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Slateman
Guest
I am in herp keeping only 3 years. When I see some Brisbane carpets, they look like coastals and Coastals called by some people Brisbane carpets, I get confused. How do you tell?
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varanus
Active Member
Brisbanes are coastals, just coastals from the Brisbane area. Often coastals are named by their locality, with the assumption that people will know they are coastals (eg Proserpine carpets = coastals too).
S
Slateman
Guest
Thanks I should know that. I just had opinion that they have bit different colouring.
Greebo
Snakologist
The Brisbanes I have seen, have all had a white/cream stripe along the side of the body. I don't know if this is a distinguishing characteristic or not but all the ones I've seen have this.
sxereturn
Very Well-Known Member
...what I was trying to say is you can't really pinpoint a coastal to a location. There is so much variance in them. I've seen snakes from the same clutch that are totally different.
Other snakes, maybe.
Other snakes, maybe.
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Slateman
Guest
This is all interesting. Mabe we should not to call them brisbane carpets at all. Just use proper name for them.
NCHERPS
Very Well-Known Member
A well known Aussie Herp man out here told me a funny story about carpets and localities when I first came out here.
He said that he took a whole bunch of differently marked carpets that he had caught and removed from peoples properties, and was due to relocate for release.
If was invited to a Herp club to give a talk, and so he did a talk, at the end he asked if anyone would like to se some of the snakes from his collection, of course they all said yes, so he got them out one by one and showed each on individually, he then said that each one was from a different locality across the country, ie Prosperine, Brisbane etc..
Everyone in the meeting including some well known and experienced Herpers, sat and agreed, nodded the heads and didn't disagree with what he was saying, even when asked to let him know if he has one wrong!
Well no one said anything, and he then told them he had played a little trick on them, they were all from the same locality within a 2 km radius. Everyone in the meeting was very surprised as they did vary in colour and patterning. It just goes to show!
That said, there are obvious differences with some sub-species, both in size as well as colour and markings.
I have to say that I think that with captive carpets the only true way you will know if they are a true locality specific animal or not, is if they have been collected from the wild(which I am against and don't recommend, or if someone reliable has done this at some point and has 2nd 3rd generation CB snakes from the breedings.
Glad you brought it up Slaty, I am sure alot of people wanted to know what you had asked.
Neil
He said that he took a whole bunch of differently marked carpets that he had caught and removed from peoples properties, and was due to relocate for release.
If was invited to a Herp club to give a talk, and so he did a talk, at the end he asked if anyone would like to se some of the snakes from his collection, of course they all said yes, so he got them out one by one and showed each on individually, he then said that each one was from a different locality across the country, ie Prosperine, Brisbane etc..
Everyone in the meeting including some well known and experienced Herpers, sat and agreed, nodded the heads and didn't disagree with what he was saying, even when asked to let him know if he has one wrong!
Well no one said anything, and he then told them he had played a little trick on them, they were all from the same locality within a 2 km radius. Everyone in the meeting was very surprised as they did vary in colour and patterning. It just goes to show!
That said, there are obvious differences with some sub-species, both in size as well as colour and markings.
I have to say that I think that with captive carpets the only true way you will know if they are a true locality specific animal or not, is if they have been collected from the wild(which I am against and don't recommend, or if someone reliable has done this at some point and has 2nd 3rd generation CB snakes from the breedings.
Glad you brought it up Slaty, I am sure alot of people wanted to know what you had asked.
Neil
Greebo
Snakologist
Obviously none of the experts from this site were at this meeting
True you cant identify locality by looking at a coastal as they are highly variable. But those that use locality names to define their species usually have background info of both parents. Atleast they should have this information before trying to sell them as such.
Adam
Very Well-Known Member
I have a pair of Brisbane's and a pair of coastals. In my photo album the pics of Bonnie and Clyde are supposed to Brisbane and Sam and Striker are supposed to be Coastal. So please have a look and tell me what you think,is this correct as a guide of their colours for these locations? Sorry I can't work out how to link my album even after trying for 15 minutes.It's in personall galleries tittled Adam,with stimpsons about to eat a mouse.
S
Slateman
Guest
HA HA Moses that is the good one.
I will be caling them by normal name only from now. That will make it easy for me. Would have no idea what I will look for in Brisbane carpet. Adams one looks exactly like my coastal from Magpie.
I will be caling them by normal name only from now. That will make it easy for me. Would have no idea what I will look for in Brisbane carpet. Adams one looks exactly like my coastal from Magpie.
africancichlidau
Almost Legendary
Unless you live in Vic, where, along with all other carpets, they are Variegata
I live in brisbane also and ive seen so many different coloured coastals here its not funny. infact its hard to find two that look alike.
