Pygmy Copperheads.

[imported_Varanus]

A bit of variety from the Adelaide Hills. The big fella next to the sunnies was close to 800mm, so near as big as they get.

 

[Demansiaphile]

Awesome! I spent a weekend in Adelaide not too long ago. We spent the last day looking for these guys and failed.
Very cool animals!

 

[imported_Varanus]

Awesome! I spent a weekend in Adelaide not too long ago. We spent the last day looking for these guys and failed.
Very cool animals!

They are really common in some spots of suitable habitat, but absent from others only 100 metres away? All these were found along a creekline of no more than 75-100 metres. Stringy Bark with an understory of Bracken/ Kangaroo grass.

 

[TrueBlue]

I used to keep these awsome little critters years ago, truely lovely animals.

 

[imported_Varanus]

I used to keep these awsome little critters years ago, truely lovely animals.

Were you able to wean them onto rodents, Blue?

 

[TrueBlue]

Yes, bit of mucking around with them but once they started they feed well.
A good friend of mine in SA used to breed them every year and he sent me up a few new borns.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Cheers for that. They seem to take small skinks straight away and have a great feed response. The pic was taken literally minutes
after I picked one up on a relocation. Thought I might try pinkies in gecko shed with the next one?

 

[TrueBlue]

I found that senting the pinkies with skinks worked well, the ones that wouldnt accept pinkies that way id force feed and after 4-6 force feeds they would take them on their own.
I found the best way to sent them was to freeze a few skink tails then make up some thick soup with them and smear that over the pinkies, works a treat.

 

[Demansiaphile]

That lizard soup works very well on most small elapids.

I need to come down and find these suckers. Often find them on call outs?

 

[imported_Varanus]

I need to come down and find these suckers. Often find them on call outs?

A few times last year (usually individually), but there is a local "colony" I know of if you're ever down this way.

 

[vampstorso]

Aw what beauties!

 

[getarealdog]

Awesome Richard!

 

[cement]

What is their scientific name mate? I never knew there was a pygmy.

 

[imported_Varanus]

What is their scientific name mate? I never knew there was a pygmy.

Austrelaps labialis.

 

[Swampdonkey]

They are a great little snake. Dug one up bare handed a while ago, trying to dig a blackberry out of a fence line. don't know who got the bigger surprise but it didn't even look like attempting to bite. relocated it into another patch about 20 m away and it sat and watched me for about 5 mins before it bothered moving

 

[imported_Varanus]

Nice one! Here's one I "relocated" from a retaining wall. Why people want these moved on is beyond me? Never even looked like biting, just some hissing and a bit of bluff.