my herping adventure

[Bendarwin]

This is mine... and I'm eating it here.

Speaking of Reptile hunting , I found this guy (Common Brown I believe) at Surfers Paradise on the beach last year. Everyone was giving it a wide berth , I figured It PROBABLY wouldnt have a go at me because it was busy so I snuck up on it and took this picture. Pretty cool to watch, but not too good for the lizard.

 

[stencorp69]

What about looking with your eyes? Taking photos, maybe holding them but not destroying their habitats just for the joy of catching a reptile.

Get real and get out doors there's a real world out there. There's is too many nanny on the world already.

 

[PilbaraPythons]

Well said Dean

 

[Sdaji]

Great picture, Bendarwin! I really love seeing eastern browns constricting I remember seeing it for the first time before I owned or knew anything about snakes and at the time I was amazed that such a highly venomous snake would constrict much like a python. It's probably just the memory of that early awe, but it still makes me very happy to see them doing it. Yeah, okay, I'm weird

 

[MrBredli]

I was amazed that such a highly venomous snake would constrict much like a python.

Haha.. i think there is a reason they do it too. I remember years ago i threw a Copper-tailed Skink in with an Eastern Brown. They lived happily together for a few days, then i came home from school for lunch one day to find the two embraced in a coil of love. I returned to school and came home about 2 hours later to find the lizard still alive and well (as well as he could be considering the predicament he was in, that being he was still wedged between the jaws of the second most venomous snake in the world). I watched for about 30 mins with no more action except for the occasional attempt by the skink to break free which was always to no avail. Knowing this had already been going on for at least 2.5 hours, and not looking as though it was going to end anytime soon, i left and returned a few hours later to find the cage had one inhabitant less than when i left. Second most venomous snake in the world?? :roll:

 

[gumleaf]

thanks for sharing great pic.

 

[Snow1369]

That photo is awesome! hmmmm....looking for reptiles only place round here is the creek down the road and i wouldn't go looking their as im not experianced with that kind of stuff (considering we have caught a quick glimps of vens down there!) (not myself my brother and friends) so i don't think ill try maybe oneday!

 

[basketcase]

Second most venomous snake in the world?? :roll:

in relation to humans and according to LD50, yes.

 

[MrBredli]

Yes, i don't doubt it for one second. It just amuses me that it takes the second most venomous snake in the world in excess of 2.5 hours to kill a little skink.

 

[Firesnake]

wow that is a great pic of the brown snake! what on earth was it doing at Surfer's Paradise. you would have thought the heavy human traffic there would deter it.

 

[Sdaji]

Yes, i don't doubt it for one second. It just amuses me that it takes the second most venomous snake in the world in excess of 2.5 hours to kill a little skink.

That's quite interesting, sounds like a case of coevolution, with the skink having immunity to the venom. Does anyone know of Ctenotus having immunity (or a high tolerance) to Pseudonaja venom? An alternative is that the venom evolved to target mammal specific chemistry, but that seems unlikely given that reptiles have always been an important part of Brown Snakes' diets. I've heard that only some 'tribes' of P. textilis constrict, although Ctenotus of one species or another exists over their entire range.

I must admit, I'm not really into Brown Snakes, but this is interesting stuff.

 

[MrBredli]

That's quite interesting, sounds like a case of coevolution, with the skink having immunity to the venom.

I figured that was probably the case, be it immunity or a high resistance. My other line of thinking was that for some reason or another the snake was unable to inject venom though that seemed an unlikely scenario..

 

[Sdaji]

Yeah, seems unlikely after trying for two and one half hours! Especially when they're designed to do it in a small fraction of one second

 

[Hickson]

Second most venomous snake in the world?? :roll:

in relation to humans and according to LD50, yes.

Actually, the LD50 is based on mice (in the 18-21g range). But the extrapolation to humans is a logical one and one that is generally accepted.

what on earth was it doing at Surfer's Paradise. you would have thought the heavy human traffic there would deter it

That was my first thought. Maybe further inland, but on the beach? Wow!



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