CSIRO Publishing blank image blank image blank image blank imageBooksblank image blank image blank image blank imageJournalsblank image blank image blank image blank imageAbout Usblank image blank image blank image blank imageShopping Cartblank image blank image blank image You are here: Journals > Australian Journal of Zoology   
Australian Journal of Zoology
Journal Banner
  Evolutionary, Molecular and Comparative Zoology
 
blank image Search
 
blank image blank image
blank image
 
  Advanced Search
   

Journal Home
About the Journal
Editorial Board
Contacts
Content
Online Early
Current Issue
Just Accepted
All Issues
Special Issues
Sample Issue
For Authors
General Information
Notice to Authors
Submit Article
Open Access
For Referees
Referee Guidelines
Review Article
Annual Referee Index
For Subscribers
Subscription Prices
Customer Service

blue arrow e-Alerts
blank image
Subscribe to our Email Alert or RSS feeds for the latest journal papers.

red arrow Connect with us
blank image
facebook   youtube

red arrow Supplementary Series
blank image
All volumes of the Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series are online and available to subscribers of Australian Journal of Zoology.

 

Article << Previous     |         Contents Vol 58(6)

Natural history of the common tree snake, Dendrelaphis punctulatus (Serpentes : Colubridae), in the wet–dry tropics of north Queensland

S. Fearn A and D. F. Trembath B C

A Department of Primary Industries and Water, Level 1, 167 Westbury Road, Prospect, Tas. 7250, Australia.
B Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, GPO Box 4646, Darwin, NT 0801, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: dane.trembath@nt.gov.au

Australian Journal of Zoology 58(6) 384-389 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO10059
Submitted: 9 September 2010  Accepted: 17 March 2011   Published: 11 April 2011


 
PDF (320 KB) $25
 Export Citation
 Print
  
Abstract

Common tree snakes, Dendrelaphis punctulatus, are medium to large colubrid snakes that are relatively common in the eastern and northern parts of tropical Australia. The only previous study on this species involved museum specimens from across the taxon’s range. During a seven-year period we collected data on 131 field-caught specimens from a melanotic population in the Townsville district of north Queensland. Dendrelaphis punctulatus was found to be primarily diurnal, with a peak in activity centred around the reproductive period during the transition from dry to wet seasons. Females were larger than males with respect to all measured parameters, including mass and head size. Reproduction in females was strongly seasonal and clutch size was related to maternal body size. Prey items consisted of frogs, lizards and locusts.



References

Anon (2006). Bureau of Meteorology. Available at: www.bom.gov.au. Accessed July 2006.

Brown, G. P., and Shine, R. (2002). Influence of weather conditions on activity of tropical snakes. Austral Ecology 87, 133–143.

Brown, G. P., and Shine, R. (2006). Why do most tropical animals reproduce seasonally? Testing hypotheses on an Australian snake. Ecology 87, 133–143.
CrossRef | CAS | PubMed |

Brown, G. P., Shine, R., and Madsen, T. (2002). Responses of three sympatric snake species to tropical seasonality in northern Australia. Journal of Tropical Ecology 18, 549–568.
CrossRef |

Bull, M., and Shine, R. (1979). Iteroparous animals that skip opportunities for reproduction. American Naturalist 114, 296–303.
CrossRef |

Camilleri, C., and Shine, R (1990). Sexual dimorphism and dietary divergence: differences in trophic morphology between male and female snakes. Copeia , 649–658.
CrossRef |

Covacevich, J. A., and Couper, P. J. (1991). The reptile records. In ‘An atlas of Queensland’s Frogs, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals’. (Eds J. G. Ingram and R. J. Raven.) pp. 45–140. (Board of Trustees of the Queensland Museum: Brisbane.)

Daniel, J. C. (1983). ‘The Book of Indian Reptiles.’ (Bombay Natural History Society: Bombay.)

