2024 snake spottings

[g-boaf]

Since we have a topic for magpies, it might be worth having one for snakes since it's getting warmer and they will be out more frequently.

I spotted a very decent size brown snake this morning here:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/sRv6bpq6gt3fNHZeA

M7 cycleway near the exit to Moonrise Lookout (Villiers Road).

That was on a big downhill section so not a lot of chance to avoid it, fortunately it moved off the path.

[find_bruce]

Are snakes territorial?

[brumby33]

What you have to be careful of is because bicycles are often silent on a trail, the snakes sometimes lie across paths especially if they're in the sun so as to warm their bld to warm up so often are mistaken as sticks on the path.........until they rear up in defence when they sense danger.......if it's one of many highly venomous snakes, that could be a problem as they are lightening fast and you'd probably have little chance if you run over or even pass one on a path as they will have a go at you.

I've heard there's a lot of snake sightings on the M7 Bikeway but i've yet to come across them even down here yet there have been many snakes, especially Eastern Brown Snakes and Red Belly Black snakes found in backyards down here in Albury and the snake catchers have been rather busy.

So if you see a good sized stick on the path, approach slowly to see if it moves or not.

Cheers

brumby33

[g-boaf]

They seem to stick around a particular area from what I've seen, though it might well be that the area is good for food.

Two weekends ago I saw a pretty enormous red-bellied black snake here:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6aHiQewxf43D9o276

Fortunately it noticed me coming because it took off very quickly into the bushes at the side. The black ones I don't worry too much about, they just go away as quickly as they can, it's the brown snakes that I don't like - some of those are really aggressive.

I've had a very small brown snake have a go at me when I went past it (mistaken for a little stick) but I was also going at 40km/h+ so it probably wasn't fast enough. But on the flip side I've had to do an emergency stop to avoid an older brown snake and the thing just looked around at me in the most casual lazy way and then slowly went on its way.

[warthog1]

Plenty of squashed browns on the roads here. A red bellied black the other day too. Haven't seen too many live ones though. I do keep a good eye out for them on the gravel.
Lots of dead blue tongues on the roads around here. On the road to warm themselves and squashed.

[Duck!]

....it's the brown snakes that I don't like - some of those are really aggressive.

I've had a very small brown snake have a go at me when I went past it (mistaken for a little stick) but I was also going at 40km/h+ so it probably wasn't fast enough. But on the flip side I've had to do an emergency stop to avoid an older brown snake and the thing just looked around at me in the most casual lazy way and then slowly went on its way.

Some years ago while mountain biking in the You Yangs, a short distance off the highway between Melbourne and Geelong, for those unfamiliar with the region, I had a similar encounter to your latter one. Fortunately I was riding uphill, so not moving too fast, and was able to stop immediately a safe distance back upon spotting an enormous Brown stretching right across the trail, easily 6' long and as thick as my arm. It looked up, gave me a bit of a once-over rather like the disparaging glares that MTBers experience from the more extreme roadie snobs, before casually moving off to chase out a tasty bunny for dinner. I watched it for several minutes, and not once did it make any sign of wanting to have a go at me.

On another trail in the same area, frequented by a similarly large Brown known to regular riders as Bruce, there used to be a tree root across the trail that would keep everyone on their toes; it squiggled across the trail and was polished from being ridden over so many times, so it was shiny and the exact colour of a brown snake! Eventually it got worn through from being ridden over, so it's not there anymore, but repeat riders who knew that it was just a root got a bit of a giggle from the reactions of less frequent visitors.

Now to this season, my one snake encounter was a few weeks ago while out walking along my local creek & wetlands. I didn't get a good look as it slithered across the path and into the scrub on the creek bank, but I suspect a Lowland Copperhead, which are very common in the area. Tiger snakes are also common, but it didn't look Tigerish. Although venomous, Copperheads are one of the nicer snakes to meet; they are quite placid and need serious aggravation (like being stood on for an extended time) before they'll have a go, and even then they'll tend to headbutt rather than bite!

[baabaa]

Are snakes territorial?

The people who should be able to answer that are really not that helpful...

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[Duck!]

Are snakes territorial?

It depends on interpretation..... Snakes (and reptiles in general) tend to keep within a fairly limited range, which could be implied as territorial, however unlike some other animals, they don't seem to actively defend that range against incursion by others, typically the strict definition of "territory".

So yes and no on that depending how you look at it.....

[Dodgy-Knee]

I’ve seen plenty of Dugites here in Perth… a lot of bike paths I ride are next to scrub or old farmland so it’s common to have a snake cut in front of you without notice… a definite test of your reflexes!!

[bychosis]

Haven't seen many snakes in my travels, despite doing a lot of MTB riding over the years.

Couple of days ago I got a fright from a land mullet crossing the road. Like a blue tongue, but all brown/black in colour. Never seen one before seeing a couple in the last year.

[blkmcs]

I've seen three so far this year, a small dugite crossed my path while walking in Baigup Wetlands, another dugite alongside the dual use path in Garvey Park I would have ridden by without seeing it if there hadn't been a couple of walkers standing watching it and the third was a Tiger just climbing up the river bank in Ascot Waters.

[g-boaf]

Can people please post google maps locations, that's going to be a lot more useful.

[find_bruce]

What 3 words is a lot more people friendly & accurate to a 3m square

The people who should be able to answer that are really not that helpful...

https://int.mongoose.com/pages/contact-us

Ha ha. Mongooses are pretty rare in the wild these days.

[foo on patrol]

Are snakes territorial?

Good question and one that I can't answer.

Foo

[Herpfan]

Are snakes territorial?

Duck is pretty much on the money in their response above. Snakes need to find a location that meets a number of requirements - reasonable access to food, water (typically clean running water - they have a low tolerance for stagnant water), access to heat, and a cool place for shelter that they can squeeze into tightly.

What this in essence means is that they will find a place that meets all requirements and stay there. It is not uncommon to find them going back to the same hiding spot for weeks or months at a time.

On the flip side, if their requirements are no longer being met (their food/water source vanishes, or something shades the nearby sunning spots), they will happily move on to an entirely new location.

Snakes fitted with trackers have been found to move quite large distances, whereas there is one well documented instance of a python in Darwin that stayed in the one tree for many years.

[find_bruce]

Who am I to disagree with herpfan? I'm assuming herp refers to herpetology rather than herpes - the later fan club is small

In any event my understanding is similar - snakes will have a home range, usually much less than 1km squared, but there can be multiple snakes in the same area. Even at the same sunning location most of us would have no idea whether its the same snake.

Oh & Brumby - snakes probably won't hear you coming, they have no external ears & so only pick up low frequency sounds.