Common Brown Snake: Museum Victoria

Identification

Adult Common (or Eastern) Brown Snakes, Pseudonaja textiles, are uniformly brown. Juveniles have a black head, with a lighter bar behind, a black nape, and numerous red-brown spots on the belly. Occasionally they have dark cross-bands. The Common Brown has 17 rows of mid-body scales, a divided anal scale and 45–75 divided subcaudal scales. In some specimens a few anterior subcaudal scales are single. It is a relatively slender species and can grow to just over 2 m long.

Adult Common Brown Snake
Photographer: Peter Robertson / Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty Ltd

Distribution and habitat

This species is widespread over most of Victoria except for the Otways and most of Gippsland. In the Melbourne region it is restricted mostly to the western and northern suburbs. It prefers dry, open habitats.

Biology and bite

The Common Brown Snake is active both day and night. It will eat a wide variety of vertebrates but prefers lizards up to the size of the Stumpy-tailed Lizard. Females lay up to 35 eggs in cracks in the soil.

This is a fast-moving snake and is extremely dangerous. Even subadults have caused fatalities. If bitten on a limb, apply a pressure bandage, immobilise the limb and seek medical advice immediately. If bitten elsewhere, apply continuous direct pressure to the bite site. Do not wash the wound, as the venom on the skin can be used to identify the appropriate antivenom.

Juvenile Common Brown Snake
Photographer: Peter Robertson / Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty Ltd

Hi Liam -

A juvenile brown snake is highly venomous. And the best thing is to leave them alone – you are more likely to get bitten trying to kill them, so it is not a good idea to try to kill a snake. If you see a snake move away from it slowly and tell an adult immediately.

Snakes are protected wildlife in Victoria, so it is illegal to kill a snake. However, if the snake is in a place that it could be a problem for people or pets (e.g., near a house), residents can arrange for a licensed commercial snake catcher to remove them. Snake catcher contacts are available through Department of Sustainability and Environment on Ph. 136 186 and local councils.

We do a lot of bush walking in Alpine and sub-alpine areas in Victoria (around Dargo High Plains, Dinner Plain etc.) We have come across Alpine Copperheads mainly in reas of open tussocks nearby creeks in 1000m + altitudes. Lately some feedback from these areas is that brown snakes are also being spotted. We haven't seen any ourselves but were wondering whether their distribution would now include these sorts of habitats (ie., 1000m+)

Hi Tom - As you'll see above, the Eastern Brown is an egg-laying snake. For more information on why the Eastern Brown is considered one of the world's most dangerous snakes, and information on how the venom works, try this information sheet from the Australian Venom Research Unit.

Hi tom, i live in victoria and my dog was bitten by a brown snake we couldn't catch the snake and couldn't find will a snake stay within the area it attacked in or will it move on? i'm worried as this happened in my backyard.

Hi Kylie - Our snake expert wasn't certain about brown snakes, but knows of a recent study that found that Tiger snakes maintain definite territories in urban areas – even when they were moved they were found to return to their territory – in this study they radio-tracked the snakes. So, best that you just keep a good eye out, in case!

We recently had a 3 foot brown snake in our backyard, we live in a town, not rurally and have 3 children under 5 years of age. When we spotted this snake it was quite agitated as some birds were having a go at it. I noted that in a previous question that you suggested calling the appropriate authority to come and remove it. My question is how exactly should we have contained it until that authority arrived to remove it? Needless to say, with 3 kids here we didn't hesitate in "removing" it ourselves.

Hi Tammy,

My advice would be to leave the snake alone, as you are more likely to get bitten if trying to move or contain it. Make sure kids and pets are kept well away from the snake – the best bet would be to stay indoors – until a registered snake catcher can come to remove the snake.

