Also
called common tree snake
(even Australian
tree snake, grass snake, yellow bellied black snake), Dendrelaphis
punctulata is a beautiful snake that is totally non venomous.
It is sometimes confused with the green
tree python (also harmless) that is endemic to Cape York,
while the
common tree snake has a much wider distribution
in the whole northern and eastern Australia.
The two also belong to different
families and at a closer look, look
very different.
Another difference is
that the green
tree snake is diurnal (active during the day) while the green tree python,
like most pythons,
is nocturnal
(active during the night).
What Does the Green Tree Snake
Look Like?
It is most commonly 1.2 metres long, but
can grow up to
two metres.
As its name indicates, most
specimens
are green.
Also common are yellow
shades,
particularly on the throat and under belly.
However, exceptions do
exist and here
is one:
Yes, green tree snake can also be black,
brown, olive, or even blue (greyish to
bright blue), the
latter particularly found in the tropics.
It has a slender body,
a small head,
a long, thin tail,
and large eyes.
Even if the belly
is not
yellow, it can be creamy, grey or blue but is always paler than the back.
Where Is It
Found?
It is
found in northern
Australia, from the
Kimberleys in the west to Cape York in the east, and down along the eastern coast of Australia
throughout the whole coastal and sub coastal Queensland and about half
way into New South Wales.
It is also found in our northern neighbour Papua New Guinea.
It lives
in a wide variety of
habitats
like
rainforests, sclerophyll forests, eucalypt forests, open woodlands,
bushlands, heathlands, shrublands, rural lands and farmlands, as
well as
urban areas, suburban backyards and gardens.
Where to Look for a Green Tree
Snake?
Like most
snakes they are
more likely to be
seen near creeks and
rivers,
lakes and garden ponds, in other words wherever there is water.
And like most snakes they like high
grass where they are protected from predators, and likely
to
find prey.
Like other tree snakes they also like to spend time in trees, and
elsewhere above the
ground, like on buildings,
house verandahs, walls and roofs of garages and sheds.
They are one of the most
common
species of snakes to enter gardens and homes, and they
love dog
food if it's laying around!
Habits, Food and Breeding
Unlike many other snakes, they rest
during the night in rock crevices, hollow logs and other
hideaways, and keep
awake day time,
when they hunt or sunbathe, often up in trees.
Their favourite food is
frogs
but they also eat fish, small reptiles (skinks, geckos, even turtle
hatchlings), eggs, and small mammals such as rats and baby bandicoots. Around homes they love house
geckos.
About 5-12 eggs
are laid per
clutch, and hatchlings
are
about 25 cm long.
Non Venomous But Can Bite
If they are in the bush and
realise you
are watching them, they simply escape
to safety.
The one on the photos on this page appeared
right in front of us
(despite the fact we weren't quiet), got the frog, spent about half an
hour swallowing it, all in the touching distance from us, right in the
height level with our heads. I could have given it a kiss, it was that
close.
After eating, though, he did show signs of disliking us so close, and
gave me that look with slightly inflated
neck to scare me away.
They can also emit a strong smell
as a defensive mechanism, and of course, they can bite.
The fact that a snake is not
poisonous does not mean it cannot give you a nasty bite!
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This complete 300 pages
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at least 30 guaranteed FREE
camping spots on the Cape (and at least 150 on your way to
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how to deal with the national
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and alcohol restrictions - to vehicle preparation and accessories and necessary recovery
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This site uses British
English, which is the English we use in
Australia.
Disclaimer:
Although
best efforts have been made to ensure that all the information on this
website is correct, this site is not to be blamed should there be a
mistake.
This is the ORIGINAL Cape York Travel Guide run Locally on the Peninsula.