Venomous Snakes in Australia: Venom, Species, Bites, Avoidance, Treatment | Sea Life, Islands and Oceania

Home | Category: Birds, Crocodiles, Snakes and Reptiles

VENOMOUS SNAKES IN AUSTRALIA

Australia is home to 20 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world, including all of the top 11. The world’s most venomous snake, the inland taipan is found nowhere else on Earth. It is also called the fierce snake, and carries enough venom in a single bite to kill around 250,000 mice. [Source: Louise Gentle, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University, The Conversation, June 8, 2020]

Australia is home to over 200 snake species according to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. This diverse group includes 170 land snake species and 32-34 sea snake species. While many Australian snakes are venomous, only a small fraction are considered potentially dangerous to humans, according to Travelvax. [Source: Google AI]

Australia is the only place in the world where venomous snakes outnumber harmless ones. Of Australia's 220 snake species, 145 are venomous, Michael Lee, a professor of evolutionary biology at the South Australian Museum and Flinders University, told Live Science. These venomous snakes account for 65 percent of Australia's snake population, though only about 15 percent of the world's snakes are venomous. [Source: Elana Spivack, Live Science, November 26, 2023]

Ilsa Sharp wrote in “CultureShock! Australia”: “Among the most dangerous snakes in the world in Australia are the Giant Brown Snake and the Taipan of the north, the Tiger Snake of the southeast, the Copperhead and various types of Sea Snake. There are some scary tales about species like the Brown Snake or the Red-bellied Black Snake not only standing their ground against humans, but even attacking or chasing them, in the breeding season. [Source: Ilsa Sharp, “CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette: Australia”, Marshall Cavendish, 2009]

The venom of the taipan is nine times more toxic than the Tiger snake. The venom from one taipan is enough to kill 218,000 mice and 100 men. Al Coritz, a lifelong snake keeper in the U.S., said having antivenom on-hand should be a necessity for all venomous snake owners though it can be very expensive, some upwards of $4,000 a vile. He told WBTW Myrtle Beach: The best to have on hand is “a polyvalent, which means it will neutralize the venom of many of the Australian snakes all in one bottle. It’s like, you live 10 hours from the nearest firehouse and your house catches fire. What’s going to be left in your house in 10 hours when the fire department finally arrives? Not much. So, this is having your own local fire department in your house.” [Source Gabby Jonas,WBTW Myrtle Beach, September 14, 2024]

Bites by Venomous Snakes in Australia

Few people are bitten by venomous snakes in Australia and, with the availability of anti-venom, the fatality rate is low — between four to six deaths a year. “This is in contrast to India, for example, where bites may reach one million a year, with over 50,000 deaths,” Associate Professor Bryan Fry, a herpetologist and venom expert at the University of Queensland, told Australian Geographic . “Snake bites are very, very rare [in Australia] and often the fault of the person being bitten. Most bites occur when people are trying to kill a snake or show off.” [Source: Tiffany Hoy,Australian Geographic, July 25, 2012]

Around 3,000 snake bites are reported every year in Australia, resulting in approximately 500 hospital admissions and an average of two deaths. Although Australian snakes can be very venomous, comparatively little is known about the protein compositions of venoms from Australian snakes, compared to those of Asia and America. Wide access to antivenom and adequate medical care has made deaths exceedingly rare with only a few fatalities each year. [Source: Wikipedia]

The estimated incidence of snakebites annually in Australia is between 3 and 18 per 100,000 with an average mortality rate of 0.03 per 100,000 per year, or roughly 1 to 2 persons, down from 13 persons per year in the 1920s. Between 1979 and 1998 there were 53 deaths from snakes, according to data obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Between 1942 and 1950 there were 56 deaths from snakebite recorded in Australia. Of 28 deaths in the 1945-1949 period, 18 occurred in Queensland, 6 in New South Wales, 3 in Western Australia and 1 in Tasmania. Globally, 1.8–2.7 million people are envenomed annually, with more than 125,000 people dying, and for every fatality there are another 3 to 4 people permanently disabled. In 2017, the World Health Organization added snakebite envenoming to their list of Neglected tropical diseases, requesting the cooperation of antivenom agencies worldwide.

Most snakes avoid encounters with humans. “Snakes don’t perceive humans as food and they don’t aggressively bite things out of malice. Their venom is used to subdue prey that would otherwise be impossible for a snake to eat,” Dion Wedd, curator of the Territory Wildlife Park, NOT, told Australian Geographic . “If their only escape route is past a human with a shovel, then they are likely to react in the only way they can.”

