Friday 23 March 2012

From little things big things grow

Quite a warm clear day brought out a couple of snakes; a green tree snake travelling along our decking rail and Di when checking for ripe passionfruit discovered a tiny Diamond Python Python spilotus spilotus  curled around a stem, under the shelter of a leaf. This youngster could not have been long out of the egg as it looked to be only about 200mm long (although it was all curled up so can't be certain) and its head was about a little fingernail size. It was in a difficult position to get a good photo so took one with available light and adjusted contrast on the PC and then took one with fill in flash.



Big colour difference due to the green light through the leaves without the flash and then the true colours of the juvenile snake with flash. As a contrast as I was working in the orchard a couple of days ago I found a large Diamond Python had made a daybed in the high branches of a Strawberry Guava bush and it looked to be at least 1800mm long based on the thickness and the mass it took up in the bush.

2 comments:

  1. Wonderful photos of the baby python (and adult) Ian. I really enjoy seeing the different snakes at Japara.

    Here in England we only have 3 species - the Adder (the only poisonous snake), grass snake and smooth snake and the only one I have seen in Warwickshire is the grass snake.

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    1. Glad you liked the Python photos Caroline, they are quite beutiful snakes and as they are non poisonous not a problem to get quite close. We do have quite a lot of snake species in Oz and some quite lethal. Fortunately on our property of the commonly sighted ones only the Red-bellied Black Snake is likely to give a serious bite but they are generally quite timid and will get out of your way.

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