A question for the smarty's :)

[dintony]

Is there any snakes in Australia that are NON rodent eating?


Thanks.

 

[chilli]

all aquatic spp

 

[dintony]

Ok apart from aquatic species

 

[Sdaji]

There are plenty of them; many elapids, both file snakes, several colubrids, all blind snakes.

 

[dintony]

What do they eat sdaji?

 

[Danda_Reptilia]

Lowland copperheads (Austrelaps superbus) and Whitelipped snake (Drysdalia coronoides) are predominantly skink and frog eaters in the wild.

It is possible to convert them to rodents in captivity.

 

[dintony]

Thanks for the replies

How are these fed in captivity? Do you need special permits to feed them native fauna?

 

[Danda_Reptilia]

Thanks for the replies

How are these fed in captivity? Do you need special permits to feed them native fauna?

We do not require special permits to feed them native fauna, however, we are restricted to keeping no more than 6 skinks at a time for husbandry purposes.

To date, I have never fed my copperheads or whitelips on froggies

 

[Sdaji]

White-lippeds and Copperheads will still eat rodents, but some, such as Bandy Bandies are highly specialised and never touch them. Others are exclusive lizard feeders, some are exclusive insectivores. One colubrid only eats crabs. File snakes only eat fish. Sea snakes only eat fish in the wild, although surprisingly some love frogs if given the option in captivity.

Some of the lizard and frog feeders are fed illegally in Victoria, some are fed alternative foods in captivity, some states allow for some species of lizard to be collected for feed, some species just aren't kept anywhere at all because it's illegal and/or inconvenient.

 

[Australis]

. Sea snakes only eat fish in the wild, although surprisingly some love frogs if given the option in captivity..

Dont forget egg eating species.

 

[Packages]

What about Black-headed pythons?
Some times you have to rub a dead lizard on the mouse to get them used to mice because they like the sexy walk of a slithery lizard... but thats just what I think..

 

[Sdaji]

Too late, I already did, although you've now reminded me. Yes, there are sea snakes which eat eggs. Most eat fish, none eat mammals.

Dont forget egg eating species.

 

[Danda_Reptilia]

LOL....true Sdaji.....Copperheads and white-lips will eat rodents, however are predominantly skink and frog eaters. Also as you know, copperheads can be fussy eaters.

 

[smacdonald]

Is there any snakes in Australia that are NON rodent eating?

It's probably easier to list the ones that are (primarily) rodent eaters:

Taipans
Some of the pythons (primarily when they're adults)
Brown snakes (excluding P. modesta)

These species have been found to take at least 20% mammals (not necessarily rodents):
Death adders
Brown tree snake
Stephens' banded snake
Mulga
Collett's
Spotted black snake
Curl snake
Rough-scaled snake

This info comes from Rick Shine's huge body of work on museum specimens.

Any others?


Stewart

 

[Jason]

what about the bird eaters, not 100% sure on actual specialists but lots of pythons will eat them.
i actually feed my snakes mostly quails.