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Elapidae

White-lipped Snake

Drysdalia coronoides

White-lipped Snake is recorded across south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania and New South Wales. It varies from olive-brown and grey to reddish brown or dark grey, with a white stripe on the upper lip and no pale or dark nape band.

Venomous

Identification and appearance

Usually olive-brown, grey or reddish-brown, with a pale line along the upper lip. Unlike some similar snakes, it lacks a pale or dark band across the nape.

Typical length

AROD lists a species average of 40 cm; this does not establish a typical adult interval.

Body build

slender

Key identification features

Variable olive-brown to dark-grey colouration
White stripe on the upper lip
No pale or dark nape band

Where it is found

Highlands and lowlands of far south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, and extending north to the New England Tableland of New South Wales.

Habitat

In Tasmania, White-lipped Snakes generally use open woodland, grassland and heath. Rocks, logs and other material on the ground provide shelter. The species also occurs on the south-eastern mainland.

Activity

An active hunter; in Tasmania it can search for food on fine winter days.

Diet

Mostly skinks, occasionally frogs.

Reproduction

Live-bearing.

Medical significance

AROD reports venom but not regarded as dangerous, and Tasmanian Government information records no human deaths for this species; this is not a reason to delay urgent care for a suspected bite. Call 000 and follow snakebite first aid for any suspected bite.

What to do if you encounter one

Keep well clear, leave a route for the snake to move away and do not approach for a closer look. If it is inside a building, keep people and pets away and contact a qualified local snake catcher.

Similar-looking snakes

These related species provide useful reading comparisons. Similar appearance does not establish an identification.

Sources checked

Australian Reptile Online Database — Drysdalia coronoides (2026-09-25)
The Reptile Database — Drysdalia coronoides (2026-09-25)
Tasmanian Government — Tasmanian snakes (2026-09-25)
Species account — White-lipped Snake (2026-09-26)

For any suspected snakebite, call 000 and follow snakebite first aid.

Snake bite first aid

Call 000 for an ambulance for any suspected snakebite, even if the person feels well.

If they are unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR immediately. CPR takes priority over bandaging.

If the person is unresponsive but breathing normally, gently place them on their side, keep their airway open and keep checking their breathing. Follow the emergency operator’s instructions.

Keep them lying still and reassured. For an arm or leg bite, apply a firm pressure bandage over the bite and along the whole limb, then splint it. Leave the bandage and splint in place for hospital staff. Stay with the person and monitor breathing.

Do not wash, cut or suck the bite, apply a tourniquet, or try to catch or kill the snake.

Based on ANZCOR snakebite guidance and pressure immobilisation guidance. Sources checked 25–26 September 2026.

Read the full first-aid guide →

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