How to Identify Butler's Snake (Identification Guide)

Key identifying features

Butler's Snake, also known as the Spotted Mulga Snake, is a robust, moderately large elapid of the black snake group (genus Pseudechis), native to the semi-arid mid-west and interior of Western Australia. Its most distinctive feature is a glossy black to blackish-brown body liberally scattered with individual yellow or cream scales, producing a finely spotted or speckled black-and-yellow appearance. The head is broad and only slightly distinct from the neck, with smooth glossy scales typical of the black snakes.

Coloration & pattern

The ground color is deep glossy black or blackish-brown, overlaid with numerous irregularly scattered yellow to cream scales that give a finely spotted or flecked look across the whole body rather than distinct bands or blotches. The belly is pale, typically cream to yellow. This dense black-and-yellow speckling is the species' hallmark and separates it from more uniformly colored relatives.

Head, eyes & scales

The head is broad and rounded, only slightly distinct from the neck, covered with large smooth elapid head shields. Eyes are moderate in size with round pupils, consistent with active foraging. Body scales are smooth and glossy, with the yellow-centered or yellow-edged scales creating the characteristic spotted pattern.

Size & body shape

Butler's Snake is a solidly built, moderately large snake, with adults commonly reaching around 1 to 1.6 meters. The body is muscular and robust throughout, tapering gradually to the tail, giving it the powerful build typical of the black snake group.

Range & habitat where you'll see it

This species is restricted to the semi-arid mid-western interior of Western Australia, where it occupies mulga (Acacia) shrublands, eucalypt woodlands, and rocky ranges. It shelters in burrows, soil cracks, and under surface debris, foraging actively for prey.

How to tell it apart from look-alikes

The dense scattering of yellow scales over a glossy black body is highly distinctive and separates Butler's Snake from the more uniformly colored Mulga Snake (King Brown) and other black snakes sharing its range. Its robust build and smooth glossy scales distinguish it from death adders, which are short, thick, and rough-scaled with a broad triangular head, while its spotted black-and-yellow coloration is unlike the plain or reticulated tones of most other arid-zone elapids.