What are curl snakes?

[shamous1]

Saw this ad on petlink and wondered what the story was. I did'nt want to annoy the person asking for them but thought I would you lot instead.

http://www.petlink.com.au/Classifieds/sale/342687.html

This person wants curl snake. Don't even know what they are. If anyone has a pic can you post it please.

Thanks,

Shane

 

[JasonL]

It's a Suta suta, a smallish ven that lives over most of eastern Oz away from the coast

 

[snakegal]

I did a project on them a few years ago at Uni. I'm going to submit them as a species on the flora and fauna guarantee act so they can be listed as a threatened species. They're in a bad way, mainly cos habitat destruction.

I'll see if I can dig up my research later

 

[shamous1]

Cool thanks guys. You learn something new everyday. I thought it must have been some exotic thing going by the name. If they are so low in numbers then would people be allowed to keep them on license.

Would be good to see if they could get numbers back up in captivity I guess.

 

[blurb]

here is a picture

 

[Thor1]

where??

 

[blurb]

look again

 

[blurb]

they also come in black with an orange/ red stripe

 

[Wrasse]

they also come in black with an orange/ red stripe

Can I order one in Orange with green swirls ? I don't mind paying a little extra.

 

[blurb]

no worries..would you like that gift wrapped?

 

[shamous1]

How venomous are they (mildly or ohhh yeah type)

 

[blurb]

they are pugnatious when first captured and will not hesitate to bite, and although not regarded as dangerous, bites can be very painful, and in the case of a large specimens, should be medically treated......i found this in care of australian reptiles book by john weigel

 

[nightowl]

just adding on to blurb's info....

it is mostly nocturnal and sometimes diurnal. A live bearer and litters of 6 young have been recorded. Feeds on small lizards, mammals and frogs. It has a spectacular defence posture - it flattens its whole body and presents a tight loop or curl and will strike at any potential threatening movement.

Taken from Snakes Of Australia - Dangerous & Harmless by Peter Mirtschin & Richard Davis

Shane

 

[Wrasse]

no worries..would you like that gift wrapped?

Very accomodating of you. No thanks, I shall just wrap it neatly over my shoulders. Pleasure doing business.

 

[Sdaji]

I did a project on them a few years ago at Uni. I'm going to submit them as a species on the flora and fauna guarantee act so they can be listed as a threatened species. They're in a bad way, mainly cos habitat destruction.

I'll see if I can dig up my research later

I'd be interested in seeing your research, Curl Snakes are quite common in many areas and have a massive distribution, including populations in every mainland state and territory except for ACT. You want to be careful about which species get priority for funding etc, because conservation resources are extremely limited and we don't want to allocate them to species which don't really need it or don't need it as critically as others.

They're cute little snakes, early this year my honours supervisor and I found two or three and at first (while looking at them from inside the car), we both thought they were Delmas because of the way they were moving :lol:

 

[JasonL]

Jerry Swan and Steve Wilson are finding heaps of them on the gas line through central QLD, and some of them (one in particular) are quite alot larger than has been previously recorded.

 

[snakegal]

yep, agree with you there but hey I'm doing more than most. I don't have time to trawl through the almost infinate number of threatened species to assess which needs protection the most, but I welcome your help if you want to do so. :wink:

[

You want to be careful about which species get priority for funding etc, because conservation resources are extremely limited and we don't want to allocate them to species which don't really need it or don't need it as critically as others.

 

[Sdaji]

I'm not at all trying to have a go at you, but it's worth remembering that despite having the best of intentions, it's very easy to cause more harm than good. Diverting desperately needed resources towards species which don't need it is a very common problem which a huge number of people fall into the trap of causing. As you say, there are many threatened species, these do need resources, many will end up going extinct because there's only so much we can do. This is why we don't want to be focusing on the common and secure species. Claiming that species are in more trouble than they are also leads to the government and the general public not taking conservation claims seriously, it's a lot like crying wolf.

yep, agree with you there but hey I'm doing more than most. I don't have time to trawl through the almost infinate number of threatened species to assess which needs protection the most, but I welcome your help if you want to do so. :wink:

[

You want to be careful about which species get priority for funding etc, because conservation resources are extremely limited and we don't want to allocate them to species which don't really need it or don't need it as critically as others.

 

[snakegal]

Yeah, I know Sadj, it's all good. :wink:

I should clarify this is only relevant for Victoria, they are more commonly found in other states, but are at risk of local extinction in Vic. The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act is only a Victorian Government run thing, I'm not sure if there is an Australia wide equivalent that allows "lay men" to nominate species.

 

[salebrosus]

An episode of the Snake Buster saw Bruce George gt nipped by one- really knocked him around and i don't believe there is any antivenene for it.

Simone.