THE SNAKE JOURNAL
Explore how Australian snakes move, hunt, hear and reproduce, and how their activity changes.
A text explanation, not a skull diagram. Original diagram: Snake Identifier.
Behaviour & biology
No. A snake does not need to dislocate its jaws to swallow a large meal. Its jaw joints and the tissues between the lower…
A simplified process, not an anatomical diagram. Original diagram: Snake Identifier.
Behaviour & biology
A snake flicks its tongue to collect chemical information about its surroundings. It is part of the animal’s sense of smell. The tongue picks…
Conceptual routes only, not an anatomical diagram. Original diagram: Snake Identifier.
Behaviour & biology
Yes, snakes can hear. They can respond to sound travelling through the air as well as vibrations through the ground. But hearing a sound…
Read the guide : Can snakes hear, and will noise make them leave?
Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark / CC BY 2.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudonaja_textilis_(6310020307).jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Behaviour & biology
Two snakes wrapped around each other may be fighting rather than mating. Male combat is documented in several Australian species. Intertwined bodies alone do…
Read the guide : Are two intertwined snakes fighting or mating?
Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz) / CC BY-SA 4.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carpet_Python_-_AndrewMercer_IMG22422.jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Behaviour & biology
Some Australian snakes lay eggs, while others give birth to live young. The answer depends on the species. An eastern brown snake lays eggs;…
Read the guide : Do Australian snakes lay eggs or have live young?
Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark / CC BY 2.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudonaja_textilis_(6310020307).jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Behaviour & biology
Australian snakes eat a wide range of animals, but each species has its own diet. Some hunt rodents; others feed on fish or tiny…
Read the guide : What do Australian snakes eat, and why do they matter?
Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz) / CC BY-SA 4.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carpet_Python_-_AndrewMercer_IMG22422.jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Behaviour & biology
Yes. Australian snakes can climb, and climbing does not mean a snake is non-venomous. Pythons and common tree snakes are familiar climbers, but some…
Read the guide : Can Australian snakes climb trees and buildings?
Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark / CC BY 2.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudonaja_textilis_(6310020307).jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Behaviour & biology
Many Australian snakes become much less active in cool weather, but winter does not mean every snake is asleep or absent. This seasonal slowdown…
Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz) / CC BY-SA 4.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carpet_Python_-_AndrewMercer_IMG22422.jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Behaviour & biology
Yes, Australian snakes can be active at night. Some normally hunt after dark; others change their activity with the weather. The time you saw…