Hi Nafet,

Here is some information from the DSE;

Whilst the Eastern Brown Snake occurs throughout much of Victoria, including the north-east of the state, there are few reliable records above 1000 m, and it is not considered to be a resident species in the alpine and sub-alpine parts of the state. Snakes that occur in the alps include the small White-lipped Snake (Drysdalia coronoides), Highland Copperhead (Austrelaps ramsayi) and the Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus). The first two species are very common in the alps. Tiger Snakes are less common, but have been observed in recent years around Dinner Plain and on the Dargo High Plains Road. It is always possible that snakes can be inadvertently transported around the landscape, so it is not out of the question for Brown Snakes to appear in the alps. However their breeding biology (they lay eggs, whereas the other 2 species give birth to live young) is not well suited to a cold and unpredictable environment, where eggs left to the mercy of the prevailing conditions would be likely to fail. All 3 of the snake species that reliably occur in these areas can be variable in colour. Although most Tiger Snakes are banded, unbanded forms do occur, and their uniform brown colour often leads people to believe that they are Brown Snakes. Similarly, the White-lipped Snake can vary from greyish to brick-red. The Highland Copperhead is usually a dark charcoal colour, but lighter variations do occur.

Re your habitat notes "In the Melbourne region it is restricted mostly to the western and northern suburbs" as a Mornington Peninsula resident you may be interested to know that they prevalent in this area, particularly dry sandy areas on Westernport Bay - similar to the Western Brown snake or dugite that are plentiful in Perth metropolitan beach areas.

I've found a Snake at the end of our decking at home under some wood, on our small property in the Macedon Ranges. I'm pretty sure it's a common brown snake, but who knows I don't plan on trying to work out which exact species it is. I'm just wondering if you can give me any advice on what to do? Whether to just leave it and wait for it to leave? Or to call someone to get rid of the snake?

Hi Brittany, it could be that the snake you found on your property was trying to find a resting place and under wood is a perfect spot. If it is still resting under there you may want to have the individual removed from your property as it sounds like it has taken up residence on the balcony. If it has moved on already maybe it was just using it as a resting place as it was moving through the area. To stop it happening on the balcony or other places close to the house the best thing you can do is remove the hiding places that they want to stay in. By providing habitat away from your residence will help keep the snakes away from where you are.

Living in South Australia, brown snakes are the common snake of the area I live. I would like information - how long are the baby snakes when they hatch from their egg, and how long do they grow each year? - how old would a 5ft brown be? Having had a handful of juveniles here over the past few years, do the juveniles move far from where they hatch? If one snake is in the area, does that automatically mean there are more in the same area?

I encountered a snake that I think was a brown snake. I was riding my bike along a track in sparse bush land (around 12pm) near a reservoir in Bendigo. This reservoir / bush land is surrounded by houses in a subruban area of Bendigo. I saw a snake slither across the path into some grass. I presume that it was startled by me and wanted to hide. It was a light brown color and was evenly colored, with no other markings. It was about 1.2m long. Is it likely to have been an Easter Brown snake or could it have been another species?

Hi Robynne, unfortunately our Herpetologist would need an image of the snake to tell you what species it may have been. Identifications can be difficult as for example you can get Tiger Snakes with varying degrees of banding, and juvenile Brown Snakes can have some banding. Alternately have you had a look at the Museum's Bioinformatics website which has images of the species of snake found in Victoria? You may be able to identify it from these images.

Hi Meryl, apologies for the delay in getting back to you. Brown Snakes are about 27cm in length upon hatching from the egg. A Brown Snake 5 feet in length is likely to be an adult.

A female Brown Snake is capable of laying anywhere from 10-35 eggs. Females remain in the nesting burrow for up to 5 weeks after laying their eggs, possibly defending them against predators such as lizards or mice. Several females may lay their eggs in the same nest site, and return year after year to use the same location. If conditions are favourable, the female may lay a second clutch of eggs later on in the summer.

Brown Snakes are more common in dry country and as these snakes are attracted to things like mice, rats and birds can be common around farms and barns.

