a highly venomous species and its look alike

[josh_r]

So, here in east Australia, there is a snake called the rough scaled snake (tropidechis carinatus) which is pretty venomous elapid. It is a small species which has a look alike, the keelback (tropidonophis mairii) which is a harmless, mildly venomous, rear fanged colubrid. Many a newby herpetologist confuse the rough scaled snake for a keelback snake and get bitten. The antivenin is the same used for tiger snakes. Here is a good comparison of the two.

Keelback

And here is the rough scaled snake

Notice the head shape. The rough scale has that classic cobras shaped head and the keelback has a typical colubrid shaped head.

I'll be doing a week long trip to central Queensland here soon. Expect lots of pics.

Josh

 

[Redneck101]

Very nice looking snakes, i hope you get to see some. =)

 

[The Snark]

Uhh yeah. If at night and you are parked on a roadway with cars whizzing passed as you try and shoo a snake to safety one could easily make a serious identification error.

 

[josh_r]

Very nice looking snakes, i hope you get to see some. =)

Not sure if you're aware, i took the pictures...... sooooo, I've already seen them.

 

[Entomancer]

Wow, this is an interesting coincidence.

I was given a book about venomous snakes as a holiday gift, and it brought up the issue with the keelback and the rough-scaled in the section dealing with Aussie snakes.

So I knew what this thread was going to be about before I clicked on it. o.o

Great pictures as always, Josh. Australia must be an awesome place to live in.

 

[josh_r]

Wow, this is an interesting coincidence.

I was given a book about venomous snakes as a holiday gift, and it brought up the issue with the keelback and the rough-scaled in the section dealing with Aussie snakes.

So I knew what this thread was going to be about before I clicked on it. o.o

Great pictures as always, Josh. Australia must be an awesome place to live in.

Sounds like you got a pretty sweet book for Christmas! Yeah aus is a great place. I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. I'll be doing a brigalow belt run here soon, so expect more pics, including some aussie t's.

 

[Najakeeper]

Sounds like you got a pretty sweet book for Christmas! Yeah aus is a great place. I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. I'll be doing a brigalow belt run here soon, so expect more pics, including some aussie t's.

I would love to see some pictures from a Pilbara expedition. Reptiles that live there look amazing. I love Varanus pilbarensis and I would sell my soul for a pair of good looking Acanthophis wellsi.

Great looking pictures by the way.