter. They feed on small rodents, birds and lizards. Children’s pythons will often climb to the roof of caves and snatch out of midair bats that are leaving for their night time feed. The Children’s python is naturally a very placid snake. For this reason, and its compact size, it is a popular pet. The Children’s python is an egg- laying species, as are all pythons. (more…)
Posted on May 22, 2010 - by admin
Spotted Python
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Antaresia maculosa or the Spotted Python
The spotted python is a small species of non-venomous python. They can reach around a meter long and up to 1.4 m. As a python, they strangle their prey, which may consist of small mammals, including bats, small birds and some lizards. Spotted pythons like to hang out in rock crevices, caves and sometimes tree hollows. (more…)
Posted on May 23, 2010 - by admin
Stimson’s Python
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Antaresia stimsoni or Stimson’s Python
Stimson’s Python is a small snake only reaching about a meter in length. As a python, they are non-venomous.
Spotted pythons occur in dry inland areas, from the coast of Western Australia through the country to west of the Great Dividing Range, preferring to live in areas with rocky outcrops. They come out at night to feed on small lizards, frogs and mammals. (more…)
Posted on May 24, 2010 - by admin
Black-Headed Python
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Aspidites melanocephalus or the Black-Headed Python
The stunning black head of this animal is its most valuable asset. A black-headed python is able to warm its entire body by exposing only its head to the sun. As the blood heats up it is quickly shunted to the rest of the animal hidden under rocks or logs. The Black-headed python also uses its head as a shovel, digging under rocks and venturing into small burrows to find food. A major part of this animal’s diet is made up of reptiles. It is thought that because of these two factors the black-headed python has evolved without heat pits, which can be found on all other Australian pythons, except the closely related woma python. (more…)
Posted on May 25, 2010 - by admin
Woma Python
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Aspidites ramsayi or the Woma Python
The woma is one of two Australian pythons that don’t have heat pits (the other being the black-headed python). The woma lives in the sandy deserts and adjacent areas of all Australian States, except Victoria and Tasmania. In some parts the woma is referred to as the sand python. Burrows provide womas with both shelter and food. The woma will utilise burrows, including those of rabbits, to escape the scorching summer day time heat, and for shelter from the cold desert winters. They will scoop sand aside with their head to form a large depression in which to fit their coiled body for resting. (more…)
Posted on May 26, 2010 - by admin
Brown Tree Snake
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Boiga irregularis or the Brown Tree Snake
The brown tree snake is a nocturnal (night time) hunter, with its big, beautiful cat-like eyes giving it excellent vision. These eyes are also the reason its also called a night tiger or doll’s eye snake. The brown tree snake has a very slender body that can reach 2 metres in length, though on average they grow to about 1.4 metres in length. The brown tree snake is a rear-fanged venomous snake. The venom is very weak, with bites normally resulting in nothing more than a headache. Because of its brown colour this animal is often confused with dangerously venomous snakes. (more…)
Posted on May 27, 2010 - by admin
Pale-headed Snake
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Hoplocephalus bitorquatus or the Pale-headed Snake
Did you know…
- The Pale-headed Snake is arboreal, which means it lives in trees. They shelter in hollows and under loose bark on standing trees.
- The Pale-headed Snake is highly venomous.
Posted on May 28, 2010 - by admin
Broad-headed Snake
Hoplocephalus bungaroides or the Broad-headed Snake
Did you know…
- Broad-headed snakes are endangered. Their habitat has been destroyed by people taking bush rocks to put in gardens.
- These snakes are found in the sandstone country around Sydney. They shelter in crevices and under slabs of rock.