Hi Jody, it is likely if the egg shells you found are somewhat soft, flexible and have a rubbery feel that they will be from a reptile. If it is brittle and hard it is a bird's egg. Snake eggs are often more oblong in shape than a bird's egg. If you found a fresh nest of hatched brown snake eggs there would normally be a lot of shells together as they lay many eggs at once.

Richard i bet u that wat u though was a brown snake was actually a lowland copperhead they can be a variety of colours such as light brown,copper brown,yellowish, greyish,reddish and a dark colour. relying on colour will not identify a snake and other methods would simply be to dangerous nevertheless they are both dangerously venomous snakes that should be left alone. Brown snakes would not do well around lorne principally due to the cool climate where there eggs would not survive.

Hi, Many thanks for the response re: brown snakes in Alpine habitats. Was in the area over easter and spotted a small (young?) snake very brown in colour. I got some decent photos of it - is there any chance I could send in - would love to get an ID on it if possible. May've been a lightly coloured Alpine Copperhead, though all the Copperheads I've seen in a similar area before have been quite dark.

Hi Nafet; yes, the best way to go is to send us some photos, you can add them as an attachments if you send us an email via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. We look forward to seeing them.

Hi, I'd like to know at roughly what ages the colourings change, at what stage is it considered an adult, and to what age these snakes live? Found one in central QLD today, must have been about 5ft 8ish in length, light brown on top, with a cream belly sprinkled with pink/red blotches. Do full adults have red blotchy bellies as well as youngsters? Approximately how old would this one be, given the details? How likely is it that one this size and description, has a mate, and family? Do the juveniles live in the same areas as the adults? Regards,

Hi Robyn - it appears that the snake reaches maturity at about 3 years of age; as the size of an adult Eastern Brown Snake is about 2 metres and you mentioned that your snake was about 1.5 metres, we would say that your snake would be close to fully grown. As to whether it has a mate, this is difficult to be certain; we advise you take care walking in that area, treat the area as if it has a mate close at hand. Females lay 10 to 35 eggs , and when hatched the young would certainly spend some time in the immediate vicinity

Regarding the red blotches are concerned, snakes in general often have variable colour patterns even in similar species, so the markings you describemay not be an indication of age. The following websites may be of interest: http://www.avru.org/general/general_eastbrown.html and http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Reptiles/Snakes/Common+and+dangerous+species/Eastern+Brown+Snake

Hope this is of some help

my dog was nearly bitten by a snake i live in portland vic and didnt think their wouldbe any snakes in portland because of the cold,what sought of snake do u think this would be? it looked greyish

I found one of these snakes in the office I work at in Florida. It was about 4 inches long and I was able to identify it from this website. Is it common to find them in the USA? I was talking with a co-worker and found out someone close by moved from Australia about a month ago.

We have at least 2 brown snakes on our farm in south gippsland near Korumburra - the last one I saw was very agitated as i stepped too close before seeing it. mostly we have copperheads(docile) and a few tigersnakes so was surprised to read that the brown snakes are not supposed to be in our area - we also had a very large one on our farm in foster.

It is coman knowledge that Red Bellied Black Snakes will actively persue Brown Snakes and kill them. How can they achieve this given the speed, toxicity and ferocity of King Browns?

Hi Petr, regarding your query on Common Brown and Red Bellied Black Snakes our staff hadn't heard of this being a common occurrence. They suggested you may want to contact the Melbourne Zoo who may have more experience researching live snakes and might be able to assist you.

I found 2 white elongated eggs in my garden about 2 inches from the surface as I dug - there were little 'snakes' and they were a bright blue. Can you identify please and what to do?

Hi Jack, if you have concerns that your dog may have been bitten by a brown snake you could try ringing your vet for advice or if they are not open on a Saturday or you don't have a regular vet, try to Google 'emergency vet Melbourne' or something similar. You will find a number of 24 hour clinics some of which will hopefully be close to you that you can contact. All the best.

