THE SNAKE JOURNAL
Practical answers, surprising behaviour and useful identification advice. Get to know the snakes that share our landscape.
Tim Robertson / CC0 1.0 / https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200106900; resized and converted to WebP.
Water & sea snakes
Several sea-snake species tested by scientists refused seawater, even when dehydrated. The yellow-bellied sea snake needs fresh water despite living in the ocean. Research…
Tim Robertson / CC0 1.0 / https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200106900; resized and converted to WebP.
Water & sea snakes
Sea snakes need to surface to breathe air, but they can also absorb some oxygen from water through their skin. Skin gas exchange supplements…
Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark / CC BY 2.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudonaja_textilis_(6310020307).jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Myths & safety
There is no reliable rule that baby snakes are more venomous than adults. Venom can change as a snake grows, but that does not…
The original uploader was Figaro at English Wikipedia. / Public domain / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-Bellied-Black-Snake-BFP-2.jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Myths & safety
For a snake that delivers venom through a bite, “venomous” is the precise word. “Poisonous” usually describes something whose toxins cause harm when swallowed,…
Read the guide : Venomous or poisonous: what is the difference?
Photo by XLerate / CC BY-SA 3.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fierce_Snake-Oxyuranus_microlepidotus.jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Identification
No. The rule “round pupils mean harmless, slit pupils mean venomous” fails for Australian snakes. Pupil shape is a feature used in descriptions of…
Read the guide : Can pupil shape tell you whether a snake is venomous?
Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark / CC BY 2.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudonaja_textilis_(6310020307).jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Myths & safety
A snake moving towards a person is not necessarily pursuing them. It may be heading for shelter, including shelter behind the person. Snakes can…
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…
The original uploader was Figaro at English Wikipedia. / Public domain / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-Bellied-Black-Snake-BFP-2.jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Around the home
A snake may use the same local area repeatedly, moving between shelter and feeding places. That does not mean it stays under one rock…
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?
