Snakes??

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Araminta
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Snakes??

Now that the birds are breeding,Mother Skink and her young are basking in the sun, to me that signals: "the snakes are out" Has anyone seen any yet? M-L

Mother

and tiny Baby

Woko
Woko's picture

A couple, Araminta. I think I posted elsewhere about my encounter with a common brown snake last Sunday I think it was.
I like your skinks. Any idea what species? I'm not too familiar with reptiles.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Hi Woko, I found your post about the brown snake. The skinks are just garden skinks.(very common in my garden, I talk to them often!LOL)I haven't seen a snake yet, but they'd have to be there!We get more tigers, and red-bellies.They go to the water hole we fenced off, so the horse and the dogs can't get to it and trample the edge and contaminate the water.I only get to see snakes on their way to drink and catch some of the many frogs that live there.Those skinks are very tame, I can call them and they come. People say, they can't hear, but they still hear me!? (but, I'm very strange, I can talk "animal"!) M-L

M-L

birdie
birdie's picture

Ha ha ha ..... seen one??????? My friends living in the same suburb as me have now counted 6 since the warmer weather started, mainly around their patio and driveway. Non venomous for all of them fortunately. Haven't seen one yet in my garden but the regulars are the brown tree snake, the green tree snake and carpet python. We have plenty of browns in the area but I have no desire to see one in my garden .

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Woko
Woko's picture

I Googled skinks & was told there are 389 species in Australia, Araminta.
For a couple of years we had a pair of striped skinks in the garden near our north door but I haven't seen them for some years. We often have other species around the place which I don't know enough about to identify.
To attract lizards & skinks it's a good idea to have a few flat rocks in open spaces where they can bask. We also have a few fallen tree trunks which provide lookout spots for bearded dragons. And shingle-backed lizards often drink from our low bird bowls on hot days.
They're all part of the great outdoors.

triker1
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We had a common tree snake in the backyard a couple of weeks ago. It had a beautiful yellow belly.

John

Windhover
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These look like an Eastern Water Skink, cannot remember species name off the top of my head, sorry. It's there, just does not wanna come out.

Just remember, Eulamphrus quoyi or something like that.

I was close, Eulamprus quoyii

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Hi Akos, I know it is an "Eastern Water Skink", there never was a question. This is a very old post, and I only wanted to find out if the snakes were out. I have lots of Water Skinks of all sizes, insude the house and outside. LOL

But thanks Akos, I'm glad you made it come out in the end, good man.

M-L

Windhover
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Hi M-L

I only mentioned (possible) species as you called them garden skinks, which they are not. :-)

I wish I had THESE in my yard too. :-(

soakes
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I once saw a couple of skinks that had blue and red markings on them.  I have never seen any since though, aand I'm wondering what they were and if they're rare!

- soakes

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Windhover wrote:

These look like an Eastern Water Skink, cannot remember species name off the top of my head, sorry. It's there, just does not wanna come out.

Just remember, Eulamphrus quoyi or something like that.

I was close, Eulamprus quoyii

Hi again Akos, I have just googled Skinks again, and compared the Water-and the Garden Skinks. I'm going back to calling them Garden Skinks. Have a look at the bronze colour , they are much darker than the Water Skinks, and in the sun shining bronze.

(I used to think they were the same ? Now I would like to know, do you have a friend you could ask? They are very common in my garden)

Thanks Akos

M-L

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Hi soakes, I just googled Skinks again, there are some with blue tails. There are so many different Skinks, you might find yours on one of those websites. Good luck.

M-L

soakes
soakes's picture

Ha ha, that's just what I have been doing.

The closest I can find is the Southern Rainbow skink, but I recall seeing a much truer red than these have:

http://www.waratahsoftware.com.au/wp_lizards_skinks.html

- soakes

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Yes, and on the site you gave the link to, it IS CLEAR, Akos was so right about my Skink, it is an "Eastern Water- Skink", boy am I glad we sorted that one out. Thanks Akos, thanks soakes.

All that's left now, is for you to find your Skinks, LOL

M-L

mtck
mtck's picture

Hello Araminta,

Thank you for your lovely message.

When we have skinks around the house and garden l assume we have no snakes around - skinks being on the snake menu!

Yesterday one of the dogs put up a snake at the old hut. Nothing unusual in that but as my husband and l noted, there hasn't been any sparrows around in the last few weeks. And there were hundreds of the pesky little things in the hut, sheds and stables.

Up until last week, we have had rats (and the odd mouse) everywhere. Then we began to try and put 2 and 2 together and wondered whether the rats were eating the sparrows. And now a snake is eating rats?

Any thoughts?

Woko
Woko's picture

I wouldn't assume there are no snakes around if skinks are about, mtck. An abundance of prey usually attracts predators. It'd be just the time to keep a watchful eye or 2 peeled, I reckon.

I doubt that sparrows would be so inalert as to allow rats to eat them. Sparrows being seed eaters (although they have been feasting on ruby salt bush Enchylaena tomentosa fruit for a month or so at my place), I wonder if the seeds they were relying on are no longer available perhaps due to heavy rain if that's what's been happening at your place.

Heavy rain might also account for the presence of rats by producing rat food of some sort. The lack of mice might be accounted for by the presence of a snake but I'd guess it would take a python to devour a rat.

Lots of surmisals there, mtck. Somebody else might have more accurate ideas.

mtck
mtck's picture

Hi Woko,

Horse tucker and Asparagus provide plenty of food for the Sparrows. Likewise the rats although they will supplement their diet by chewing  bridles etc if they are not protected.

We dont have Pythons around here - there is supposed to be an Alpine Python but no-one seems to know much about them and whether they are still around.

I never assume that there are no snakes around - too dangerous on a farm, but the skinks do provide a modicum of security around the house.

Woko
Woko's picture

Very wise, mtck. Only an hour ago, on a coolish, damp morning, I met a shingle-backed lizard out for a stroll. Where there are lizards there could be snakes.

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Hi all of you, how could you sooo not understand my first post ??? (has to be my BAD English??) It's very nice though, how it turned into a much more interesting conversation as I could have ever hoped for.

  The connection I made between the Skink and the Snakes in my garden, ( I have plenty of both),was simply: I know, when the Skinks are out, the Snakes are out !  Both of them wake up at the same time from hibernation. Meaning I have to be very careful and watch the dogs and horses.(both of them have been bitten before)

DSC01067 (2) I was very close to this Copperhead, I was just picking some herbs, LOL

M-L

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