Curl Snake

Identification and appearance

The body is light brown to reddish brown, sometimes with a fine net-like pattern from dark scale edges. Some individuals have a narrow dark line along the spine. A darker head and nape contrast with a paler line through the eye.

Other names

Myal Snake, Myall Snake

Typical length

AROD reports an average near 40 cm and a maximum of 85 cm; Queensland Government gives 60 cm as an upper length. The larger figure is an attributed report, not an independently confirmed limit.

Key identification features

• Light to reddish-brown upperparts
• Variable dark-edged scale pattern
• Local darker head and nape

Where it is found

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

Activity

Nocturnal.

Diet

Lizards, frogs and small mammals.

Reproduction

Live-bearing.

Medical significance

Accounts describe low usual danger to people, but this cannot establish the safety of an unidentified snakebite. For any suspected bite, call 000 and follow snakebite first aid.

What to do if you encounter one

Keep clear and do not handle it. Use a qualified snake catcher or local wildlife authority if it is trapped near people.

Similar-looking snakes

No photograph available

Elapidae

Ord Curl Snake

Suta ordensis

A venomous snake recorded from northeastern Western Australia and the adjacent Northern Territory.

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Photo: Max Tibby · CC0 1.0 (Licence)

Elapidae

Grey Snake

Hemiaspis damelii

A plain grey to olive-grey snake associated with floodplains and temporary wetlands in NSW and Queensland. Young snakes have a dark head marking that reduces with age.

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