I have little dogs and am on acreage. Yesterday there was a brown snake approx 1 meter in length in the back yard. Crawled under a bush near the vegie patch and lost it. Question is how long would I have to get a little dog to the vet if bitten. Would they have early warning signs or symptoms (ie yelping, lethargy). Also would the brown leave a cool damp garden to find dry ground. Thought I could soak the area.

Hi Michelle - we have checked with our expert keepers from the Museum's Live Exhibits crew, who have the following reply for you:

A little dog will succumb to the effects of a brown snake bite very quickly and the chances of survival are fairly small. One of the Museum’s staff members had a Jack Russell that was bitten by a Brown Snake and it died in less than ten minutes. Larger dogs have a better chance but the difference tends to be marginal. Even in humans the death rate from Brown Snake envenomation can be quite high. Early symptoms are usually vomiting and frothing at the mouth.

Brown Snakes generally prefer drier areas but it’s unlikely that soaking the area would have much effect. If the snake is no longer around it has more than likely moved on by its own accord.

Hope this info helps

Hi - we just killed what looked like two very small brownish red snakes in the garden, they were hiding under a blanket that had been left on the lawn. My hubby kind of hacked they up and they were in long grass so we can't find the pieces to identify them. Are there likely to be more - I am worried about the earlier post that says the snakes guard there nest for 5 weeks. Should I get someone in to check the garden an if so who? We live in East Brighton. Thanks for your help

Marianne - All snakes are protected wildlife in Victoria; it is illegal to kill a snake. If the snake is in a place that it could be a problem for people or pets you should arrange for a licensed commercial snake catcher to remove them; apart from it being illegal to kill a snake, it is also potentially very dangerous as the animals naturally would behave in an aggressive defensive manner. Snake catcher contacts are available through Department of Sustainability and Environment on Ph. 136 186 and local councils.

We are not able to suggest an identification on the basis of what you have described here; in the absence of a specimen (hacked up or otherwise), it is impossible to suggest if there are likely to be more.

Hey there, We live in Bauhinia Downs (Central Highlands) in the time we have been here we have had Eastern Browns on a daily basis not little ones either, today I found a near on 3 meter one in my front garden, yes I know sounds big hey, he lay accross our drive way and his body was still on the other side once he left i measured it, 2.95 meters hooly crap he was a cranky bugger 2, didnt know they got this big i sure hope he dont come back, we live close 2 a wheat and grain farm so i am guessing that he has had a lot of food around him most he life!!( being the size he is) some one told me that you can plant differnt things in yur garden 2 stop any sake being in them bit over all these snakes got young kids!!

Hi We've has a number of snakes around the property so my partner has fenced off an area that we use as a backyard. The fence is dug into the ground so that snakes can't get under it and we've tried to ensure that there are no holes or gaps for them to crawl through. Over the last few years, some smaller brownies have somehow been able to access the back yard but the dogs have made short work of them. That was up until recently when one of the dogs was killed by a snake. Do brown snakes have any natural predators that I can encourage into the backyard? Is there a possiblity that a female snake is returning to a place somewhere in the backyard to lay eggs? If so, how do I find the nesting site? Are there any other measures I can take to ensure the safety of my family and pets? Regards Karen

Hello, how do I identify a snake skin? We have just found a baby snake skin in our shed wrapped around our lawn mower wheel. We think it may be a whip snake or baby brown as they r in the area

Hello, I am just wondering how good a brown snakes eye sight is. I have read most snakes dont actually see very well but others do. We have common brown snakes in our area. So just wondering if they have good eye sight. Thanks :)

Common Brown Snake Pseudonaja textilis

Snakes of Victoria series

Identification

Distribution and habitat

Biology and bite

Further Reading

Your comments

Leave a comment

Related Resources

MV Resources

Recent Comments

Tweet

Join Up & Join In!

MV Links

MV Membership

MV E-News