The only exeption I seem to notice is that the carpets up in the higher altitudes like Mt Nebo and Mt Glorius all seem to be the more black and white markings. I figure this might be to the fact that there environment is so much cooler and the darker colours help with thermo regulation.
I have probably seen (including dead ones) 5 or 6 carpets from Mt Glorius and they were all very similar in colour. I have seen around the same amount around brisbane city and on the coastal areas and were all quite different.
Something else thats interesting was that in Goondiwindi where I lived for a few years, I seen around say 10 carpets, and they all looked almost identical in colouration and pattern, no variation at all.
Probably has alot to do with the different environments in different locations. Brisbane has scrubland, wetlands, coastal swamps, open fields and woodlands and semi rainforests... so there could be many different colour variations to suit the different environments in such a small area. Mt Glorius is a cooler and more specific forest environment and all the carpets from that area look similar. Out in Goondiwindi there is only one type of environment as well, plain open woodlands, and all the carpets look similar from there as well.
I could be wrong, but it makes scence to me... a different environment, a different colour/pattern to suit that environment, and the Brisbane area has many different environments within a very small area, so many different coloured carpets.
And if you think about the colours that represent most localities they make scence. Jungles are black and gold, perfect camoflarge for a rainforest, murry darling carpets are greys and muddy browns which is great for the grey clay type soils in the murry basin, alot of carpets in the brisbane lowland and coastal areas ive seen are a greeny colour with little black, goes well with swampy grassy coastal areas where ive seen them. Bredli (if you consider them a carpet) are red or orange, great for red sand and sandstone. Mt Glorius carpets are black and white with some yellow and also suits a forest surrounds and climite with lots of black to help with the cooler mornings.
Im sure alot of colours come about just from genetics and which two animals breed, but on the whole its the individuals that suit the environment best that survive and breed, and thus pass on their genes and colours. So a trend in colouration in different environments evolves.
just my thoughs, love to hear others. Has anyone seen different coloured carpets from the same environment???? not area! but the same specific environment.. like 2 different colours from the same swamp, or hill etc.?????
The only exeption I seem to notice is that the carpets up in the higher altitudes like Mt Nebo and Mt Glorius all seem to be the more black and white markings. I figure this might be to the fact that there environment is so much cooler and the darker colours help with thermo regulation.
I have probably seen (including dead ones) 5 or 6 carpets from Mt Glorius and they were all very similar in colour. I have seen around the same amount around brisbane city and on the coastal areas and were all quite different.
Something else thats interesting was that in Goondiwindi where I lived for a few years, I seen around say 10 carpets, and they all looked almost identical in colouration and pattern, no variation at all.
Probably has alot to do with the different environments in different locations. Brisbane has scrubland, wetlands, coastal swamps, open fields and woodlands and semi rainforests... so there could be many different colour variations to suit the different environments in such a small area. Mt Glorius is a cooler and more specific forest environment and all the carpets from that area look similar. Out in Goondiwindi there is only one type of environment as well, plain open woodlands, and all the carpets look similar from there as well.
I could be wrong, but it makes scence to me... a different environment, a different colour/pattern to suit that environment, and the Brisbane area has many different environments within a very small area, so many different coloured carpets.
And if you think about the colours that represent most localities they make scence. Jungles are black and gold, perfect camoflarge for a rainforest, murry darling carpets are greys and muddy browns which is great for the grey clay type soils in the murry basin, alot of carpets in the brisbane lowland and coastal areas ive seen are a greeny colour with little black, goes well with swampy grassy coastal areas where ive seen them. Bredli (if you consider them a carpet) are red or orange, great for red sand and sandstone. Mt Glorius carpets are black and white with some yellow and also suits a forest surrounds and climite with lots of black to help with the cooler mornings.
Im sure alot of colours come about just from genetics and which two animals breed, but on the whole its the individuals that suit the environment best that survive and breed, and thus pass on their genes and colours. So a trend in colouration in different environments evolves.
just my thoughs, love to hear others. Has anyone seen different coloured carpets from the same environment???? not area! but the same specific environment.. like 2 different colours from the same swamp, or hill etc.?????
marc
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africancichlidau said:
well according to Qld Museum veriegata is a top end carpet python and mcdowellii is eastern carpet, which is the same species that acures in Brisbane and the same species macdowellii exstend to Vic.
Ref.A complete guide to reptile of Australia by Steve Wilson and Gerry Swan...you will find this to be the most up to date herp book at the present
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