Lyla Lindsey
Australia is home to a wide variety of snakes, ranging from the highly venomous to the harmless. The size of a baby snake depends on the species it belongs to. For example, a baby reticulated python can be 24-30 inches long and weigh 110-170g, while a garter snake is much smaller, measuring 6-9 inches and weighing 1.5-4g. The Eastern brown snake, considered the world's second most venomous land snake, has an average length of 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) but can grow up to 2.4m (7.8 ft). The Australian scrub python is Australia's largest native snake species.
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What You'll Learn
Baby snake size depends on species and family
The size of a baby snake varies depending on its species and family. There are over 3,000 species of snakes in the world, and they come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Generally, the bigger a baby snake is, the bigger the adult snake will be.
Baby reticulated pythons, for example, are significantly larger than adult hognose snakes. Reticulated python hatchlings emerge from their eggs at 24-30 inches long and weigh 110-170 grams. In contrast, garter snakes are much smaller, measuring between 6-9 inches and weighing only 1.5-4 grams.
Within the Colubridae family, corn snakes and king snakes tend to be the largest. Corn snake hatchlings are 10-15 inches long and weigh 6-8 grams. Yearlings, or snakes that are one year old, measure 22-40 inches and weigh 35-100 grams. Adult corn snakes can reach a length of 2-6 feet and weigh about two pounds.
The Australian scrub python is Australia's largest native snake, but information on the size of their hatchlings is limited. Another snake native to Australia is the eastern brown snake, which grows to an average length of 4.9 feet and a maximum length of 7.8 feet. However, there is no specific information available on the size of baby eastern brown snakes.
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Antivenin doesn't work on very young snake bites
The length and weight of a newborn snake depend on its species. Generally, the bigger the hatchling, the bigger the adult snake will be. Baby snakes resemble their adult counterparts, but factors such as coloration, scale patterning, and head shape may differ. For instance, newborn garter snakes are between 6 and 9 inches long and weigh 1.5 to 4 grams, while reticulated python hatchlings can be 24 to 30 inches long and weigh 110 to 170 grams.
Snake bites can be life-threatening, and the treatment for venomous bites is antivenom, which is a type of antibody therapy that reduces the effects of venom. Antivenom is typically administered through injection or IV to act as quickly as possible. However, antivenom may not be effective in treating bites from very young snakes. This is because baby snakes are more likely to envenomate than adults as they haven't learned to moderate their venom yet. The diversity in venom form and function is a significant challenge in developing a universal antivenom.
The creation of antivenom involves immunizing donor animals such as horses or sheep with snake venoms. These animals produce powerful antibodies that can bind to venom components, aiding our immune system in eliminating toxins. While antivenom can be life-saving, it also has potential side effects, such as serum sickness disease, which can occur four to ten days after treatment.
The effectiveness of antivenom is limited by various factors, including poor regulatory frameworks, inadequate investment in research and development, and traditional belief systems surrounding snakebites. Efforts are being made to improve the quality and safety of antivenom products, and scientists are working on creating a more broadly effective antivenom. For instance, a man in Wisconsin who exposed himself to deadly snakebites has helped develop a more universal antivenom due to the antibodies his body produced.
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Hatchlings vs neonates
A hatchling is a baby snake that has just emerged from its egg. They are about the size of a pencil and are incredibly vulnerable. They rely on their parents for care and typically measure between 6 to 12 inches long, depending on the species. They may display bright colours or patterns, which differ significantly from their adult counterparts. For example, hatchling corn snakes are grey between dull red saddles, whereas adults are bright orange and red.
Hatchlings from the family Colubridae, which includes corn snakes and king snakes, tend to be on the smaller side. Corn snake hatchlings are 10-15 inches long and weigh 6-8 grams. King snake hatchlings are slightly larger, measuring 10-14 inches.
Neonates are newborn snakes that have not yet grown much beyond the newborn stage. They are typically small, measuring only a few inches long at birth. Their bodies are much more delicate than those of adults, and they require close attention from their parents to survive.
While neonate snakes from the families Boidae and Pythonidae get rather large, the exact size of neonates compared to hatchlings is not clear. However, given that hatchlings are newborn snakes that have just emerged from their eggs, it can be assumed that neonates are slightly older and more developed than hatchlings.
In summary, hatchlings are newborn snakes that have just emerged from their eggs, while neonates are newborn snakes that may have been born live or hatched from an egg and have not yet grown much beyond the newborn stage. Hatchlings are typically smaller than neonates, and they possess distinct characteristics, such as bright colours or patterns, that differ from those of adult snakes.
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The eastern brown snake: the world's second-most venomous land snake
The eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) is native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It is considered the world's second-most venomous land snake, behind only the inland taipan. It was first described in 1854 by French zoologists André Marie Constant Duméril, Gabriel Bibron, and Auguste Duméril, who gave it the name Furina textilis. The name was inspired by the fine-meshed pattern on the snake's body, which reminded them of fine stockings.
Eastern brown snakes are fast-moving, aggressive, and known for their bad temper. They are responsible for more deaths every year in Australia than any other group of snakes. Their venom is ranked as the second most toxic of any land snake in the world, based on tests on mice. It causes progressive paralysis and stops the blood from clotting, which may take many doses of antivenom to reverse. Victims may collapse within a few minutes.
The eastern brown snake has a slender build and can grow to 2 metres (7 feet) in length. The colour of its surface ranges from pale brown to black, while its underside is pale cream-yellow, often with orange or grey splotches. It is found in most habitats except dense forests, often in farmland and on the outskirts of urban areas, where its main prey, the house mouse, is populous.
The venom of the eastern brown snake causes venom-induced consumption coagulopathy, a third of cases develop serious systemic envenoming including hypotension and collapse, thrombotic microangiopathy, severe haemorrhage, and cardiac arrest. It contains pre- and postsynaptic neurotoxins, including textilotoxin, a presynaptic neurotoxin once considered the most potent recovered from any land snake.
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Green tree pythons: native to Australia
The green tree python (Morelia viridis) is a species of snake native to New Guinea, some islands in Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. It was first described by Hermann Schlegel in 1872 and given the name Chondropython viridis. As its name suggests, the snake is bright green and can grow up to 2 metres (6.6 feet) long, with females typically being larger and heavier than males.
Green tree pythons are arboreal, meaning they live in trees, shrubs, and bushes. They are non-venomous constrictors, subduing their prey by wrapping around it rather than using venom. Their diet consists mainly of small reptiles and mammals.
These pythons are popular in the reptile-keeping community due to their stunning colour changes and are considered an advanced species for snake keepers. They have specific care requirements and a generally irritable temperament. Providing the proper environment is essential for their health and well-being, making them more suitable for experienced reptile keepers.
In the wild, green tree python numbers have suffered due to large-scale smuggling and the illegal wildlife trade. Despite protection under CITES Appendix II and various national legislations, illegal trafficking continues to threaten wild populations.
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