THE SNAKE JOURNAL
Practical answers, surprising behaviour and useful identification advice. Get to know the snakes that share our landscape.
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?
Tell the service it may be a sea snake so trained responders can advise. Original diagram: Snake Identifier.
Water & sea snakes
Keep your distance, move children and pets away, and contact your local wildlife authority or wildlife rescue service. Do not pick up the snake…
Read the guide : What should you do if you find a sea snake on the beach?
A weather observation does not establish why a particular snake is present. Original diagram: Snake Identifier.
Water & sea snakes
Snakes may be active in warm, damp conditions, while flooding can force them out of shelter and into unexpected places. A snake seen after…
Read the guide : Why might you see snakes after rain or flooding?
Edward Bell / CC BY 4.0 / https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/35774069; resized and converted to WebP.
Identification
Some young snakes change colour or lose conspicuous markings as they grow. An adult photograph may therefore be a poor match for a juvenile…
Read the guide : Why young snakes can look different from adults
Original diagram: Snake Identifier. Call ahead and follow the vet’s instructions for your animal.
Myths & safety
If your dog or cat may have been bitten by a snake, contact a vet and take them for emergency veterinary care immediately. Keep…
Read the guide : What to do if your pet may have been bitten by a snake
Original diagram: Snake Identifier. Concept checklist, not an identification key. Do not approach to inspect these features.
Identification
A long reptile without obvious legs is not necessarily a snake. Australia has legless lizards, including the flap-footed lizards described by Queensland Museum. Some…
Read the guide : Snake or legless lizard? Clues and their limits
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.
Identification
A shed skin can sometimes be identified, but a casual photograph or its colour may not be enough. Specialists can use preserved scale arrangements…
Read the guide : Can you identify a snake from its shed skin?
Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark / CC BY 2.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudonaja_textilis_(6310020307).jpg; resized and converted to WebP.
Identification
A clear photograph can help identify an Australian snake, but it may only support a shortlist. Send the location with the image and keep…
Read the guide : How to use a photo to identify an Australian snake
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.
Water & sea snakes
A snake beside a creek, dam or pool is not necessarily a harmless “water snake”. Several Australian species use freshwater habitats, including venomous snakes.…
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…
