broard headed snake

[Carney]

just read the latest scales and tales and there was a small section that talked about the fact that the broard headed snake has only just recently had a captive breeding program started, and there are only 4 breeding pairs in captivity. Was interested in this as on sunday i saw what i think was 1 of those pairs at the wildlife park in darling harbour. which got me thinking where are the other 3 pairs and what else can be done to help them, and can the ordinary person breed them for release. they also mention how the same thing was done for the rough scaled python and now they are starting to become more avliable for herpers to buy.
so i would also like to know do the exist for the ordinary person now or are they restriced to zoos and the like.


cheers

 

[Varanus1]

Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary both have Broad headeds.

Regards,
Trent.

 

[aprice]

I know a number of private keepers and zoo's that have them. Releasing them into the wild would be absolutely pointless. The only thing that will save them is focusing on preserving Sydney sandstone areas in which they are found.

 

[Gecko75]

a few people keep broad headed snakes, don't know how many are being bred. it is illegal for general public to release captive herps, I think it would be great if someone that bred them was releasing the young provided it was clean, of course most would disagree with me. of course the chances or the snakes surving are not that high remember a lot of young will always end up part of the food chain, plus chances are, a week later someone will come through looking for a few geckos to sell on petlink and pick themselves up this nice little "diamond" even if they don't I doubt there would be a rock left for them to hide under after someone like that came through.

If you want to help broad headeds the best idea would be to stick out bush rocks and artificial rock, plus kill all cats and foxes they are roaming the bush and beat up bush rapists and pillagers/ vandals/ rock poachers, gecko poachers, snake poachers, whatever they like being called. saying that, they also need fire, but I do not think lighting up national parks is a good idea, unless its controlled and done properly it would do more harm then good.

 

[Guest]

I know of a few private keepers with them..
releasing them into the wild from private collections is illegal and a job only for zoo's as that's what a zoo is for!

 

[$NaKe PiMp]

i have been working and studying in the industry and have read the census of all animals kept in Australasian zoos and the broad head is kept in a few places but mostly by private keepers who keep far more than zoos do.It seems the broadhead is not important enough ,Not as much breeding as you would think goes on in zoos they are limited in funding.

 

[redbellybite]

i have been working and studying in the industry and have read the census of all animals kept in Australasian zoos and the broad head is kept in a few places but mostly by private keepers who keep far more than zoos do.It seems the broadhead is not important enough ,Not as much breeding as you would think goes on in zoos they are limited in funding.

very sad and frustrating ....because we ALL know if the broadheaded was fluffy and cute with eyes as big as a possum ,THE WHOLE OF AUSTRALIA would want to save it ..

 

[wizz]

one of mine .....

 

[moosenoose]

I believe one of the main reasons they are endangered is because of habitat destruction due to increased housing development. By all accounts they live in pretty selective and fragile surroundings.

Yes, too bad they aren't cute and cuddly because the general public would think this is great in losing a venomous snake species!

 

[ShaunMorelia]

Im not sure if there is a breeding pair at Nowra Wildlife park, but they have 2 on display.

 

[aprice]

In the right areas, and in suitable habitat, they are more common than most people seem to believe.

 

[Gecko75]

nice snake wizz

reason for being endangered, they are found only in the sydney basin, which is home to a large number of people, and because they need flat rocks on exposed ridges during winter, the rocks are often taken for gardens and herpers and gecko collecters also damage habitat by turning over rocks and not puttinfg them back or breaking them, plus poaching the snakes and there food, leasures velvet geckos to make a quick buck, I am sure feral animals do not help either, with all the cats roaming around sydneys national parks, other factors are lack of fires, meaning there ridges are being covered with vegetation which means they will not have as many places to go for the cooler months, plus when there is a fire, the fire is usually large as they have lack of it and its always in the warmer months when the snakes are using hollows, which means a large number will be burnt. they are still common in a lot of areas.

 

[Gecko75]

a thread with some good info and pictures.

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/australian-snakes-37/broad-headed-snakes-91924

 

[ShaunMorelia]

nice snake wizz

reason for being endangered, they are found only in the sydney basin, which is home to a large number of people, and because they need flat rocks on exposed ridges during winter, the rocks are often taken for gardens and herpers and gecko collecters also damage habitat by turning over rocks and not puttinfg them back or breaking them, plus poaching the snakes and there food, leasures velvet geckos to make a quick buck, I am sure feral animals do not help either, with all the cats roaming around sydneys national parks, other factors are lack of fires, meaning there ridges are being covered with vegetation which means they will not have as many places to go for the cooler months, plus when there is a fire, the fire is usually large as they have lack of it and its always in the warmer months when the snakes are using hollows, which means a large number will be burnt. they are still common in a lot of areas.

They are also found along the shaolhaven river, which is not part of the sydney basin.

 

[Gecko75]

They are also found along the shaolhaven river, which is not part of the sydney basin.

yes down to nowra, that is included in sydney region I think, atleast it is it reptiles of sydney region.

 

[Serpentes]

Nowra is the Shoalhaven and is outside of the Sydney Basin. There is the entire Illawarra region between the Shoalhaven and the Sydney Basin. Anyway, broad-headed snakes are at risk from both habitat destruction and habitat alteration due to a reduced fire regime in the bush. Broad headeds actually increase their populations once the canopy is thinned around rock outcroppings and suitable habitats. Bush rock collection has also done some damage, by the rock collectors don't affect as large an area as our altered fire regime does.

 

[jamgo]

I have found they decrease after severe and multiple fires and can be very uncommon for years after whether this is from direct result from fire or whether they are more noticeable to predators etc i don't know.Also many ridges they are on have a lot of exposed sandstone and therefore can not support enough vegetation for a canopy to become an issue.

 

[Mayhem]

There are more than you might think of these around - I was offered some, including two hatchies from 4 different people last year.

 

[Serpentes]

I have found they decrease after severe and multiple fires and can be very uncommon for years after whether this is from direct result from fire or whether they are more noticeable to predators etc i don't know.Also many ridges they are on have a lot of exposed sandstone and therefore can not support enough vegetation for a canopy to become an issue.

Here's some good reading about broad headed snakes and fire:

Webb. J and Shine, R (2008.). Differential effects of an intense wildfire on the survival of sympatric snakes. Journal of Wildlife Management 72(6):1394-1398

Webb, J., Shine, R., Pringle, R. (2005). Canopy removal restores habitat quality for an endangered snake in a fire-suppressed landscape.Copeia 4: 894-900

 

[jamgo]

Here's some good reading about broad headed snakes and fire:

Webb. J and Shine, R (2008.). Differential effects of an intense wildfire on the survival of sympatric snakes. Journal of Wildlife Management 72(6):1394-1398

Webb, J., Shine, R., Pringle, R. (2005). Canopy removal restores habitat quality for an endangered snake in a fire-suppressed landscape.Copeia 4: 894-900

Yeah i know but just wrote about my experience with them that is all.