Young and very small snake <20cm. I have an inkling of what it is but would like confirmation for back up please. Location: Groote Eylandt, NT
Thanks Paul, its the colours that are throwing me plus the small size isnt helping me with the general giveaways of what it would be.
A bit hard to confirm from the pics. Juvenile Coastal Tai? or on second thought maybe Western Brown Pseudonaja nuchalis? What's the mid body scale count? Can you get a better shot of the head scales?
Legend, thanks George. Tai didnt cross my mind because of location however there have been species here that have caught me left field more than once so anythings possible. Ill try get a clear belly scale pic as well as some clearer head scale pics tomorrow morning to provide more info. I'll admit its throwing me despite the books, info and history I have because of the size and age of the animal. If it was older, it would be so much easier. Thanks again for the help, Stu
It is a young Keelback Tropidonophis mairii. It has a loreal scale, dark-edged upper labials and the mouth curves markedly upwards at the back of it. The scales are only just starting to show keels. The eye is also relatively large in relation to head size.
Thanks Mike and George. That was my original thought but I have never seen one this young so had to ask. I didnt manage to get anymore pics today unfortunately before the release which was an oversight..
There was actually no need for any more pics as it was 100% positive ID with the diagnostic features referred to. Incredibly light colour and lacking any evident patterning. Even allowing for the natural variation within this species, it makes one wonder if it was the result of a genetic alteration and therefore a one-off morph.
The loreal scale is a really good diagnostic feature in Australia. No elapids have a loreal scale, so if a snake has one you can immediately rule out most of the snakes in the country. Pythons are pretty obvious, as a Blind Snake and File Snakes, so if it has a loreal scale and not something obvious you know it's a colubrid, and since Australia has very few colubrids it's easy to quickly narrow it right down. Keelback colours and patterns vary hugely, even withing a single clutch. Patternless ones are very common.
