How to Identify Stephens' Banded Snake (Identification Guide)
A slender, nocturnal Australian elapid marked with bold dark and pale crossbands, often found sheltering in tree hollows and rock crevices along the eastern coast.
Read the full Stephens' Banded Snake encyclopedia entry →
Key identifying features
Stephens' Banded Snake is a slender, semi-arboreal elapid found along coastal and near-coastal eastern Australia, distinguished by a bold pattern of well-defined dark and pale crossbands running the length of the body. It has a narrow head only slightly distinct from the neck, large eyes for nocturnal activity, and smooth glossy scales.
Coloration & pattern
The body displays alternating bands of dark brown to blackish and paler cream, grey, or tan, creating a strongly banded appearance that is generally more distinct and regular than in related species such as the Pale-Headed Snake. The head is often darker or only slightly paler than the body, without the strong head-body contrast seen in some relatives. The belly is pale, typically cream or whitish.
Head, eyes & scales
The head is narrow and only slightly distinct from the neck, with large smooth elapid scales. Eyes are notably large relative to head size, reflecting its nocturnal and crepuscular habits, with round pupils. Scales along the body are smooth and glossy, enhancing the contrast of the banded pattern.
Size & body shape
This is a slender, moderately sized snake, typically reaching around 60 to 100 centimeters in length. The body is thin and elongated, well adapted to climbing and moving through tree hollows and rock crevices, tapering to a moderately long tail.
Range & habitat where you'll see it
Stephens' Banded Snake is found along the eastern coast of Australia from southeastern Queensland through much of coastal and near-coastal New South Wales. It favors forests, woodlands, and rocky habitats, sheltering in tree hollows, under bark, and in rock crevices, and is primarily active after dark.
How to tell it apart from look-alikes
The bold, regular dark and pale crossbanding is the most reliable feature separating this species from the closely related Pale-Headed Snake, which shows a much more distinctly pale head against a fainter, less regularly banded body. Compared to pythons with banded patterns, Stephens' Banded Snake is far more slender, lacks heat-sensing jaw pits, and has an elapid head shape rather than a python's broader, more triangular head with visible labial pits.
Frequently asked questions
What pattern distinguishes Stephens' Banded Snake?
A bold, regular series of dark brown to blackish and paler cream or tan crossbands running the length of the body.
How does it differ from the Pale-Headed Snake?
Stephens' Banded Snake has more distinct, regular body banding and lacks the strongly pale, contrasting head seen in the Pale-Headed Snake.
Is this snake active during the day?
No, it is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, which is reflected in its notably large eyes.
Where does it live?
Along the eastern coast of Australia from southeastern Queensland through coastal New South Wales, in forests and rocky habitats.