Wet Scales



First day of the year and a grand day.

I went to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve outside Canberra to wander around the wetlands. Well, specifically to see platypus as they are such gorgeous animals. That was as good as ever, so then on for a general look around and experience the wildlife.

While scanning the water surface of the ponds, I noticed a little ripple crossing from bank to bank. It was far too small for a platypus wake. It was a little lizard, about 15 cm long, a species of skink I have yet to identify - anyone know?



The lizard swam with a serpentine motion, waving from side to side with its legs tucked into its flanks, not used to paddle.



Farther on I saw another scaly creature in the water, a Red-bellied Black Snake. A beautiful snake and a marvelously adapted predator. This one was creeping up on another small lizard which was basking on the bank. It never got near enough to strike, or perhaps it did not really want to catch the lizard. That snake carried on slowly patrolling along the edge of the water. Then I noticed two more snakes within ten metres of the first. So I moved slowly and grabbed some shots.



Red-bellies are elapid snakes so are venomous, but they not aggressive and I only watched them, not approached them. They approached me while I kept still.



The red scales on their underside are a rich, yet delicate fiery colour. Their scales are always clean and they shone in the sunshine as the snakes slipped through the grass.



The detailed pattern of how the snakes' scales fit with one another is fascinating, exquisite and no more so than around the head.



They constantly flicked their forked tongues out when hunting, scanning the air for chemical clues of where prey might be lurking.



When seen head on, a victim's last view, they always impress me with their focused attention.

Red Bellied Black Snake

Never blinking concentration

While walking with Lachlan through Tidbinbilla Nature reserve in the Australian Capital Territory yesterday, he noticed one, then a second and even a third snake lurking in the undergrowth between the path and the waterside of a small lake. They were all Red-bellied Black Snakes Pseudechis porphyriacus, one of my favourite species of snake in Australia as they have a rich shiny black top side and a fiery red belly - and I have never seen an aggressive one.

A glimpse of the beautiful red belly of the snake as it slipped over a path

The first one glided onto and across the path to drop into a patch of marsh where it carried on hunting for frogs, lizards or whatever else it might eat. The colour on its belly was more easily seen as it crossed the open path than when it slipped through the grasses.

Hunting in the waterside grass

That one was about a metre and a half long and the others about two metres, perhaps one female and two males. But why are people obsessed with the length of snakes, their size does not make them more dangerous (unless they are very large pythons which could kill a human if given a chance). These Black Snakes are very venomous, yet they were quietly getting on with their life and as we left them alone, they left us alone. No one has been recorded as being killed from a bite by any of  this species. 

There was an appropriate visitor sign in the reserve which said 'the only good snake is a live snake' and I for one agree. We just need to be careful if they are around. 

This one would lift its head up to see, or scent for prey, but I don't know why it spread its hood as I didn't approach it.
This is usually a sign to back off, so I did anyway.