De Lang, R., and Vogel, G. (2005). ‘The Snakes of Sulawesi: a Field Guide to the Land Snakes of Sulawesi with Identification Keys.’ (Edition Chimaira. Frankfurt am Main.)

Dorcas, M. E., and Willson, J. D. (2009). Innovative methods for studies of snake ecology and conservation. In ‘Snakes: Ecology and Conservation’. (Eds S. J. Mullin and R. A. Seigal.) pp. 5–37. (Cornell University Press: New York.)

Fearn, S., and Trembath, D. (2009). Body size, food habits, reproduction and growth in a population of black whip snakes Demansia vestigiata (Serpentes: Elapidae) in tropical Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 57, 49–54.
CrossRef |

Fearn, S., Robinson, B., Sambono, J., and Shine, R. (2001). Pythons in the pergola: the ecology of ‘nuisance‘ carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) from suburban habitats in south-eastern Queensland. Wildlife Research 28, 573–579.
CrossRef |

Fearn, S., Schwarzkopf, L., and Shine, R. (2005). Giant snakes in tropical forests: a field study of the Australian scrub python, Morelia kinghorni. Wildlife Research 32, 193–201.
CrossRef |

Fitzgerald, M., and Shine, R. (2002). Radiotelemetric study of habitat use by the arboreal snake Hoplocephalus stephensi (Elapidae) in eastern Australia. Copeia , 321–332.
CrossRef |

Gray, J. E. (1826) [1827 on title page]. Reptilia. Appendix. In ‘Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia. Performed between the Years 1818 and 1822’. Vol. 2 [432]. (Ed. P. P. King.) pp. 424–434. (John Murray: London.)

Greer, A. E. (1989). ‘The Biology and Evolution of Australian Lizards.’ (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Greer, A. E. (1997). ‘The Biology and Evolution of Australian Snakes.’ (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Heatwole, H. F., and Taylor, J. (1987). ‘Ecology of Reptiles.’ (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Lillywhite, H. B., and Henderson, R. W. (1993). Behavioural and functional ecology of arboreal snakes. In ‘Snakes: Ecology and Behaviour’. (Eds R. A. Seigal and J. T. Collins.) pp. 1–48. (McGraw-Hill Inc.: New York.)

O’Shea, M. (1996). ‘A Guide to the Snakes of Papua New Guinea: the first Comprehensive Guide to the Snake Fauna of Papua New Guinea.’ (Independent Publishing: Port Moresby.)

Ridpath, M. G. (1985). Ecology in the wet–dry tropics: how different? Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia 13, 3–20.

Shine, R. (1991). Strangers in a strange land: ecology of the Australian colubrid snakes. Copeia 1991, 120–131.
CrossRef |

Shine, R. (1994). Sexual size dimorphism in snakes revisited. Copeia 1994, 326–346.
CrossRef |

Storr, G. M., Smith, L. A., and Johnstone, R. E. (1986). ‘Snakes of Western Australia.’ (Western Australian Museum: Perth.)

Swan, G. (1990). ‘A Field Guide to the Snakes and Lizards of New South Wales.’ (Three Sisters Publication: Sydney.)

Trembath, D. F. (2004). Possible nocturnal activity by the coastal taipan Oxyuranus scutellatus (Elapidae) at Hencamp Creek, north Queensland. Herpetofauna. 34, 84–85.

Trembath, D. F., and Fearn, S. (2008). Body sizes, activity times, food habits and reproduction of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) (Serpentes: Colubridae) from tropical north Queensland, Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 56, 173–178.
CrossRef |

Trembath, D. F., Fearn, S., and Undheim, E. A. B. (2009). Natural history of the slaty grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus) (Serpentes: Colubridae) from tropical north Queensland, Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 57, 119–124.
CrossRef |


   
Subscriber Login
Username:
Password:  

 
    
Legal & Privacy | Contact Us | Help

CSIRO

© CSIRO 1996-2013