Red - bellied Black

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=95 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="21a8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>index</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="index"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Red - bellied Black</B>   |   <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bandybandy"><U>Bandy-bandy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Childrens Python"><U>Children's Python</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coastal Carpet Python"><U>Coastal Carpet Python</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Olive Python"><U>Olive Python</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Water Python"><U>Water Python</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id145.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Diamond Python"><U>Diamond Python</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Yellowfaced Whip Snake"><U>Yellow-faced Whip Snake</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id148.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Curl Snake"><U>Curl Snake</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mainland Taipan"><U>Mainland Taipan</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastern Brown Snake"><U>Eastern Brown Snake</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id155.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bluebellied Black Snake"><U>Blue-bellied Black Snake</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id156.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blackheaded Python"><U>Black-headed Python</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="21a8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Red - bellied Black</I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="753" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#003300" BORDERCOLORDARK="#006633" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Common Name:</B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT>Red - bellied Black snake</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=6><NOBR><bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2c063e80.jpg" border=0 width="355" height="232" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 ><NOBR><div> <I><B>Scientific Name:</B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT>Pseudechis porphyriacus</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 1 WIDTH="379"><div> <I><B>General characteristics:</B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><I>Dangerously Venomous.  </I></FONT><I> </I>A diurnal species and are often found in wetland areas to exploit seasonal frog populations, then disperse to surrounding areas when frog numbers are low.  They can live on their own stored fat supplies when food is scarce. They have black on top of their body and a distinctive bright red to deep pink, fading to dull pink or cream on the belly.  The underside of the tail is black.  The snout is often pale brown.  They grow up to 2.7 metres long.  It is active during the day and on warm evenings and nights and hibernates in cold weather.  They mate in spring and females give birth to 5 - 40 live young, about 22cm long, from January to March.  The newborn emerge from membranous sacs shortly after birth.  They become sexually mature at 19 - 31 months.</div> <div> <I><B>Diet:</B></I> Mostly frogs and eel however they also eat fish, lizards, other reptiles, small mammals.</div> <div> <I><B>Habitat: </B></I>Widespread along the eastern and southern coast of Australia from Cape York peninsula in the North (QLD) to the south east of South Australia</div> <div> <I><B>Status:</B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT>Secure although dramatically declining in Qld due to eating Cane toads.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Page updated 28 January 2006</div> </td> </tr></table></body>