Venomous Snakes

Venomous Snakes on the Sunshine Coast

Common Snakes on the Sunshine Coast

Eastern Small-Eyed Snake

Eastern Small-Eyed Snake (Cryptophis nigrescens)

- Highly Venomous

Eastern small-eyed snakes are generally dark grey or black with very glossy scales. The belly is usually marked with grey or black splotches and is pink or light orange in colour, depending on whether the snake originates in the north or in the south of Queensland. This colour does not extend up around the sides of the snake, as is the case with the red-bellied black snake.

Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)

- Highly Venomous

Death adders are very stocky snakes with triangular-shaped heads, growing to an average of 40-100cm in length. The colouration of a common death adder depends on the areas where it is found. It has a distinctive appearance, usually in variations of red, brown or black with a gray, cream or pink-coloured belly.

Unlike many other snake species, the adder’s body is quite broad and thick with a definitively tapered tail. They are an extremely venomous species.

Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis)

- Highly Venomous

Eastern brown snakes are of a slender to moderate build and can grow to lengths of 1.5 to 2 meters. This species varies in colouration and patterns, ranging from light brown to beige or gray and tending to have a black head with a lighter brown snout and band on the back. Their bodies can be standard brown or include bands down to the tail.

Red Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus)

- Highly Venomous

Red-bellied black snakes are moderately built and can grow to an average length of 1.5 to 2 meters. Black-headed, often with an orange-brown snout, there are glossy jet-black scales on its back with vibrant red to pink coloration running down its flanks. Belly scales are red to pink with black bands.
Rough Scaled Snake - close up of Rough Scaled Snake face

Rough Scaled Snake (Tropidechis carinatus)

- Highly Venomous

The rough scaled snake is a moderately sized and partially arboreal snake commonly found in Queensland. Despite sharing a similar appearance to the Keelback snake, the rough scaled snake’s closest relative is actually the venomous tiger snake!

Active during both the day and night, this snake is highly venomous and can be incredibly defensive if it feels threatened. Keep an eye out for this little hunter!
Tiger Snake

Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus)

- Highly Venomous

The tiger snake is a large, extremely venomous snake found across Australia, including Tasmania. Adult tiger snakes can grow to lengths of up to 1.2m.

These reptilian hunters appear in a range of colours and markings. Patterning tends to include darker bands across the length of the body which are contrasted against the body colour, which is usually a variant of either yellow, olive, orange-brown, and even purely black.

Sunshine Coast Snake Identification

The Sunshine Coast region, like many other places in Queensland, is renowned for its snake population. There are many different species of snake on the Sunshine Coast, not to many all the sub-species, and many homeowners – and even business owners – have come across these slippery reptiles on their premises, in places they are not expected to be. Considering the variety of venomous snake species on the Sunshine Coast, it can be highly beneficial to be informed about the various snakes you may encounter.

Identifying a snake is no easy task, even for avid snake enthusiasts. When meeting a snake, they will likely try to flee or hide, which can make successfully identifying it difficult. In some cases, certain snakes can become defensive, rearing up or flattening out their body as they face off a would-be threat. This can also make identifying a snake tricky.

If you should come across a snake in your garden, at home, or within your workplace, it’s always best to call in trained professionals like Snake Rescue Sunny Coast. Our experience and training give us the right tools to not only accurately identify the snake, but also safely remove it from your property and relocate it to the wild. Never approach a snake you don’t recognise as there are many species of snake on the Sunshine Coast that are poisonous, but that can be confused for other, similar-looking non-venomous snakes in the area.

Contact The Snake Rescue Team

Service Areas

Areas Covered: Caloundra to Noosa; Beerwah to Pomona;
Maleny to Mapleton and all areas in between.

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