Why There Are So Many Venomous Snakes in Australia

One reason why there are so many venomous snakes in Australia is "an accident of history" that occurred 60 million years ago according Lee. Back then he told Live Science “continental drift pushed Australia over the frigid South Pole, which wiped out most of its reptiles. When the continent slowly drifted northward, it warmed up and attracted reptiles once again. By chance, 40 million years after this "accident," the first snakes colonized the continent — and they happened to be from the venomous front-fanged Elapidae family, which includes cobras, mambas, coral snakes and taipans. They became the land's snake ancestors, which then evolved into more venomous snakes.[Source: Elana Spivack, Live Science, November 26, 2023]

Louise Gentle wrote in The Conversation: 180 million years, Africa, South America, India, Australia and the Antarctic were all joined together. This land mass gradually split apart, with Africa and South America breaking off first, followed 40 million years later by India and Madagascar. Australia and Antarctica finally broke apart around 100 million years ago. [Source: Louise Gentle, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University The Conversation, June 8, 2020]

“Today, venomous snakes are found in all of these places — apart from Antarctica, where it is too cold for them to live. On the original combined land mass, it is thought that there was a population of ancestral snakes that was venomous. These were separated when the land masses broke apart. Whereas other continents currently have several different types of snakes, Australia’s snakes belong almost entirely to one group, called elapids. These are a group of snakes that inject their prey with venom from hollow, fixed fangs. Other continents have several ancestors that may or may not have been venomous, but Australia’s 140 terrestrial and 30 marine snake species all evolved from one venomous ancestor.

Imagine a snake that uses venom to kill its prey. If all snakes had venom of the same potency, they would only be able to kill prey of a certain type or size. But there is usually a difference in the strength of venom each snake has. This variety is like how people are different heights, or have different sized feet. So the snake with venom that is slightly more potent will be able kill prey that other snakes cannot. It will be able to eat more food — enough to survive and reproduce, passing the potent venom on to its children. These snakes would be able to survive better than the ones with less strong venom, so having the potent venom becomes more and more common. This is what we call the process of evolution.

As every meal counts, especially as some snakes live in hot, dry environments where there isn’t much prey, venom needs to be extremely effective to ensure that prey do not escape or harm the snakes. And as prey evolve ways to counter the effects of the venom, the snakes evolve ways to make their venom even more potent.

Some people die from lesser known venomous snakes. On April 16, 2007, a bite from a whip snake killed 37-year-old Ron Siggins, in Harcourt, Victoria. He was bitten on the finger by a snake considered no more deadly than a bee-sting. The victim had been handling snakes for over 30 years and had been bitten by whip snakes before. On March 10, 2013,Stephen's banded snake bit and killed 60-year-old Bradley "Brad" Hicks in Kalang, New South Wales. He was bitten on the hand. It took three hours to rescue him due to flooding and he didn't reach hospital until 7 hours after the bite. [Source: Wikipedia]

Most Venomous Land Snakes in Australia

1) Inland Taipans by many reckonings are the world’s most venomous snakes. According to the International Journal of Neuropharmacology their venom is very toxic and little bit can go a long way. These snakes favor in the clay crevices in Queensland and South Australia's floodplains, often within the pre-dug burrows of other animals. Because they live in more remote locations than coastal taipans, inland taipans rarely come into contact with humans. When inland taipans feels threatened, they coils their body into a tight S-shape before darting out in one quick bite or multiple bites. A main ingredient of this venom, which sets it apart from other species, is the hyaluronidase enzyme. According to a 2020 issue of Toxins journal (Novel Strategies for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Snakebites), this enzyme increases the absorption rate of the toxins throughout the victim's body. [Source Jeanna Bryner, Live Science, August 31, 2021]

2) Eastern Brown Snakes live mostly in eastern Australia and are responsible for more human fatalities than any other snake species in Australia. Their venom is very powerful, containing powerful toxins that can cause paralysis and internal bleeding. The initial bite is often painless, according to the Australian Museum. "They're the only snakes in the world that regularly kill people in under 15 minutes," Bryan Fry, who studies venom at the University of Queensland, told ABC News in 2024. "Even more insidiously than that is that for the first 13 minutes, you're going to feel fine." They generally hunt during the day and are often found in the suburbs of cities and large towns, putting them in close contact with humans. Many eastern brown snake bites are the result of people trying to kill them.

