Body sizes, activity patterns and habitat relationships of the orange-naped snake (Furina ornata) (Serpentes : Elapidae) in the MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory
Peter J. McDonald A B E , Gary W. Luck C , Chris R. Pavey A D and Skye Wassens BA Flora and Fauna Division, Department of Land Resource Management, Northern Territory Government, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
B School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia.
C Institude for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia.
D Present address: CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, PO Box 2111, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: peterj.mcdonald@nt.gov.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 61(2) 132-136 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO13003
Submitted: 8 January 2013 Accepted: 28 May 2013 Published: 17 June 2013
Abstract
Orange-naped snakes (Furina ornata) are small elapids that occur in tropical to arid regions throughout northern and central Australia. We report on the first field-based study of this species, investigating body sizes, activity patterns, and habitat use in the semiarid MacDonnell Ranges bioregion of central Australia. Using systematic road-cruising, we encountered 69 live F. ornata along a 77-km sealed road-transect over a 12-month period from August 2009 to July 2010. Based on measures of snout-to-vent length (SVL), we found that female F. ornata (mean SVL = 459 ± 6.3 (s.e.) mm; n = 16) were larger than males (SVL = 372 ± 25.2 (s.e.) mm; n = 44) (t = 4.7358, P < 0.0001), and that both sexes were larger than previously reported from museum specimens. Despite the extreme weather variability experienced in arid Australia, we found that activity patterns were not significantly related to temperature, rainfall or humidity, and F. ornata was active in all but the single coldest month of the year. The habitat-use analysis found that F. ornata was more likely to be recorded in areas with greater cover of hummock grass (Triodia spp.) and less cover of rocky outcrops or boulders. Hummock grasslands in arid Australia have an abundant and diverse skink fauna, which may attract F. ornata, whose diet consists primarily of diurnal skinks.
References
Brown, G. P., and Shine, R. (2002). Influence of weather conditions on activity of tropical snakes. Austral Ecology 27, 596–605.| Influence of weather conditions on activity of tropical snakes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown, W. S., and Parker, W. S. (1976). A ventral scale clipping system for permanently marking snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes). Journal of Herpetology 10, 247–249.
| A ventral scale clipping system for permanently marking snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
James, C. D., and Shine, R. (2000). Why are there so many coexisting species of lizards in Australian deserts? Oecologia 125, 127–141.
| Why are there so many coexisting species of lizards in Australian deserts?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McDonald, P. J. (2012). Snakes on roads: an arid Australian perspective. Journal of Arid Environments 79, 116–119.
| Snakes on roads: an arid Australian perspective.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McDonald, P. J., Luck, G. W., Wassens, S., and Pavey, C. R. (2011). Ecology of Stimson’s python (Antaresia stimsoni) in the MacDonnell Ranges of central Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 59, 95–102.
| Ecology of Stimson’s python (Antaresia stimsoni) in the MacDonnell Ranges of central Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McDonald, P. J., Luck, G. W., Pavey, C. R., and Wassens, S. (2012). Importance of fire in influencing the occurrence of snakes in an upland region of arid Australia. Austral Ecology 37, 855–864.
| Importance of fire in influencing the occurrence of snakes in an upland region of arid Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pianka, E. R. (1989). Desert lizard diversity: additional comments and some data. American Naturalist 134, 344–364.
| Desert lizard diversity: additional comments and some data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rosen, P. C., and Lowe, C. H. (1994). Highway mortality of snakes in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona. Biological Conservation 68, 143–148.
| Highway mortality of snakes in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shea, G. M., and Scanlon, J. D. (2007). Revision of the small tropical whipsnakes previously referred to Demansia olivacea (Gray, 1842) and Demansia torquata (Günther, 1862) (Squamata: Elapidae). Records of the Australian Museum 59, 117–142.
| Revision of the small tropical whipsnakes previously referred to Demansia olivacea (Gray, 1842) and Demansia torquata (Günther, 1862) (Squamata: Elapidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shine, R. (1980). Ecology of eastern Australian whipsnakes of the genus Demansia. Journal of Herpetology 14, 381–389.
| Ecology of eastern Australian whipsnakes of the genus Demansia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shine, R. (1981). Ecology of Australian elapid snakes of the genera Furina and Glyphodon. Journal of Herpetology 15, 219–224.
| Ecology of Australian elapid snakes of the genera Furina and Glyphodon.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shine, R. (1994). Sexual size dimorphism in snakes revisited. Copeia 1994, 326–346.
| Sexual size dimorphism in snakes revisited.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Trembath, D. F., and Fearn, S. (2008). Body sizes, activity times, food habits and reproduction of brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) (Serpentes: Colubridae) from tropical north Queensland, Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 56, 173–178.
| Body sizes, activity times, food habits and reproduction of brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) (Serpentes: Colubridae) from tropical north Queensland, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
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.
| Natural history of the slaty grey snake (Stegonotus cucullatus) (Serpentes: Colubridae) from tropical north Queensland, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wilson, S., and Swan, G. (2010). ‘A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia.’ 3rd edn. (Reed New Holland: Sydney.)
