THE REPTILES OF AUSTRALIA - ELAPIDS

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SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE - Pseudechis (guttata)

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SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE
or BLUE-BELLIED BLACK SNAKE

Pseudechis guttatus
Dangerously Venomous
Note that this species and is very variable in pattern. It may have no spots at all or may be spotted, which is why it has 2 common names!
The Blue-bellied Black snake looks like a Common or Red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus), however it doesn't posses the red belly colouration usually found on red bellied black snakes.
Some individuals may not have much black on them at all and extreme pattern variation results in species may also be mistaken for other large venomous snakes, such as the Eastern Brown Snake(Pseudonaja textilis), Mulga Snakes (Pseudechis australis), and Collettes Snake (Pseudechis colletti)!



SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE - Pseudechis (guttata)  
Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus)


Approximate distribution of the Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus)
Approximate distribution of the Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus)


SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE - Pseudechis (guttata)
Captive Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus)

SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE - Pseudechis guttatus

This brown Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus) (pictured above and below) from between Millmerran and Inglewood (Queensland) has only a small amount of speckling and could easily be mistaken for a different species - it was found crossing the road at night and is emaciated


Spotted Black Snake

 

SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE - Pseudechis (guttata)
The Blue-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus) snake above was in my reptile collection for many years.
It was an adult when it was given to me by Bill Dunmall who had a wildlife park at Hervey Bay in Queensland.
The snake was incredibly docile, probably because it was on display and used to seeing people admiring it all the time.
It never showed the slightest sign of aggression or nervousness and although I wouldn't normally free handle dangerous snakes (which I strongly discourage), I used to free handle this one. It was originally captured near Tara in Qld.

SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE - Pseudechis guttatus
Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus) found east of Millmerran Qld


SPOTTED BLACK SNAKE - Pseudechis (guttata)
This Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus) eating a skink is a juvenile from NSW.

This species may be confused with the following species:-

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

DISTRIBUTION

King Brown or Mulga Snake

Pseudechis australis

NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA

Collett's Snake

Pseudechis colletti

Qld

Red-bellied Black Snake

Pseudechis porphyriacus

NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic

Common or Eastern Brown Snake

Pseudonaja textilis

NSW, ACT, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA?


LINKS OF INTEREST

Pseudechis guttatus DE VIS, 1905
The Reptile Database

Click here for more Information about Australian Elapid Snakes

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Australian Snakes In Captivity (A Guide to) Working with Snakes: A comprehensive information and training manual for professional Australasian snake consultants Kindle Edition

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OTHER LINKS

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Elapids

Elapids

Elapids
of
The World

Elapids
of
Australia

AUSTRALIAN ELAPID SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY



Elapids of South Australia

ELAPID SNAKES OF NSW

Qld ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

NT ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

WA ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

ELAPID SNAKES OF VICTORIA

Elapids of ACT

ELAPIDS OF TASMANIA

Elapids
of South
Australia

Elapids
of
NSW

Elapids
of
Qld

Elapids
of
NT

Elapids
of
WA

Elapids
of
Victoria

Elapids
of
ACT

Elapids
of
Tasmania

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
REPTILES OF NSW REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY REPTILES OF Western Australia Reptiles of the ACT(Canberra)

Reptiles of South Australia

Reptiles
of
Victoria

Reptiles
of
NSW

Reptiles
of
Qld

Reptiles
of
NT

Reptiles
of
WA

Reptiles
of the
ACT

Reptiles of Tasmania

MORE REPTILE SPECIES LISTS

Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
of Cocos Keeling Islands

Reptiles of Norfolk Island


Reptiles of Australia

Selection of Australian Frogs

Reptiles of the World

Amphibians of the World

Reptiles
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Frogs
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Reptiles
of
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Amphibians of the
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Contact John Fowler Author of the Australian Herpetology Website, Pythons of the World, and the Adelaide Reptile Forum

Contact John Hollister Author of John Hollister Reptile Collection - Herping the Trans-Pecos & Sweetwater, Texas Rattlesnake Roundup

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Updated September 26, 2023


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