Taipan

[4shuey]

Exciting day at work - Called to remove snake from small building and expected to see a woma but was suprised to see a 4 foot Taipan. Thanks to doing a snake handling course run by Sonia Dewdeny at Moomba the snake was successfully captured and released.

 

[redbellybite]

Any pics? would love to see them if you got some ......exciting callout

 

[Fuscus]

Taipan? In SA?

 

[Hemiaspis]

Judging from the location, and their comment about expecting a Woma, I think they're referring to O. microlepidotus.

 

[4shuey]

Unfortunately not but it looked exactly like this one.

 

[DanTheMan]

Judging from the location, and their comment about expecting a Woma, I think they're referring to O. microlepidotus.

I was thinking that too, until I looked up where Gawler is
Gawler - Google Maps

A fair way out of it's range, yet not impossible I guess. Or did this not happen in Gawler?

Edit: Just saw the picture, I have seen Browns that look similar?
For example - a Western Brown, looks just like that picture of the Tai you posted, you can see its black head half hidden at the back. Although Gawler is a little far south for Western Browns, its more likely than a Tai.

 

[waruikazi]

I'd put money on it being a species of brown, but pretty cool either way. I used to go to school in Gawler, i've heard it isn't the same place it used to be.

 

[JasonL]

I'd put money on it being a species of brown, but pretty cool either way. I used to go to school in Gawler, i've heard it isn't the same place it used to be.

Well not since you left :lol:

 

[waruikazi]

Well not since you left :lol:

Hahahaha!

 

[4shuey]

I live in Gawler and work in Moomba which is in S.A near the Queensland border and yes Gawler has changed heaps. (Getting to crowded)

 

[DanTheMan]

Ah Moomba, could be a Tai then! Would have been an exciting call out indeed.

 

[lizardjasper]

Whatever snake it was, any elapid call out gets the adrenaline going, so good on ya 4shuey for catching him and releasing him successfully! Or her.
How many call outs do you get? I've only ever gotten one, and that was next door! lol She had a python on her garage, but by the time I got there, the slippery little thing had vanished! I find his skin all the time around our garden though, so I know he's still about! You often hear the green tree frogs being squeezed to death on the roof too. Oh man, I hate hearing it but at leats he gets a good feed.

 

[4shuey]

About a month ago I helped another bloke remove a 8 foot Woma from the boiler house. It was shedding an it was using some pipes as a rubbing post. He took some pictures but i'll have to wait until he returns to work later in the week to post them as he should still have them.

 

[Jonno from ERD]

I think you'll find it was probably a Western Brown, Moomba is a bit far south for Inlands I'd say. Make sure you take your camera next time, it'd be great to see!

 

[Fuscus]

Taipan? In SA?

Moomba is possible - According to Swan and Wilson there is isolated populations in Cooper Pedy

 

[DanTheMan]

Possible, but Western Brown is much more likely, still awesome snakes!

 

[$NaKe PiMp]

yea i would have liked to see a picture for positive ID,as a inland taipan relocation would be extremely rare i would imagine.
Western browns can be easily confused

 

[Jonno from ERD]

Inlands are commonly found in SA, apart from the Coober Pedy disjunt population. The majority of the animals in captivity have originated from stock that was collected around Goyders Lagoon.

 

[lizardjasper]

I wish I could say that it's unusual to find taipans here, but yeah.
They are everywhere! If you go hiking in the hills around here, you're likely to find 10 or more. Which is why I don't go bushwalking very much...

 

[Jonno from ERD]

G'day lizardjasper,

You sound like the luckiest person alive! I think you'll find the species you are seeing are probably a mix of things like Eastern Browns, Black Whip Snakes and maybe even various colourations of Green Tree Snakes. Even in Taipan "hot spots" like Cooktown, you have to put in a fair bit of hard work to find them. They are a very shy, elusive species that are easily spooked.