Eastern brown snake

The Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis), sometimes referred to as the Common Brown Snake, is an elapid snake native to Australia and parts of New Guinea. It is one of the world's deadliest land snakes. This, combined with it occurring on the well-populated East coast of Australia, has resulted in fatalities.

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Description

  Adult Eastern Brown Snakes are incredibly variable in colour. Whilst usually a uniform shade of brown, they can feature various patterning including speckles and bands. They range from a very pale fawn colour, right through to black, including orange, silver, yellow and grey. Juveniles have a black head, with a lighter band behind, a black nape, and numerous red-brown spots on the belly. Occasionally they have dark cross-bands. They have 17 rows of mid-body scales, a divided anal scale and 45–75 divided sub caudal scales. Most specimens reach around 1.5 metres in total length, with very rare animals exceeding two metres.

Distribution and habitat

The Eastern Brown Snake is found all the way along the east coast of Australia, from the tip of Cape York, along the coasts and inland ranges of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Some specimens can be found in arid areas of the Northern Territory. There are also very limited numbers in Papua New Guinea. Due to its diet of mainly rodents, it can be found near houses and farms.

It occupies a varied range of habitats from wet to dry sclerophyll forests (Eucalypt forests) and heaths of coastal ranges, through to savannah woodlands, inner grasslands and arid scrublands. It is not found in rainforests or wet areas.

Behaviour

The Eastern Brown snake is diurnal, meaning it is active during the day.. When highly agitated, they will hold their necks high, appearing in a somewhat upright S-shape. Despite their fearsome reputation, brown snakes are reluctant to bite and react only to movement. Standing still when in close proximity to one will result in it ignoring you. Brown snakes are particularly attracted to rural and farming areas, most probably due to the large amounts of rodents that live in such an environment. These areas normally have lots of rubbish and cover, offering shelter for the brown snakes.

Diet

Being an opportunistic feeder, the Eastern Brown will consume almost any vertebrate animal that it can. This includes frogs, lizards, snakes, birds and rodents.

Venom

The Eastern Brown Snake is the second most venomous land snake in the world after the Inland Taipan.^[1] Although Eastern Browns will seek to avoid a confrontation, it has a very toxic venom, and when bitten can cause death. Sub-adults have been known to cause fatalities in humans. The venom contains both neurotoxins and blood coagulants.^[2]

Known fatalities

• A 16-year-old boy from Sydney died on 13th January 2007 after being bitten on the hand in a reserve at Whalan.^[3]
• A 9-year-old girl Milena Swilks from Rocky River, south of Armidale in rural New South Wales, died on the 8th March 2007 after being bitten on the foot whilst picking corn. She collapsed and was taken to hospital unconscious, with the cause not known until her death two hours later. Her brother, 18-year-old Chris searched for a snake after noticing that his sisters foot was blistering, and as a result went to the garden in search of a snake, but was interrupted when Milena collapsed.

Despite their incredibly potent venom, the "Pressure Immobilisation" first-aid technique is incredibly effective, as it is for all Australian venomous snakes. With correct first-aid applied, and safety protocols followed, the chances of death from Eastern Brown Snake are minimal.

Reproduction

Eastern Brown Snakes mate during spring. where males can be found to engage in 'ritual combat' with another male to dominate and displace the other's territory. The most dominant male will mate with females in the area, to which the female will produce a clutch of 10-40 eggs in late spring or early summer. Females will not guard the nest once the eggs are laid - the juvenile snakes are totally independent of the mother.

Fallacies

Despite their fearsome reputation, Eastern Brown Snakes are not "aggressive". When cornered or confronted, they will defend themselves with vigour, but just like all reptiles they will not seek out confrontation. They are animals of instinct, and instinct tells them to avoid situations where they may come into harms way.

No Australian snake has ever been documented chasing a human, or any other non-prey item for that matter.

Brown Snakes do not guard their young, or look after their nest.

Large Eastern Brown Snakes are not "King Brown" snakes. King Browns (Pseudechis australis) are an entirely separate species that does not occur on the East coast of Australia until north of Townsville.

References

1. ^ http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/crochunter/australiazoo/10mostvenomous.html
2. ^ http://www.toxinology.com/generic_static_files/cslavh_antivenom_brown.html
3. ^ http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/01/14/1168709615872.html

• Animal Planet
• The Australian Reptile Park
• Australia Zoo