Reptiles ID Townsville

[Oriolus]

Hi guys. Do you mind if I hijack this thread for a snake identification of my own? This was taken along the Ross River in Townsville.


unidentified snake by Oriolus84, on Flickr

While I'm here, I wouldn't mind your opinion on this skink as well. I was thinking Lampropholis mirabilis? Taken on Mount Stuart in Townsville

unidentified skink by Oriolus84, on Flickr

 

[baker]

The snake is a keelback. I have no clue on the skink though.
Cheers Cameron

 

[GeckPhotographer]

The skink's a Eulamprus, most probably E.tenuis but I don't have anything to check the distribution of a few other species I don't know as well atm, so I wouldn't rule out some other similar species.

 

[Bluetongue1]

The snake is a Keelback (Tropidonophis mairii). It has a loreal scale i.e. a between the nasal scale (containing the nostril) and the scale in front of the eye. This tells you it is a Colubrid and not an Elapid, which lack this scale. It also has pale labial (lip) scales with dark edging and the line of the jaw is not straight but curves upwards in the posterior section of it. Your specimen a less common colour variant – being reddish brown and not heavily patterned by the darker scales. The Keelback is entirely harmless. However, it does resemble a number of dangerously venomous species. So unless you are 110% competent at field recognition, treat any snake you come across with the respect you would accord a known to be dangerously venomous snake.

The skink is a Bar-sided forest-skink (Eulamprus tenuis). The colour and patterning does not match the other two Eulamprus species found in the area. One has a yellow base colour the other has basically white to grey lower laterals with large dark splotches. In this species the lower laterals are light with a multitude tiny to larger darker flecking.

Blue

 

[eipper]

The looks more like sokosoma to me, the barring is cleaner on tenuis

 

[Oriolus]

Thanks for your help guys. Much appreciated!

 

[Bluetongue1]

aaYou are 100% correct Scott. My mistakes are obvious to me now. I am not quite sure how I managed to get it wrong, other than I was very tired at the time. The white and black of the lower lateral area of the body is characteristic of E. sokosoma. E. tenuis, as I have said before, has a black reticulum on a light grey background. This animal lacks the clear banding on the tail of most E. tenuis and, as you say Scott, it lacks the more defined dorso-lateral barring of E.tenuis. It also lacks the black scales scattered over all of the dorsal surface.

Thanks Scott. It is good to know I have someone to keep me honest.
Mike