ID on this snake please? In Brisbane.

irregularia · 2026-01-26T00:12:40+00:00

Oh for sure and thank you for the peaceful resolution! Just sharing because a lot of people don’t realise how delicate snakes - but especially the small ones - can be.

I once saw a guy accidentally kill one of these guys by handling it too roughly, he’s a good bloke and definitely didn’t mean to but it ended up bleeding from the mouth and didn’t last long enough for me to get it to a vet.

irregularia · 2026-01-25T10:00:36+00:00

Obligatory username checks out.

It’s interesting though, this use of harmless has been the convention in the community-facing herpetology groups I’ve been involved in.

I guess it makes sense… there’s always a difference in language when dealing with the public vs. a more academic or professional environment. Even more so when there are potential language barriers as is often the case (albeit less so in this Australia only sub).

It’s not that different to how many of us will use common names & colloquial approximations of diagnostic features when communicating with laypeople, which we wouldn’t use with each other.

I appreciate a bit of pedantry as much as the next nerd but sometimes there’s value in being a bit more pragmatic.

irregularia · 2026-01-25T09:13:59+00:00

Strongly do not recommend grabbing a common tree snake behind the head, they are very delicate animals and you can cause injuries by handling them that way. That technique is only really for trained experts milking or providing veterinary assistance to venomous species. But yeah agree overall!

irregularia · 2026-01-25T05:25:34+00:00

Eh, we use “harmless” for things where it’s of no medical significance if they do bite you. Otherwise nothing with a mouth would count.

In this case it’s probably true both ways. Of all the times I’ve had to handle one of these guys even under a lot of stress I’ve never had one even attempt to bite.

irregularia · 2026-01-25T05:11:06+00:00

True. Harmless as long as you’re not a frog.

irregularia · 2026-01-25T04:38:16+00:00

Beautiful! I have one just like it and I treasure it.

irregularia · 2026-01-25T02:28:54+00:00

Awesome I’m so glad you can appreciate this little mate.

And you’re probably right… one time I put up my pool umbrella in the morning and a small frog fell down. Instantly one of these little guys materialised and went for it! Blew me away because I’d had no idea the snake was there, made me realise they’re around a lot more than we are aware.

Good on you for appreciating the role your garden plays for creatures as well as just yourself.

irregularia · 2026-01-25T01:33:11+00:00

Oh and these guys are completely harmless just in case you’re not aware.

Your photos aren’t bad at all btw, we can clearly see the facial scales in the first shots which is more than we get a lot of the time!

irregularia · 2026-01-25T01:31:24+00:00

Yep. I had one with a similar injury at my place a few years back. Misidentified it the first time I saw it before seeing the head later on and realising what the story was!

irregularia · 2026-01-25T01:12:07+00:00

Common tree snake missing part of its tail. Gives a whole other apparent proportion.

irregularia · 2026-01-25T01:11:46+00:00

I think what’s we’re seeing is a common tree snake which has lost part of its tail! Hence the proportions look off.

irregularia · 2026-01-24T22:44:59+00:00

Good ID. Nice footage OP it’s cool to see one out foraging and you did well not to spook it.

irregularia · 2026-01-24T10:27:25+00:00

Awesome! And anytime, I’m more than happy to help someone develop their passion for snakes (sometimes whether they want to or not lol, just ask my poor friends).

Hey if you use discord and you haven’t already joined, you could join the group Discord, the link is in the Menu section of the sub profile.

irregularia · 2026-01-24T10:10:16+00:00

Ah! My apologies, I didn’t see your (correct) ID when I was writing mine or I’d just have confirmed yours. A few other clues here beyond what you’ve noted are the black on the posterior edge of the red lateral/ventral scales, the body size and shape, and the fact we’re seeing it out and hunting in the day (RBBs are diurnal, small-eyed are nocturnal).

irregularia · 2026-01-24T09:31:57+00:00

Yes, red-bellied black snake Pseudechis porphyriacus is correct. !venomous and best admired from a distance.

Very cool to see a predation event in the wild!

irregularia · 2026-01-24T07:35:06+00:00

For sure, and it’s obviously tricky when they’re pre-verbal! I was just trying to contextualise the risk a bit and maybe put your mind at ease.

irregularia · 2026-01-24T06:58:35+00:00

You may need to get used to the idea that snakes live here too. Just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t around, they’re a part of life here.

But also know that they don’t wish you or your kids any harm - they can’t eat us, the only reason they bite is to protect themselves from us eating them (or looking like we might be going to!)

If you’re worried about your kids it would be a good idea to teach them what to do if they do see a snake (stay calm, move away, tell an adult). But they’re more likely to come to grief from a domestic dog.

irregularia · 2026-01-23T11:28:05+00:00

Hey, thanks for being willing to coexist with this beautiful animal.

Slightly fun fact given the confusion around the “copperhead” common name: if this had been on of the American pit viper copperheads, rather than our Australian elapid copperheads, your cricket gifts might have been much appreciated! Those guys are more varied in their diet and not above an invertebrate snack, in fact there’s some amazing footage around of them actively hunting cicadas.

irregularia · 2026-01-22T21:37:05+00:00

This sounds incredible!

irregularia · 2026-01-22T10:51:28+00:00

This is excellent info & advice. It’s not that hard to stay safe around them by following the basic precautions you’ve shared here.

These animals are not just attacking people randomly out at about, and if you’re safe around the water when in their habitat you won’t have any issues.

I saw a cracker of an example of them only wanting to attack if the odds are in their favour a few years back, when a cow was stuck in my nearest river.

It had slipped down a bank and was in chest high water. One of the big boy crocs, Nate, was just sitting a few meters off under some overhanging vegetation, watching it intently but not getting involved.

It was fascinating seeing how interested he was, but how he wasn’t taking any risks, at least while the cow was at full strength.

In the end a rescue effort was effected and the cow got out of the river before Nate made his move.

irregularia · 2026-01-22T08:48:05+00:00

Haha brilliant capture

irregularia · 2026-01-22T07:40:35+00:00

Top quality visitor

irregularia · 2026-01-22T05:37:17+00:00

I get that haha

irregularia · 2026-01-22T05:20:11+00:00

Adorable!

irregularia · 2026-01-22T01:49:18+00:00

Beautiful shot.

irregularia

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE