EX SITU CONSERVATION

• SUHANA BT MOHAMMAD
• RAMIZAH BT RAMLI
• NUR FARAHIN BT NORDIN
 Broad-headed snake

Hoplocephalus bungaroides
Scientific name:
Hoplocephalus
profile
bungaroides

Facts
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Squamata
Family Elapidae
Genus Hoplocephalus
What Is A Conservation Status?

1.The conservation status of a species is an indicator of

how likely it is to remain alive at present or in the near
future.
2.Many factors are used to assess a species' conservation
status, including:
a)the number remaining,
b)the overall increase or decrease in the population over
time,
c)breeding success rates and
d)known threats.
 HELLO MY FRIEND!

o At above: black with yellow spots forming

narrow, irregular cross-bands.

o Average length : 60 cm, > 150 cm.

 o The belly is grey or
greyish-black.

oHead is flattened on top and

distinct from the body.
Feeding and diet:
• Lizards and frogs from a major part of the
Broad –heaed Snake’s diet

Life cycle:
• May give birth to 8-20 live young at time.
REPRODUCTION
- Are live bearers producing litters of 3-10
babies, which are born in late summer.
How snake move and run???
 Where is my town?
The Broad-headed Snake is largely
found at:

Triassic and Permian Morton National

sandstones,250km Park, NSW
from Sydney

Blue Mountain
National Park,
NSW
DON’T
DISTUR
B ME

THIS IS
MY HOME
MY FEEDING STYLE?
The Broad-Headed
snake is an ambush Snakes feed very
predator, spending up to infrequently,
four weeks in the same
retreat site and preying
on small reptiles and
mammals that enter the
retreat

Captive snakes maintain

condition or gain weight when
kept on a diet of one or two pre-
killed mice or rats per month
Male broad-headed snake in
threat posture
Male broad-headed snake in
pre-strike threat display 
 Eating my lunch…
Nyum..nyum..

Fact!!!
Lizards and frogs form a
major part of the Broad-
headed Snake's diet.
Broad-headed snake feeding on Velvet
Gecko prey
 Habitat and ecology
2
Shelters in rock crevices and under flat
sandstone rocks on exposed cliff edges

3Moves from the sandstone rocks to shelters in

during autumn, winter and spring.

hollows in large trees within 200 m of 1Nocturnal

escarpments in summer.

Feeds mostly on geckos and small skinks;

will also eat frogs and small mammals
4
Active at night
occasionally.

Females produce four to 12 live young from

January to March, which is a relatively
5
low level of fecundity.
MY HABITAT..
Welcome to my home..
Do come in…
I love to stay in
sandstone heath.

Heath-padang terbiar,semak-samun
 THREAT
The disturbance and removal of rocks used as retreat sites has the
greatest effect on snake abundance.The other factors :
1. Loss of tree-hollows due to forestry and bushfires.
2. Removal of bush rock from sandstone escarpments.
3. Illegal collection for the pet trade.
4. Damage to habitat by feral goats.
5. The overgrowth of rock outcrops by encroaching vegetation
(possibly due to changes in fire regimes).  

Escarpment-cerun,lereng curam Feral-liar

Illegal collection of 'bushrock' is
a serious threat to the Broad-
headed Snake
What needs to be done to recover this species?

Maintain
Maintain colonies
colonies Retain
Retain woodland
woodland
in
in captivity
captivity for
for Undertake
Undertake feral
feral adjacent
adjacent to
to
future
future re-
re- goat
goat control
control sandstone
sandstone
introduction
introduction toto programs
programs in
in escarpments,
escarpments,
depleted
depleted sites
sites or
or sandstone
sandstone particularly
particularly large
large
sites
sites undergoing
undergoing escarpment
escarpment areas.
areas. hollow-bearing
hollow-bearing
restoration.
restoration. trees.
trees.
 CONTINUE..,

Limit vehicle and pedestrian access to

and recreational use of sandstone
escarpments where this species occurs.

Advocate the use of quarried sandstone

or alternatives in preference to sandstone
sourced from bushland on escarpments;
implement a community and industry
bushrock education strategy.
 CONTINUE..,

• Report suspected illegal reptile collection or

sale.
• Restore rocky habitat to escarpments that
have been disturbed.
In-situ preservation
• Blue Mountains,
• Heathcote,
• Morton,
Public • Royal, Wollemi, and State
land on Forests: Colymea, Yalwal,
which the Yerriyong, Mount Keira
species (Cogger et al. 1993) and
occurs the Woronora Dam
Catchment Area.
include • An immature individual
the has also been observed at
following the edge of the sandstone
National plateau at the
Parks: Commonwealth Defence
Training Area, Holsworthy
(Department of Defence
1995).
WELCOME TO…

R E WE
HE E!
AR
 Zoos Victoria is partially funding a
landscape-scale research project
on the population demographics
and distribution of the Broad-
headed Snake, lead by Dr Rick
Shine from the University of
Researchers are
Sydney.  The project is also
testing the use of investigating ways of restoring
artificial rocks as
habitat for the Broad-headed Snake habitat.
Broad-headed
Snake
 In the field, more than 900
artificial rocks have been built
and placed in the natural habitat
of the Broad-headed Snake. 
Regular monitoring shows that
they are frequently used by
native animals, including the
Broad-headed Snake. 
Artificially sun-exposed sites
(created by removing shading
vegetation) are also used
regularly.

Monitoring the use of artificial

rocks
 A major historical analysis
analysis
of the changes in vegetation
and a detailed
phylogeographic study of the
species have also been As part of the broader
completed.  The research has conservation plan for this
also led to a greater species, Zoos Victoria is
understanding of how reptiles continuing to develop
and invertebrates use retreat- improved reproductive
sites such as rock crevices.  techniques for the Broad-
headed Snake.
 So please, PROTECT me!

SOURCES:

http://
http://
www.arkive.org/broad-headed-snake/hoplocephalus-bu
www.arkive.org/broad-headed-snake/hoplocephalus-bu
ngaroides/description.html
ngaroides/description.html

http://
http://
www.zoo.org.au/Conservation/Research/Wildlife_Reintr
www.zoo.org.au/Conservation/Research/Wildlife_Reintr
oduction/Broadheaded_Snake
oduction/Broadheaded_Snake