Bandy-bandy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bandy-bandy
Scientific classification
Genus:	Vermicella
Species:	annulata

The bandy-bandy (Vermicella annulata) is a unique Australian snake. It is also known as the hoop snake. This snake lives underground. It belongs to the Elapidae family, which includes many venomous snakes.

The name "bandy-bandy" comes from the Kattang dialect. This language was spoken by Indigenous people near Taree, New South Wales. There are six known types, or species, of bandy-bandy. All of them live only in Australia. The bandy-bandy is considered only mildly venomous.

What Does a Bandy-bandy Look Like?

The bandy-bandy is a smooth and shiny snake. It has a very special pattern of black and white rings. These rings go all the way around its body. This pattern makes it easy to tell bandy-bandys apart from other Australian snakes. It also gives them their name, as "annul-" means "ring" in Latin.

Their tail is quite short. It has a blunt tip, which is different from other snakes in the Elapidae family. The scales on its back are in 15 rows in the middle of its body. Most bandy-bandys are about 50 to 60 centimeters (20 to 24 inches) long. However, males and females can be different sizes.

Where Do Bandy-bandys Live?

Bandy-bandys live in many different places. You can find them in deserts, wet rainforests, and woodlands. The most common type, V. annulata, lives along the east coast of Australia. Other types live in northern, western, and central Australia.

They are often found in suburbs that have woodlands. This includes places like Mt Cotton and Brisbane in Queensland. They have also been seen in New South Wales and South Australia. These snakes like to hide under rocks, logs, and tree stumps.

What Do Bandy-bandys Eat?

Bandy-bandys are special because they mostly eat other snakes. They especially like to eat blind snakes from the Typhlopidae family. These blind snakes are common in Australia. This means there is plenty of food for all six types of bandy-bandys.

Scientists have looked at the stomachs of many bandy-bandys. They found that most of them had eaten blind snakes. In fact, bandy-bandys in captivity refused to eat other lizards. They only ate blind snakes.

Bandy-bandys find their food by flicking their tongues. Their tongues pick up chemical signals from blind snakes. They can follow these scent trails for over a meter. Blind snakes can be quite large, sometimes even bigger than the bandy-bandy itself! Because their prey is so big, bandy-bandys don't need to eat very often.

How Do Bandy-bandys Behave?

Bandy-bandys are active at night. They are burrowing snakes, meaning they live underground. You can find them under rocks, logs, or tree stumps. They come out at night to hunt for food. They are especially active after it rains or when the weather is warm and humid.

How Do They Defend Themselves?

Bandy-bandys have several enemies. These include owls, larger reptiles, wild cats, and foxes. Their bright black and white pattern is not for hiding. Instead, it helps them confuse predators.

When a bandy-bandy moves quickly in dim light, its striped pattern can create an illusion. This is called "flicker fusion." It makes it hard for predators to see where the snake is going.

Their bright colors also act as a warning. This is called "aposematism." It tells predators that the snake might be dangerous. Even though bandy-bandys are only mildly venomous, their colors can make predators think twice.

Bandy-bandys also have an amazing way to defend themselves. When threatened, they can coil their body into loops that stand up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) tall. Their head and tail stay on the ground. The head is hidden behind the loops, and the tail points towards the danger. This display looks very scary and confusing to predators. It makes the snake look taller and more intimidating.

Reproduction

Bandy-bandys lay eggs. This means they are "oviparous." Female snakes lay their eggs in late summer, usually in February or March. The average number of eggs in a clutch is about 7 or 8. However, some females can lay up to 13 eggs at once.

Female bandy-bandys are much larger than males. In one study, females were about 54 cm (21 inches) long, while males were about 39 cm (15 inches). The size of the mother often affects how many eggs she can lay. Larger females can lay more eggs.

Types of Bandy-bandy

There are six known species of bandy-bandy. They usually live in different areas. You can often tell which type of bandy-bandy it is by where it was found. Scientists also look at three things to tell them apart:

• Whether they have certain scales on their head (internasals).
• The number of black bands on their body and tail.
• The number of scales on their belly (ventral scales).

Eastern Bandy-bandy (Vermicella annulata)

This is the most common type. It lives across northern and eastern Australia. You can find it in many places, like wet forests, woodlands, and even deserts. It usually has internasals (scales on its head) and fewer than 260 belly scales.

Wide-banded Northern Bandy-bandy (Vermicella intermedia)

This type lives in a band across North-western Northern Territory and far northern Western Australia. It prefers eucalyptus forests and dry woodlands. It does not have internasals and has fewer than 75 black bands.

Northern Bandy-bandy (Vermicella multifasciata)

This type is found in patches in north-western Northern Territory and far northern Western Australia. It also lives in eucalyptus forests and dry woodlands. It does not have internasals and has more than 75 black bands.

Pilbara Bandy-bandy (Vermicella snelli)

This type is only found in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It lives in scrubs, grasslands, and stony areas. It has internasals and usually more than 285 belly scales.

Worm-like Bandy-bandy (Vermicella vermiformis)

This type lives in two separate areas: central Australia and southern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. The northern group lives in dry woodlands, while the southern group lives in scrubs and stony areas. It has internasals and usually up to 285 belly scales.

Weipa Bandy-bandy (Vermicella parscauda)

This is a newer species, discovered in 2018. It has only been found near Weipa on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. It lives in eucalyptus forests and dry woodlands. It has internasals and between 213 and 230 belly scales. Its white bands are often not complete. This species might be in danger because its habitat is being cleared for mining.

Venom

Snakes in the Elapidae family have venom that can be dangerous. However, the bandy-bandy is only mildly venomous. Its bite usually causes only minor symptoms around the bite area. It is generally considered harmless to humans. This is also because its mouth is small, and it is not an aggressive snake.

Images for kids

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  A bandy-bandy snake showing its distinctive black and white rings.