Elapidae
De Vis’ Banded Snake
Denisonia devisi
A heavily built, banded inland snake with a patchy eastern Australian range.
Venomous
Identification and appearance
A heavily built brown snake with broad dark bands, a speckled darker head, barred lips and a pale belly. It is associated with cracking clay soils and inland woodlands rather than the coast.
Other names
De Vis Banded Snake, Mud Adder
Typical length
AROD lists an average size of about 50 cm and a reported maximum of 60 cm.
Body build
robust
Head appearance
Speckled darker head
Key identification features
- Robust brown body with broad dark bands
- Paler belly and barred lips
- Patchy inland range extending into north-western Victoria
Where it is found
Western, central and southern Queensland, reaching the northern interior of New South Wales and patchily extending through western New South Wales to north-western Victoria; it is not coastal.
Activity
Shelters during the day and searches for food on warm nights.
Diet
Mainly frogs and reptiles.
Reproduction
Live-bearing; AROD reports an average litter size of 5.
Medical significance
Potentially dangerous. Treat any possible bite as an emergency and call 000.
What to do if you encounter one
Keep your distance and leave the snake a clear route away. Do not handle it, chase it for a photograph or attempt to inspect its mouth. If it is inside a building, keep people and pets clear and contact a qualified local snake catcher.
Similar-looking snakes
The Ornamental Snake is the cited comparison and lacks prominent body bands; do not handle either species.
Photo: Stewart Macdonald · CC BY 2.5 (Licence)
Elapidae
Ornamental Snake
Denisonia maculata
A stout brown-to-black snake of central-eastern Queensland. The flanks are lighter and may have dark streaks; it is associated with wet areas and feeds mainly on frogs.
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