Reptiles in terrestrial SEQ

Notes

Dangerous reptiles such as snakes need to be observed at a distance. Minimal impact codes of practice demand that we do not stress animals needlessly. To view snakes and get additional information visit the lamington site:lamington

What I intend to list here are the taxonomy, the frequency I and others I know have had reliable encounters on walks, the locations where possible, and the nature of these encounters. I will update these pages according to ongoing experience.If I have never known of an encounter in SEQ it won't be listed.

Phylum Reptilia characteristics

Order Squamata

Suborder Serpentes - Snakes

Family Typholopidae - Blind Snakes
  1. Ramphotyphlops spp Seen once on Mt Superbus, docile
Family Boidae - Pythons
  1. Morelia spilota variegata - Carpet snake -seen in many places including suburbs, aggressive if you get too close or harass.
Family Colubridae - Colubrid snakes
  1. Boiga irregularis - Brown tree snake, never seen myself but this is due to it being nocturnal.
  2. Dendrelaphis punctulatus - Green or common tree snake, usually seen in or near water or in trees. Pretty harmless, great swimmer.
  3. Troponophis mairii - Keelback - resembles the highly toxic Rough-Scaled Snake. Never seen it although it is alleged to be common.
Family Elapidae - Elapid Snakes
  1. Notechis scutatus - Tiger snake - elevated moist environments, can be aggressive, highly toxic. I have only seen them in Victoria and Tasmania where they appear to be more common.
  2. Acanthophis antarcticus - Death Adder - never seen it although people I know have nearly walked on them in Brisbane Forest Park. They will stay still instead of trying to get away like other snakes. Highly toxic.
  3. Pseudonaja textilus - Eastern Brown Snake - very common, highly toxic, will be aggressive if surprised.
  4. Pseudechis porphyriacus - Red-bellied Black Snake. Commonly encountered near creeks on warm sunny days. Large snakes (up to 2m) will stand their ground. Very toxic.
  5. Hoplocephalus stephensii - Stephen's Banded Snake - only seen on the side of the road on Mt Cootha once. The naive would wrongly call this a tiger snake.
  6. Demansia psammophis - Yellow-faced Whip Snake - very common, open forest under rocks etc.

Suborder Sauria - Lizards

Family Gekkonidae - Geckos
  1. Oedura robusta - Robust velvet Gecko - hollows in eucalyps
  2. Oedura tryoni - Spotted Velvet Gecko - Elevated rocky habitats
Family Pygopodidae - Legless Lizards
Family Varanidae - Monitors or goanas
Varanus varius - Lace monitor
Family Agamidae - Dragons
  1. Hypsilurus spinipes - Southern Angle-headed Dragon - rainforests on stems and butresses
  2. Physignathus lesueurii - Eastern Water Dragon - near or in creeks and rivers
  3. Pogona barbata Common bearded dragon - dry forests
Family Scincidae - Skinks
Includes: striped skinks, wall skinks, pink tongue and blue tongue lizards, land mullets, and the common grass skinks.

Turtles

Family Chelidae - freshwater turtles
Recent sightings (from most common to least common)
Carpet Python Eagles nest, Blue Pool track, Stairway falls, Mt Nothofagus
Red-bellied Black snake White swamp, Stairway Falls, Enogerra Ck
Common (green) tree snake Branch Ck, Enogerra Ck, Skeen Ck in bunya tree,Indooroopilly, Northbrook Mountain
Eastern Brown Snake Oxley - near and in long grass
Yellow-faced Whip Snake Karana Downs, Oxley in gardens
Tiger Snake Farmhouse Ck (Tas), GSWW(Vic)
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