3) Coastal Taipans live in wet forests of temperate and tropical coastal regions in coastal areas of Australia. They are incredibly fast, able to jump into the air fangs-first to attack a victim multiple times before they are aware of what hit them, according to the Australian Museum. When threatened, coastal taipans lift their whole body off the ground and can jump with extraordinary precision. Before 1956, when an effective antivenom was produced, this snake's bite was nearly always fatal, according to Australian Geographic. The snake's venom contains neurotoxins, which prevent nerve transmission.

4) Tiger Snakes (Notechis scutatus) have powerful venom and kill an average of one human a year according to the University of Adelaide. Tiger snakes are fairly large and live mainly in southern Australia, including its coastal islands and Tasmania. Members of the genus Notechis,they are often observed and usually ground-dwelling, through they are able to swim and climb into trees and buildings. Tiger snakes are identifiable by their banding — black and yellow like a tiger — although their coloration and patterning can be highly variable. Their diverse characteristics have been classified either as distinct species or by subspecies and regional variation.

Lowlands Copperheads (Austrelaps superbus) are also known as common copperheads and copperheads. Found in relatively cool and cold climates in southeastern Australia, southern Victoria, Tasmania and the islands of Bass Strait, they are the only venomous snake found above the snow line and are active in weather usually considered too cold for snakes. Tiffany Hoy wrote in Australian Geographic, “A water lover, copperheads snakes are at home around dams, soaks, canals, drainage ditches and along the verges of roads. Copperheads are shy and prefer to avoid humans, though they live in populated and agricultural areas. If cornered, they will hiss loudly, flatten their body and flick or thrash about, usually without biting. With further provocation they may lash out, though they are slow to strike and can be inaccurate. Copperhead venom is neurotoxic (damaging nerves), ruptures the blood cells and damages the cells and muscles — but rarely causes fatalities. [Source: Tiffany Hoy, Australian Geographic, July 25, 2012]

Red-Bellied Black Snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus) are also known as common black snakes. Found along down the east coast of Australia and slightly into southeastern South Australia, these snakes are somewhat less venomous than many other Australian snakes, but they are often encountered by people in suburban and urban areas. Red-bellied blacks are one of the few large venomous snakes still found in the Sydney region. They can reach lngths of two meters (6,6 feet) and are capable of eating other snakes. They are not particularly aggressive and tend escape from humans. When threatened they flatten their bodies and hiss loudly. The venom causes blood-clotting disorder and muscle and nerve damage, enough to make a person very sick but not kill them. No deaths have been confirmed from bites by this species on over a century. In February 1887, red-bellied black snake bit and killed a gardener in Wangaratta, Victoria. The man was bitten on heel. People nearby hit the snake and rubbed its head on the wound (a Chinese antidote).

Small-Eyed Snakes (Rhinoplocephalus nigrescens) are also known as eastern small-eyed snakes. Found along the east coast of Australia, from Victoria to Cape York, they are small snakes — only about 50 centimeters (1.7 feet) long, but their venom is quite powerful. Bites have caused illnesses in snake handlers and there has been one known fatality. The venom contains a long-acting myotoxin that continues to attack muscle tissue (including the heart muscle) for days after the bite. Though common, small-eyed snakes are secretive and nocturnal and don’t come into contact with humans so much. They are are black or dark grey in color, with silvery undersides. When disturbed they may thrash about aggressively, but are not usually inclined to bite.

Death Adders, Australia’s Fifth Most Deadly Snake

common death adder

Common Death Adders (Acanthophis antarcticus) are also known as southern death adders and death adders. Found in eastern Australia, except the far north and south, southern South Australia and Western Australia, they are regarded as the fifth deadliest snake in Australia. Before the introduction of antivenom in the 1950s, about 60 percent of common death adder bites were fatal. According to Live Science: They are recognizable thanks to their broad, triangular heads, short, thick bodies and thin tails. Common death adders are ambush predators and wait for prey — including frogs, lizards and birds — under leaves until they are ready to strike. Bites to humans are rare and normally involve a person stepping on one by accident. Their venom causes paralysis and can lead to death. [Source Jeanna Bryner, Live Science, August 31, 2021]

Death adders are relatively small snakes, usually less than one meter (three feet) in length. As ambush predators, they sit motionless, concealed in leaf litter, sand or gravel, twitching the worm-like lure on the end of their tail to attract prey. Ironically, for a creature armed with a deadly neurotoxic venom, death adders themselves are threatened by cane toads. These toxic amphibians eat young death adders. Adult death adders that eat the toads are poisoned by the toxic glands in the toad’s skin.

