Hemiaspis signata
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Hemiaspis signata (common names: black-bellied swamp snake and marsh snake) is a species of venomous elapid snake endemic to Australia, where it is found along the east coast. Recognisable by two distinctive narrow white lines on the face, the colour can range from pale olive to black top with a dark grey to black belly. Adults can grow to 70 cm in length, but most specimens are smaller than this. Their diet consists mainly of skinks and frogs.
It was first described in 1859 by Giorgio Jan as Alecto signata. Boulenger GA. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ)... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Denisonia signata, pp. 338–339).
Jan G, Sordelli F. 1873. Iconographie générale des Ophidiens, Quarante-troisième livraison. Paris: Baillière. Index + Plates I-VI. (Alecto signata, Plate VI, figure 5). (in French). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Swamp Snake sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 25th most-seen of the 39 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Swamp Snake in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in March to October, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-bellied Swamp Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Black-bellied Swamp Snake sightings, Sydney has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Brisbane (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Elapidae
The closest relatives of the Black-bellied Swamp Snake that you can see in Sydney (family Elapidae, Elapid Snakes) are Red-bellied Black Snake (about 20%), Golden Crowned Snake (about 10%) and Eastern Brown Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-bellied Swamp Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Sydney (31 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
