A very small Australian elapid,Baby Parasuta dwyeri (Unechis dwyeri

Australia is home to approx 99 Elapid species,many of the larger and deadly species are well know the world over but not alot of attention overseas goes to some of our smaller species.
Though id share with you all these pictures of Dwyers snake Parasuta dwyeri and this is a baby specimen i found residing under a granite rock above the banks of the Fish River near Oconnell NSW.
Relatively common along the western side of the Great dividing range,it is a nocturnal species.

A very small Australian elapid,Baby Parasuta dwyeri (Unechis dwyeri IMG_1627

A very small Australian elapid,Baby Parasuta dwyeri (Unechis dwyeri IMG_1627

A very small Australian elapid,Baby Parasuta dwyeri (Unechis dwyeri IMG_1628

Thats pretty interesting.
Nice to see the uncommon species down in OZ

So cool! I really like those small Elapids from Australia. Too bad we don't have them available here in Europe. This one was found while herping. Are these species kept in captivity in Australia? And if so, how do they do in captivity?

Good Post Rob!

How you keeping bud?

Regards

Graeme

hey guys, this species isnt kept that often in captivity,many small elapids are not easy to keep being so small are hard to feed.
Parasuta dwyeri is a relatively common species in its range,but is mostly nocturnal so in the day you only find them under things,which actually makes them easy to find. Ive hardly ever seen young of the small elapids,you only seem to find adults mostly.

hey Graeme everything's going well except its winter and snake catching is at its most inactive time of year.
i still caught a nice tiger last week and the week before that a brown that had apparantly bitten a young child.

Rob,
What do these snakes typically feed on and how toxic is their venom?

Mike Brown wrote:: Rob,
What do these snakes typically feed on and how toxic is their venom?

hey mike, as far as current information available says that this species is like others in its genus,and like most other small elapids,making mainly skink eaters with perhaps the occasional small snake.

As for venom toxicity,well some small Elapids could hold surprises,there was a death of a herpetologist who recieved a bite in recent times from Parasuta flagellum the little whip snake,reportedly from an allergic reaction, which is a very close species,they almost look the same.
From other reports from people i know that have been bitten said they had the usual mild pain and swelling.
To get bitten by this species you would have to pick it up and handle it,so herpos are probably the usual suspects for bites from this species.

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