Tiger Snake

Tiger Snake
14-11-2008

04-01-2009

Is this a yellow-bellied tiger snake? It has a much lighter complexion than many other tigers...

04-01-2009

Depending on which taxonomist's opinion is in vogue at the time, there are usually only two species of Tiger Snake identified in Australia - the Common or Mainland Tiger (Notechis scutatus) and the Black Tiger Snake (Notechis ater). Black Tiger's are found mainly on islands in Bass Strait, the South Australian mainland and Tasmania, and are further divided into different subspecies of N.ater. Their venoms are also slightly different from island to island.

The species in the photo is the Common Tiger Snake, which is found on the east coast from South-east Qld, through the NSW coast and into much of Victoria. Separate populations found in south-west WA. Colours and patterns are highly variable across the range. The example shown here is what I consider a typical banded tiger from the east coast of NSW.

According to "A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia", 2nd Ed. by Wilson and Swan, some individuals in Tasmania (as a ssp. of N.ater are predominantly yellow, and those in WA are often olive.

04-01-2009

These are probabley the most common snake around where I live and sometimes will wake from hibernation really early. I have once seen one at the end of july next to a dam, I actually stood on it and it took off across the water.