Hoop snake
The bandy-bandy (Vermicella annulata) is a mildly venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The word bandy-bandy (bandi-bandi) traces back to the indigenous dialect of Kattang, from the Taree region, New South Wales. There are 5 known species of bandy-bandy, all of which are found only in Australia.
The bandy-bandy is a smooth-scaled, glossy snake with a distinctive pattern of sharply contrasting black and white rings that continue right around the body. Bandy-bandys are strikingly distinguishable from other Australian land snakes by their unique banding pattern, which gives the species both its common names and its scientific name (from the diminutive form, annul-, of the Latin anus, meaning "ring"). Their tail is relatively short, having fewer than 35 subcaudals and the tip is blunt, unlike other elapids. The dorsal scales are in 15 rows at mid body.
Bandy-bandys are found across the east coast of Australia. These snakes live in a large variety of habitats from desert regions to wet rainforest. They occur mainly in suburbs with woodland habitats such as Mt Cotton, Mt Crosby, Kholo, Brisbane, and Lockyer Valley. They are most common in areas of remnant habitat structure such as the foothills of Mt Glorious and Brisbane Forest Park. In Southeast Queensland, they are found across a wide range of habitats and vegetation types, from coastal forest and woodland to scrubland, mulga, and outback desert. They are found also in central New South Wales (Dubbo/Parkes) and Lower North Coast NSW (Pacific Palms/Hunter Valley). Bandy-bandys have also been spotted in the White Rock and Spring Mountain Conservation Park near Ipswich, Queensland. They are also found in the south-eastern side of South Australia.
Bandy-bandys are nocturnal, burrowing snakes. During the day they usually hide beneath the soil surface, under stumps, rocks, and logs. They emerge at night to forage, especially after rain or during warmer and humid weather. Bandy-bandys locate prey through the sampling of chemical cues that are collected via tongue flicking. Since their diet is specific to blind snakes, they are highly responsive to the chemical cues left by blind snakes. A study found that bandy-bandys were able to follow blind snake chemical trails for an average of 0.93 meters, while some specimens were able to follow the chemical trail to its completion, 1.4 meters long. Bandy-bandys have multiple predators. With a striking coloration pattern, these snakes are not adapted to camouflage on a forest floor. When confronted by a potential predator, the bandy-bandy has multiple tactics to instigate either a fight or flight response. A regular banded pattern in snakes can create a phenomenon of ‘flicker fusion’, which acts to cause an illusion during flight. Since bandy-bandys are nocturnal, they can effectively execute this illusion by moving fast in dim light. The 'flicker fusion' effect only works to confuse predators if its frequency exceeds that of the predators' critical fusion frequencies (CFFs) in their eyes. Bandy-bandys can exceed this effect higher than most vertebrates' CFFs and thus cause great confusion to predators. A banded pattern of bandy-bandys is also likely to be a disruptive coloration to a predator. They are mildly venomous and may partially use their coloration as a threat to their predators if they were to attack them. However, the fight-response of the bandy-bandy not only involves the snake's colouration but involves an impressive defensive stance. The bandy-bandy has a unique defensive display behavior, where it contorts its body into one or multiple loops that reach a vertical height of 15 cm. Its head and tail are maintained on ground level, facing its tail towards the perceived threat and the head the farthest from its perceived threat, shielded by the vertical loops. This defensive display is extremely menacing and conspicuous, especially to reptile predators that are low to the ground. By displaying height and coloration and by hiding its head behind its defensive loops, the bandy-bandy can leave potential predators both confused and intimidated.
The bandy-bandy is weakly venomous with localised symptoms around the bite area. It is generally considered harmless due to the small size of its mouth and its inoffensive nature.
Bandy-bandys are ophiophagous, meaning they eat snakes. Their diet consists mostly, if not solely of blind snakes common throughout Australia. Other burrowing animals such as skinks may occasionally be a rare part of their diet as well.
Bandy-bandys are oviparous and produce offspring within eggs that are hatched after birth. Females lay eggs in the late summer (February-March). The size of a clutch averages 7 offspring but may reach up to 13 offspring in a single clutch.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the bandy-bandy total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
