From Field and Study: A record of the Flower-Pot Blind Snake Ramphotyphlops braminus from a Perth suburb

2005·0.21 MB·English

by  Glen Gaikhorst

A Record of the Flower-Pot Blind Snake Ramphotyphops braminus in
Snake Ramphotyphlops Western Australia. Herpetofauna
braminus from a Perth Suburb - 31 (1): 26-27).
The Flower-pot Blind Snake
On 19 February 2004 a juvenile
(Ramphotyphlops braminus) is an blind snake was handed into
endemic species to South East
Perth Zoo by a member of the
Asia (Wilson and Swan 2003, A
public. It was taken to the
Complete Guide to Reptiles of Western Australian Museum and
Australia. Reed New Holland identified as R. braminus, number
Publishers Australia, Sydney).
R154547 (Brad Maryan per
The species has been introduced
comm.). The snake is very small
all over the world (Shinel998,
measuring 0.2grams, SVL: 66mm,
Australian Snakes A Natural TL: 2mm and purple/brown in
History. Reed New Holland colour.
Publishers Australia, Sydney)
The snake was found on the
including lndo-pacific region,
living room floor of a suburban
Eurasia, Africa, Madagascar,
home in Hamilton Street,
Mauritius, Indo- Malayan region,
Kewdale, Perth. The family had
New Guinea, Hawaiian Islands,
recently purchased some pot
Mexico, Iran and Australia (Storr,
plants from the Canning Vale
Smith and Johnstone 2002,
Markets, which may be where
Snakes of Western Australia.
the little snake had originated.
Revised Edition. Western
Australian Museum). Within From the size of the individual
Australia the species has slowly and time of year it was found it
been introduced throughout the is possible that the animal was
tropical and arid regions being born in suburban Perth. As the
recorded in Torres Strait Islands, species is parthenogenic, the
Darwin, Kununurra, Dunham establishment of the species in
River Station, Karratha, Port an area can easily occur as seen in
Hedland and Townsville (Wilson other regions of Australia and
and Swan 2003; Storr, Smith and the world.
Johnstone 2002; Maryan 2001, - GLEN GAIKHORST, Senior
The House Gecko Hemidactylus Reptile Keeper Perth Zoo, 20
frenatus and Flower-Pot Blind Labouchere Rd, South Perth,
6151.
252