PAPUA NEW GUINEA SNAKEBITE PROJECT
RECCE EXXONMOBIL

After the tour we went back to Jim's offices where we met with ExxonMobil's Communications Coordinator Paula Noseworthy and Stakeholder Engagement Lead Andrew Glasson who wanted to interview Dave and myself about our research and get some photographs of the snake men in action. We then set off to go herping, although the morning was getting late and the day warm, in five vehicles: Jim's pick-up, Dave's Troopie Ambulance, my Patrol, the ExxonMobil Ambulance and Paula from PR's pick-up - five vehicles and twelve out on a mission to catch snakes, and then Jim got a call, a snake in a ditch. Five vehicles and 12 people turned up and we caught, a juvenile Eastern common keelback (Tropidonophis mairii mairii) small enough to curl up on my hand. Paula and her colleagues got some photographs and then they left to work on a story.

Eastern common keelback, Tropidonophis mairii mairii

Jim also gave me three Ground snakes (Stegonotus sp.) rescued from the site, two from the sewerage treatment plant. I have yet to identifythese snakes to species, they are quite unusual since they have brown dorsums and white labials, not regular patterning for Papuan members of this genus.

Ground snake, Stegonotus sp.

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