Dugite

Identification and appearance

The narrow body and small head blend together at the neck. Mainland snakes range through brown, olive-brown and grey-brown, often with dark spotting; some become very dark. Island forms are generally smaller and more uniformly blackish brown.

Typical length

The Australian Museum gives an approximate average total length of 150 cm, growth to 200 cm and an exceptional captive specimen measuring 213 cm. No typical adult interval is asserted.

Body build

slender

Head appearance

Small head blending into the neck

Key identification features

• Slender body with a small head blending into the neck
• Brown, olive or grey colour with darker spotting
• Western and South Australian distribution

Where it is found

Western Australia and South Australia, with the Australian Museum account describing island and mainland variation across the south-west.

Habitat

Dugites occupy coastal dunes, heath, shrubland, woodland, forest and open agricultural country. They also occur around buildings, sheltering beneath debris, under rocks or in animal burrows.

Activity

Hunts during the day.

Diet

Eats small mammals, particularly mice, as well as lizards, birds and sometimes snakes.

Reproduction

Egg-laying; clutch size varies with population.

Medical significance

A bite may cause serious envenoming. Treat any suspected bite as an emergency, call 000 and do not wait for identification.

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

Photo: Max Tibby · CC0 1.0 (Licence)

Elapidae

Peninsula Brown Snake

Pseudonaja inframacula

A dangerously venomous snake recorded from South Australia’s Eyre and Yorke peninsulas, nearby islands and the Nullarbor coast.

Open identification guide →

Photo: Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark · CC BY 2.0 (Licence)

Elapidae

Eastern Brown Snake

Pseudonaja textilis

An Eastern Brown Snake is not always brown. Adults can be tan, orange-brown or nearly black, while young snakes may have striking dark bands. A relatively small head and slender body are more useful clues than the name alone.

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