Help to identify snake (possibly brown snake)

[arliespaz]

Hi Everyone!
I live in Perth, WA, and my coworkers found what I assume is a juvenile snake. They were going to kill it, and instead, I captured it, and plan on releasing it in the national park near my house. It is probably only 30 cm or shorter, and the width of a small finger. It has a black pattern on its head, in a diamond shape, and a thick black band on its neck. Not connected to the diamond on its head. The body is a greenish color.. yet somewhat tan as well. With very small speckles along it (they are not very noticable). I can not get a picture, as he is hiding very well in a box currently. I will see if I can get a picture later, as I would love to properly identify him before his release!
Thank you very much!

 

[richoman_3]

grab a pic

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Judging from your very detailed description it is not the other commonly encountered small brown snake in the area (P.gouldii has only a dark head, no second bar) and may indeed be a brown, but also has the possibity of being one or two other things. So grab a pic.

 

[arliespaz]

I ended up calling a wildlife rescue, and they said it sounds exactly like a juvenile dugite (from his location, markings, ect)! They were going to send a handler out to release him, but I was not threatened by the snake and let him go on my own. I got a few pictures, but they are still on my camera unfortunately! I may upload one later.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Ok upload them later, some wildlife rescues are trustworthy but there's also a lot that are crap, and they most certainly cannot make a call off a description alone.

 

[Bluetongue1]

I must agree that the description is spot on for a juvenile dugite. If your location is significantly south of a line from Yanchep to Midland then it falls within the distribution of Dugites in Perth. It is common at this time of year to come across the young dispersing and they are probably the most common snake people come a cross as a result. Dugites in general show a preference for disturbed areas of grassland created by man. These areas produce a lot of exotic grass seeds that provide a suitable food source for rodents. So if you have an area of extensive parkland or vacant allotments in the vicinity, then it is reasonable to expect young dugites to be wandering through your property.

Obviously a decent photo or three is required to make an iron-clad ID.

Blue

 

[Nephrurus]

Sounds exactly like a young Dugite. Great description.

is this more or less what he looks like?


_DSC3381 by Henry.Cook, on Flickr

 

[Elapidae1]

Please be careful even at that size it is potentially deadly as others have said sounds just like a juvy P. affinis.

 

[bohdi13]

Defiantly sounds like a juvenile Pseudonaja affinis.