Eastern Brown Snake
Pseudonaja textilis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Elapidae, Subfamily: Hydrophiinae, Genus: Pseudonaja, Species: P. textilis
Found throughout eastern and central Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, as well as parts of the Northern Territory and isolated populations in New Guinea.
Look up Eastern Brown Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Highly venomous (Proteroglyphous - fixed front fangs)
Danger Level
Extremely Dangerous. It is responsible for more snakebite deaths in Australia than any other species due to its proximity to human populations and highly toxic venom.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Elapidae, Subfamily: Hydrophiinae, Genus: Pseudonaja, Species: P. textilis
Conservation
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. The species thrives in areas cleared for agriculture where rodent populations are high.
Physical Description
Uniformly colored tan to dark brown or near black dorsal scales with a creamy-yellow belly often featuring orange or grey blotches. The head is relatively small and indistinct from the neck, with large eyes and a round pupil. Scales are smooth and semi-glossy.
Size & Dimensions
Average adult total length is 1.1 to 1.8 meters, with maximum recorded lengths reaching approximately 2.4 meters. The specimen in the image appears to be a large adult.
Habitat
Generalist species found in a wide range of habitats including dry sclerophyll forests, woodlands, coastal heathlands, grasslands, and agricultural areas. It is highly successful in human-modified landscapes and urban fringes.
Behavior & Temperament
Diurnal and highly active. Known for a fast, nervous temperament; if cornered, it performs a characteristic defensive display by rising into a high 'S' shape with its mouth open. It will strike readily and repeatedly if provoked.
Diet & Feeding
Active forager that hunts mainly small mammals (especially house mice), birds, eggs, frogs, and other reptiles. It utilizes both venom and constriction for larger prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 10 to 35 eggs during late spring or early summer. They may produce multiple clutches in a single season under favorable conditions.
Venom Profile
Complex mixture containing powerful presynaptic and postsynaptic neurotoxins, but primarily dominated by potent procoagulants that cause venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC).
Look-alikes
Often confused with the Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus), or various species of Mulga Snakes (Pseudechis). It is distinguished by its smaller head and specific ventral spotting.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. The species thrives in areas cleared for agriculture where rodent populations are high.
Cultural Significance
Historically feared and respected in Australian culture, it plays a vital ecological role in regulating rodent populations in agricultural and peri-urban environments.
Notable Features
It possesses one of the most toxic venoms of any land snake in the world. Its ability to adapt to human-disturbed environments makes it one of the most frequently encountered dangerous snakes in the Southern Hemisphere.