Stephens banded Snake

[rskb4]

Hi All,

I'm a newbie and dont own reptiles, but have a property where they happily live.

My 1st question for the forum is.

I caught a Stephens Banded Snake in the aviary yesterday , it is fully mature but very placid. Does anyone have experience with this breed of snake ?

 

[JasonL]

They can give a nasty bite and can bite without warning, best be careful with it...

 

[Acrochordus]

Did you let it go back on your property?
Thanks Tim.

 

[Specks]

dont handle the snake as it is quite venomous. it has quite a good bite on it. can knoxck you around. best advice. just release it back into the wild. you cant keep any wildlife you have caught.

 

[rskb4]

No plans to keep it, i will re-release it tonight on our property. I took it to the reptile park today just so they could identify it. Apparently it is also on the endangered list. It is very deceiving, it looks so placid and is very easy to handle (with care of course). Now that i know what it is i will be more cautious. Which is something that should be done regardless........ i know

 

[SnakeyTroy]

nice one. before you release it make sure you get pictures and post them up here!!!!!
it would be againsed everything we stand for, not to get photos. hehe.

 

[jamesf55]

wow lucky you to have them on your property, that would be a dream come true. are you down gosford way? if so even luckier, as your on the southern end of there distribution, as Troy said, post a few pictures!

 

[Jasspa]

nice one. before you release it make sure you get pictures and post them up here!!!!!
it would be againsed everything we stand for, not to get photos. hehe.

Yeah! Dopey me was out herping one day and found a stephen's banded, I was so excited that forgot about the camera around my neck!!
Pictures would be nice!

 

[wiz-fiz]

cool! ur so lucky, wish we had them here.


Will

 

[rskb4]

I re-released him last night, shame i didnt get good pictures, or think about using my SLR . (dumb) I got one pic with it on my friends arm on my phone, as soon as i can up load it i will. ( and before anyone gets worried my friend handles snakes all the time , so it was ok). he didnt want to go back into the bush, and i have a feeling he is going to find his way back to the aviary. The pics i did try and get of him on the ground were very blurred , he moved to quick.
Anyway, its great to have so many snake lovers out there. If i find any more i will be sure to put up a post and any of the locals are more than welcome to come up and check out his home and habitat.

 

[rskb4]

Forgot to add, we are at Kulnura on 12.5 acres. past the dam towards Wollombi

 

[mysnakesau]

Depending where you read, I have heard that the Stephens Banded are heading towards the endangered species list. In my REptile Guide it says in there they are vulnerable - probably because they exist only in that small area. You are blessed with a beautiful creature, and to be not afraid of them is such a great thing to hear. At least on your pocket of land, these animals will be allowed to thrive.

 

[jamesf55]

Depending where you read, I have heard that the Stephens Banded are heading towards the endangered species list. In my REptile Guide it says in there they are vulnerable - probably because they exist only in that small area. You are blessed with a beautiful creature, and to be not afraid of them is such a great thing to hear. At least on your pocket of land, these animals will be allowed to thrive.

there range is pretty big, I think the main problems with this, like other hoplocephalus sp is habitat destruction, broad head need rocks, people take them and break them, stephens bandeds need old growth forests, people cut them down for wood, use the land as farmland, and pale heads, they are probably a common hoplocephalus sp in some areas because they live out in drier areas, dont have huge amounts of people, but they like river red gums, people like living near the river and would cut them down. plus all 3 get poached, because they are nice snakes, people that try to find them usually do damage, because these snakes are easy to find being found in obvious hiding spots (under rock, bark and hollows, stripping amounts large amounts of bark and lifting countless rocks really doesnt help there cause, or there food which lives in these places, plus feral animals, these snakes would have no chance against cats, they may be venomous, but a cat can quickly and easily kill it before the snake will bite it, being a smaller snake.

 

[JasonL]

They arn't all that uncommon in that particular area, and they are secretive snakes which also gives the impression of them being rarer than they actually are.