Tree snake

[cris]

Just thought i would post some pics of a wild treesnake i was watching hunt in my yard.

 

[moosenoose]

And to think I stock bird seeds out for the parrots to encourage them around the yard! Man, I'd be out stocking that pond with goldfish! :lol: Gorgeous visitor you have there Cris. Thanks for sharing

 

[gumleaf]

Hope this isnt a stupid question. Im from SA. Is that snake poisonous and how long is it.

 

[Spike14]

nice cris1 there on my to get list for shore!

 

[Yayo]

Excellent pics

Thanks for sharing

 

[peterjohnson64]

Hey Gumleaf, they are a poisonous snake but not considered dangerous to us. Rear fang sort of stuff. I have no idea of the length of the one in the photos. The file was too large. BUt I'm guessing 4 to 5 foot long.

 

[craig.a.c]

Hope this isnt a stupid question. Im from SA. Is that snake poisonous and how long is it.

There has been heaps of debates about this. Colubrids are considerd either non-venomous or mildly venomous. Either way they are regarded as harmless.

 

[peterjohnson64]

Sorry for my error in wording. clearly they aren't poisonous. You can eat them. But they are venemous. They have venom to inject in you.

 

[gumleaf]

I am enlightened.I dont think id eat one. So I meant are they venemous didnt I.

 

[Parko]

Hey Gumleaf, they are a poisonous snake but not considered dangerous to us. Rear fang sort of stuff. I have no idea of the length of the one in the photos. The file was too large. BUt I'm guessing 4 to 5 foot long.

Someone correct me if i'm wrong but common tree snakes are colubrids but aren't rear fanged( like brown tree snakes are) they have teeth not fangs i think. As for them being venomous then so are bearded dragons if you follow Dr Fry's studies. They dont ''inject'' venom as far as i know.They dont have enough potency in their venom/saliva to kill even the smallest of frogs, which are most often swallowed alive and held in their throats til they die. I think anyway...At least my common tree snakes always swallow there food very quickly after grabbing it and almost always leave it for sometime in their throat. Whereas my brown tree snakes will bite their food and work it to the back of their jaws so they can get their rear fangs into the prey, they hold it there for a while before swallowing and digesting immediately. Pls correct me anyone on any innacuracies here.

 

[cris]

And to think I stock bird seeds out for the parrots to encourage them around the yard! Man, I'd be out stocking that pond with goldfish!

Its my frog pond, but there were no frogs to be seen yesterday i watched this guy search for ages It looked like it was about to shed soon and was very lumpy.
here are a few 'normal' ones
This one is fairly large. (the first pic is a hatchling)
Oh yeah they are common treesnakes dendrelaphis punctulata not brown tree snakes as bts may suggest

 

[peterjohnson64]

grabbing cogger now parko

 

[Parko]

grabbing cogger now parko

Alright mate but dont hurt him okay.

 

[peterjohnson64]

I think you are right parko. Boigus are rear fanged mildly venemous but no mention at all with Dendrelaphis although it does mention in the preamble to the Colubrae Family that the Boiga, Dendrelaphis and another are all placed in a sub family Boiginae. Funny, it mentions venemous or non-venemous for all but the Dendrelaphis in the Colubridae family. I am now just simply confused.

 

[Parko]

I have never seen any source other than Dr Fry's studies that says Dendrelaphis Punctulata are venomous.
Every book i've read (all published more than a cpl years ago) says they are non venomous. They are not related to Boiga at all ,other than that they are colubrids, as far as i know anyway.
I think they are said to be in the stage of evolution were they are still developing venom glands or the ability to use venom to kill their prey before swallowing. Which is not to say any venom they may have isn't ''potent'' just they cant ''inject'' it.

 

[peterjohnson64]

Mate if these experts can't agree what hope do we have. I am looking at an old Cogger and it has got me in trouble in this joint heaps of times. But he defintely says that Greens (to hard now to type dend???) and browns as well as the freshwater snake are in the same sub-family. mmmmm. me confused. Where is Sdaji?

 

[Parko]

Doesn't the name say it all? Boiga irregularis is in the Boiga familly, Dendrelaphis Punctulata is in the Dendrelaphis familly. Old outdated books certainly often aren't reliable for taxonomy.

 

[peterjohnson64]

I agree mate, but if they were venemous then then they still would be now. and vice versa. But I think you are right that they aren't. Although I can't determine that from the book.

 

[Parko]

They are ''kind of'' venomous according to recent studies.

 

[Rossagon]

According to Ehmann, the genus Dendrelaphis quote "lack a venom apparatus" whereas the genus Boiga quote " have venom glands connected to fangs at the back of the upper jaw". They both belong to the family Colubridae, Subfamily Colubrinae (which is catagorised by having large eyes at the sides of the head). Encyc of Aust Animals, H Ehmann, 1992.

Both Genus have 2 representing species in Australia (in1992, I am unsure if there are any new taxanomic changes), Dendrelaphis calligastra, and D. punctulata. Boiga fusca, and B. irregularis.

Hope this helps guys.
Cheers Rossco.