Brown snakes are a group in the genus Pseudonaja. A snake that looks brown is not necessarily a member of this group. Start with where it was seen, then compare its markings, build and the range described in each profile.

Colour changes the picture

The Australian Museum’s Eastern Brown Snake profile describes colours from pale tan to almost black. Young snakes can also have dark markings that fade as they grow. A plain adult and a banded youngster may therefore belong to the same species.

This directory groups snakes by their scientific name, not by a colour guess. Use it to compare possibilities; do not approach a snake to inspect fine details.

For help with lookalikes, read our brown snake identification guide. The profiles below are a genus directory, not a colour-based identification result.

Compare a snake by location and appearance · Browse all snake profiles