Blacksoil Whip Snake

Identification and appearance

A light brown to grey whipsnake with dark-and-pale side striping. It has a pale-edged collar and a dark teardrop near the eye; both are local head or neck markings.

Typical length

AROD lists a species average of about 49 cm and a separately reported maximum of 74 cm.

Key identification features

• Brown-grey body
• Pale and dark lines along the sides
• A neck collar may fade with age

Where it is found

The range follows cracking-clay country from the south-eastern Kimberley through the Northern Territory and Queensland to north-eastern South Australia, with NSW records around Tibooburra and Sturt National Park.

Diet

Presumably feeds mostly on lizards.

Reproduction

Oviparous.

Medical significance

The consulted sources label this species venomous but do not establish a simple field estimate of clinical severity. Treat any suspected bite as an emergency. Call 000 and follow snakebite first aid for any suspected bite.

What to do if you encounter one

Keep well clear and leave a route towards cover. Do not chase, corner, handle or inspect it. If it is inside a building, keep people and pets away and contact a qualified local snake remover.

Similar-looking snakes

Photo: Belinda Forbes · CC BY 4.0 (Licence)

Elapidae

Black-necked Whip Snake

Demansia calodera

A small olive-brown to brown whipsnake with a pale-edged dark collar and obscure spots. The current diagnosis supports Western Australia; AROD also lists NT without a precise locality, so the range remains partial.

Open identification guide →

Photo: Max Tibby · CC0 1.0 (Licence)

Elapidae

Greater Black Whip Snake

Demansia papuensis

A large, slender whipsnake that is dark grey, brown or black above and often becomes redder toward the rear. Its tropical northern range runs from the Kimberley to Cape York and inland Queensland.

Open identification guide →

Photo: Noah Kirkland · CC BY 4.0 (Licence)

Elapidae

Collared Whip Snake

Demansia torquata

A grey-brown whipsnake with a darker head and a pale-edged band across the neck. The checked range follows eastern Queensland from Cape York to the central coast.

Open identification guide →

Taxonomy notes

Older AROD material used Demansia torquata broadly for related forms; that historical application is not an interchangeable current name for D. rimicola. NSW records are retained from the current government profile.