Fun Ornamental Snake Facts For Kids
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In this article, we shall be introducing you to a magnificent reptile species which will surely amaze you. In this article, we shall be discussing about the ornamental snake (Denisonia maculata) found in areas in the eastern side of Australia (Bowen Basin in Queensland is their location).
They are comparatively small snakes who grow to about 15 in (40 cm) in length and appear to be brown-black. They live in moist environment like burrows in deeply cracking alluvial soils and under the shade of fallen tree logs.
For protection from predators, the ornamental snake will camouflage within their surroundings. They are carnivorous and primarily eaters of frogs.
This was just a small description of this snake. More information about their ecology, diet, biology and characteristics are given in the sections below. Check it out!
For more relatable content, check out these anaconda snake facts and black rat snake facts for kids.
Ornamental Snake Interesting Facts
What type of animal is an ornamental snake?
Ornamental snake (Denisonia maculata) is a type of snake. They are found in Australia and are a small in size compared to other snakes.
What class of animal does an ornamental snake belong to?
The ornamental snake species belong to the class Reptilia. Their order, sub order, family and genus are called Squamata, Serpentes, Elapidae and Denisonia respectively. Their scientific name is Denisonia maculata.
How many ornamental snakes are there in the world?
Ornamental snake (Denisonia maculata) are inhabitants of Australia. Data has not been recorded, so their exact number count is unavailable. Their conservation status for this species changes a bit and they are mostly considered a Vulnerable Species.
Where does an ornamental snake live?
The ornamental snake (Denisonia maculata) is found in areas of deeply cracking alluvial soils, in and near Queensland, Australia. They mostly prefer living in moist environments and can generally be found under fallen logs and leaves.
What is an ornamental snake's habitat?
The ornamental snake habitat ranges across Queensland in Australia. They are found in areas that are moist. They live in woodlands and brushlands there.
Who do ornamental snakes live with?
The ornamental snake (Denisonia maculata), like other snake species, is mostly solitary and only come together on special occasions, such as breeding season.
How long does an ornamental snake live?
There is no proper information available on how long an ornamental snake live. Snakes do live for about 25-30 years. Small snakes live for about 5-10 year. Python species (the ball python) are known to be the longest living snakes in this world.
How do they reproduce?
The ornamental snake (Denisonia maculata) species is viviparous in nature. That means they give birth to live babies instead of laying eggs.
They nourish their babies inside their body in a yolk sac through a placenta and at the time of giving birth, they release them from their body. In other viviparous snakes, cases can be a bit different.
And it doesn't mean that they don't produce eggs at all. Other viviparous snakes carry their eggs inside their body. Those eggs hatch inside their body and directly after that, the mother snake gives birth to those hatchlings.
There is no specific information available regarding the ornamental snake on their reproduction ground such as their breeding season, breeding pattern or behavior during mating. However, the average litter size of this species can be between a range of 3-11 individuals.
What is their conservation status?
Ornamental snakes live in Queensland in the eastern side of the Australian continent. They inhabit their natural habitat with a decent population. With time, the population decreased and now they are considered a vulnerable species.
Ornamental Snake Fun Facts
What do ornamental snakes look like?
Ornamental snakes are comparatively small snakes. They are inhabitants of eastern Australia in Queensland. Ornamental snake skin is a bit glossy. They have a bit dark skin color.
The color of their skin is gray-brown to black and has a vibrant display. This information was about their upper skin or dorsal body. Their lower skin or bottom body is light cream colored or white colored generally.
On that white body, there are black stripes or borders. The structure of their body is like other snakes. Which means the head part is narrow, the belly part is broader and the tail part is again narrow.
Ornamental snake head is again dark in color with stripes near the lip area. The head is small in size. The front head is darker then the hind part. They have large fangs which release dangerous neurotoxins.
*We've been unable to source an image of an ornamental snake and have used an image of a king cobra instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of an ornamental snake, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.comHow cute are they?
Ornamental snakes are cute only for a selected group of people. Most of the people find them (ornamental snake) dangerous and totally unattractive. In short, liking them varies from person to person.
How do they communicate?
Snakes don't communicate through vocal sounds. Rather they use their body language for communicating. Snakes also release different types of pheromone chemicals which help in communicating by marking their presence.
How big is an ornamental snake?
Ornamental snakes are a comparatively small snake species that grow to about 15.7-17.7 in (40-45 cm). They are elapid snakes and are viviparous in nature.
How fast can an ornamental snake move?
Ornamental snake species are fast moving reptiles found near Queensland in Australia. They move rapidly from place to place but their exact movement speed is not known.
How much does an ornamental snake weigh?
Ornamental snakes are small reptiles that grow to about 5.7-17.7 in (40-45 cm) and weigh no more than 2.2 lb (1 kg).
What are their male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names assigned to the ornamental snake male and ornamental snake female. They are commonly known as ornamental snakes and their scientific name is Denisonia maculata.
What would you call a baby ornamental snake?
A baby ornamental snake is known as a snake. All baby snakes are either called snakelets or neolates or hatchlings.
What do they eat?
Ornamental snake diet (food) is achieved through predation. They are primarily eaters of frogs.
They are carnivorous like other snakes and only feed on meat. Some common frog species that they feed on are the striped burrowing frog, short-footed frog, wide-mouthed frog, water-holding frog, spotted marsh frog, green tree frog, flooplain frog, broad-palmed frog, desert tree frog and many more.
But these toxic snakes also face problems when they try to prey on the cane toads. The cane toad also bear poison in their body and eating them leads to the death of the snake.
Are they poisonous?
Yes, ornamental snakes are highly poisonous and can paralyze a human by their bite. In their fangs, they carry a highly neurotoxic venom that leads to nerve failure if the snake lands a proper bite.
Would they make a good pet?
Not at all. The structure of their biology is only suited in the wild.
They are currently considered a vulnerable species under the endangered category and keeping them in a confined environment wouldn't be a wise decision. Some people do keep snakes as pets. And those snakes are mostly from the python family who are big and devoid of venom.
Did you know...
The unique quality of ornamental snakes is that there are different species of them. Some other kind of ornamental snakes are the ornamental flying snake, the ornamental rat snake and the ornamental hemp cactus snake.
Is the ornamental snake endangered?
Yes. Ornamental snakes are listed under the endangered category as Vulnerable Species. The number of this species has decreased due rapid habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and predation by introduced cat and fox species. Now their population is taken care of and are gradually doing well in the wild.
How did ornamental snakes get their name?
There is no recorded data on the ornamental snake name origin. Ornamental snakes are elapid snakes who are found in the Bowen Basin in east Australia.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these bog turtle facts and flying squirrel facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable snake coloring pages.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature
Chandrayan ChoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English Language and Literature
Skilled content writer Chandrayan has a passion for producing compelling and engaging content. With an excellent command of the English language and a talent for research and proofreading, Chandrayan has honed his skills through years of experience in the industry. Chandrayan is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Tripura University, demonstrating his dedication to the craft of writing.
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