Can Anyone ID this snake?

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BOD

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Found in West Java at about 150m elevation near wet rice fields.

About 6 foot long. Known locally as "ular tanah" (land snake). Reputedly venomous by locals (but they err on the side of caution in most cases)

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Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
If it's Australasian, it's a pretty good match for some sort of whip snake, particularly given it's apparent length. However, the Australian Copperhead has that dark banding around the scales you can see towards the tail. I reckon we'll find out as soon as JD sees this thread :)
 

Adze

Native
Oct 9, 2009
1,874
0
Cumbria
www.adamhughes.net
I'm still erring towards a whip snake of one species or another - there's lots of them and the colour variations are huge even within species. That head shape and the large round pupil is very colubrid, mind you, definitely worth taking care until you do have it ID'd as some of the elapidae look not too dissimilar.
 

tinderbox

Forager
Feb 22, 2007
195
1
60
East Lothian
I just searched for "ular tanah", and got a few links to the painted bronzeback. It wouldn't be surprising if the name was really applied to more than one species.
 

leon-1

Full Member
Apparently Tanah and Pohon normally refer to Vipers, but not being a herpetologist I am not even going to try to identify it. To be honest when I fist saw it I thought possibly juvenile Taipan. That of course would make it an elapid which I think would be Malasa and not Tanah.

As I said though I am no herpetologist and in many ways what the locals are doing is right, erring on the better side of caution is possibly a better bet than potentially being bitten.

I think you need JonathanD to pop his head around the door on this.
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,479
Stourton,UK
I'm on my phone, so can't see the images brilliantly, but I'm pretty sure it's an Indo-Chinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros). Non venomous. I'm 99% sure that is the species in those pics, albeit of an undernourished specimen.
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,479
Stourton,UK
On my PC now and sticking to my original assessment. It certainly isn't in the best of health though, it is very thin. Although the water could be distorting its true girth.

Indo-Chinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros) it is. 6ft is a good size for this snake...

hans-indo-chinese-rat-snake.jpg
 

ex-member Raikey

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 4, 2010
2,971
3
On my PC now and sticking to my original assessment. It certainly isn't in the best of health though, it is very thin. Although the water could be distorting its true girth.

Indo-Chinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros) it is. 6ft is a good size for this snake...

ooooh get you,..what makes you such an expert like?? eh?
 

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