Australian snake guide
A quick reference, not an identification key. Many snakes look alike and colour varies. Never approach or handle a snake to identify it.
Eastern brown snake
Pseudonaja textilis
Slender and quick. Colour runs from pale tan to dark brown, and young ones can have dark bands.
Responsible for more serious bites in Australia than any other snake. Give it plenty of room.
Red-bellied black snake
Pseudechis porphyriacus
Glossy black on top with red or pink lower sides.
Shy and slow to bite, but the venom still needs hospital treatment.
Tiger snake
Notechis scutatus
Often banded in yellow and dark brown, but plenty are plain olive or black.
Flattens its neck when threatened. Back away slowly.
Coastal taipan
Oxyuranus scutellatus
Long and light to dark brown, with a paler face and a long, narrow head.
Highly venomous. Keep kids and pets well away and call straight away.
Mulga snake (king brown)
Pseudechis australis
Heavy bodied and copper to dark brown, often with a netted look to the scales.
Despite the nickname it is a black snake relative, not a brown snake.
Western brown snake (gwardar)
Pseudonaja mengdeni
Very variable. Can be plain brown, banded, or have a dark head and neck.
Fast and nervous. Treat any brown snake as dangerous.
Dugite
Pseudonaja affinis
Olive to brown, sometimes with scattered black scales.
Perth's most common venomous snake, often found in gardens and near bushland.
Lowland copperhead
Austrelaps superbus
Coppery to dark brown, with pale bars on the lip scales.
Out and about in cooler weather than most snakes.
Rough-scaled snake
Tropidechis carinatus
Olive brown with dark cross bands and ridged, rough-looking scales.
Easily confused with the harmless keelback. Leave the call to a catcher.
Common death adder
Acanthophis antarcticus
Short and thick with a broad head and a thin, pale tail tip.
Sits still rather than moving off, so it is easy to step near.
Yellow-faced whip snake
Demansia psammophis
Very thin and fast, grey-green with a pale ring around the eye.
Bites are painful but rarely serious for adults. Still worth a check-up.
Eastern small-eyed snake
Cryptophis nigrescens
Shiny black above with a pink or cream belly and small eyes.
Often mistaken for a red-bellied black. Bites need medical attention.
Brown tree snake
Boiga irregularis
Orange-brown with faint bands, big eyes and a narrow neck.
Rear-fanged and not considered dangerous, but it will strike when cornered.
Carpet python
Morelia spilota
Thick bodied with a blotched pattern in browns, creams and olive.
No venom, but a bite can still hurt. Great at keeping rats down.
Diamond python
Morelia spilota spilota
Black with cream or yellow spots arranged in diamond-like rosettes.
A carpet python subspecies. Calm and slow moving.
Spotted python
Antaresia maculosa
Small python with dark brown blotches on a pale background.
Rarely longer than a metre and a half.
Common tree snake
Dendrelaphis punctulatus
Slim and fast, usually green, olive or black with a yellow throat. Some are blue.
Gives off a strong smell when handled. No venom.
Keelback
Tropidonophis mairii
Olive to brown with ridged scales and irregular dark flecks.
One of the few Australian animals that can eat cane toads.
Inland taipan
Oxyuranus microlepidotus
Pale fawn to dark brown, usually with a darker head and neck. Its colour can darken in winter and lighten in summer.
Also called the fierce snake or small-scaled snake. Extremely venomous: keep well clear and call 000 for any suspected bite.
Collett's black snake
Pseudechis colletti
A robust snake with a broad, blunt head. Dark brown to black with irregular salmon-pink or reddish patches and a cream to yellow-orange belly.
Also known as Collett's snake or the Downs tiger snake, but it is a black snake relative. Highly venomous: keep your distance and call 000 for a suspected bite.
Call 1800 4 SNAKE (1800 476 253)
If someone has been bitten, call 000. Never approach or handle a snake to identify it.