|
Typically, Stephens' Banded Snake is quite distinctive in appearance. As its common name suggests, its body is striped by alternating grey-to-black and brown-to-cream bands of colour. The banding is most prominent on the front half of the snake and fades toward the tail. Its belly is a grey or cream colour and its face has alternating light and dark vertical bars on the lips. Some populations of this species, such as the one in Girraween, have unbanded bodies and may be pure black in colour, but their lips still have the identifying light and dark bars. It has a wide head with a narrow neck. Adults can grow to be 1.2 metres in length. Females are slightly larger than males.
This species is one of the few arboreal (tree-living) elapid snakes. However, in Girraween and some other regions it is more likely to be found in rocky outcrops. Forest snakes normally live in large trees with hollows in them or loose bark and rarely come to the ground, while rock living populations shelter under boulders and in crevices. The species is mostly nocturnal but may occasionally be found basking in sheltered sites during mild weather. It may spend up to five months inactive during Winter.
Stephens' Banded Snakes eat frogs, reptiles, birds and small mammals. It is considered potentially dangerous, aggressive and will bite if provoked. When cornered, a snake will raise its head and body to form an S-shape in readiness to strike. Sometimes the mouth will be held open in anticipation of the bite. It is a fast, accurate biter and may strike a number of times. An interesting fact is this species' venom prevents blood clotting.
The species is believed to breed bi-annually; mating in late Spring to early Summer. Females give birth to live young between December and March. There may be up to nine in a litter, but the average number of babies is six. Newborns are fairly large, around 25 cm from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.
The species was named after W. J. Stephens, a past trustee of the Australian Museum.
|