Tiffany Hoy wrote in Australian Geographic Unlike other snakes that flee from approaching humans crashing through the undergrowth, common death adders are more likely to sit tight and risk being stepped on, making them more dangerous to the unwary bushwalkers. They are said to be reluctant to bite unless actually touched. The bite of death adders causes rapid fainting and cardiac and respiratory distress. The venom contains a type of neurotoxin which causes loss of motor and sensory function, including respiration, resulting in paralysis and death. [Source:Tiffany Hoy, Australian Geographic, July 25, 2012]

Fatal Death Adder Bites:
In December 1901, a common death adder bit and killed "a little lad" in Wiseman's Ferry New South Wales. He was bitten on the foot and died before the doctor arrived.
In February 1930, a common death adder bit and killed 11-year-old Rachel Pratt in Toowoomba, Queensland. She was bitten on the foot, brought to hospital but died 3 hours later.
On October 8, 1936, a death adder bit and killed 4-year-old Luigi Valese in Mossman, Queensland. He was bitten on his cane farm while in the fields with his father.
On February 6, 1994, a northern death adder bit and killed two-year-old Richard Scott in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia. They was bite not witnessed but confirmed by autopsy.
On October 31, a desert Death adder bit and killed nine-year-old Michael Ross in Broome, Western Australia. The bite was not witnessed. He died en route to hospital 180 centimeters away.

Venomous Sea Snakes of Australia

olive sea snake

Among the 250 or so species of sea snake are the world's deadliest snakes, with venom that kills in seconds. Sea snakes found off the coast of Australia have the world's most toxic venom, but since their bite often doesn't penetrate human skin, and the amount of venom injected is minuscule, most people who are bitten don't die.

Australia is home to all ten of the world’s deadliest sea snakes. The olive sea snake is native to Australian waters, often found swimming among the fish on a coral reef. The snakes are some of the most common on the reef, and they are notoriously curious, often approaching divers. The olive sea snake can hold its breath for up to two hours. The snakes are mostly nocturnal and hide in holes in the reef during the day when they aren’t out hunting small fish or checking on a snorkel group. But they can be dangerous. Named for the color of their skin, olive sea snakes are venomous. Though not known to attack people, olive sea snake bites have been fatal. Some olive sea snakes can be almost 7 feet long and can swim down to depths of 230 feet below sea level. Venom is milked from olive sea snakes captured along the Great Barrier Reef, [Source: Irene Wright, Miami Herald, February 10, 2023]

Sea snakes are found throughout the tropical western Pacific and Indian oceans, and are particularly numerous around Australia. The Philippines and Indonesia. Even though some species have some of the world's most toxic venoms, they are not aggressive and rarely present a threat to humans or cause human injuries or fatalities.

The faint-banded sea snake (Hydrophis belcheri) is also known as Belcher's sea snake. The venom this sea snake, which found in the Timor Sea off the coast of Northwestern Australia, is 100 times stronger that the toxin of any land snake. Faint-banded sea snakes are commonly seen around the Ashmore reef in the Timor Sea.

The banded sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) is found in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. Particularly associated with northern Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and mainly found in waters off of Australia, Asia and around some Pacific islands. It lives in tropical, saltwater and marine environments and is often found in reefs, intertidal zones and other coastal areas at depths of 0 to 60 meters (0 to 197 feet) at an average depth of less than 20 meters (65.6 feet).

Sea snake bite fatalities are rare but they do occur. On October 24, 1935, a sea snake bit and killed 23-year-old Maso Fukami, 48 kilometers (30 miles) offshore Bathurst Island, Northern Territory. Fukami was a Japanese pearl diver. He was grasped by a 2.5 meter (8 foot) sea snake on his wrist. The diver tore the snake off him. He was hauled aboard and a tourniquet was applied. On October 4, 2018, an unknown sea snake species bit and killed 23-year-old Harry Evans, offshore, near Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory. He was bitten while pulling in a net. It was the First known sea snake fatality in Australia since the one in 1935.

Snake Venom Researcher in Australia

Dr Christina Zdenek, a postdoctoral research fellow and a former PhD student of his who happens to keep some of Australia’s deadliest snakes in her home. Wilson da Silva wrote in Australia Geographic: At the suburban townhouse she shares with her husband, Chris Hay — himself a licensed snake demonstrator turned herpetologist — is a den of 21 mostly highly venomous snakes — coastal taipans, death adders and eastern browns with pet names such as Squishy, El Diablo, Mr Naughty, Lumpy and Casper. [Source: Wilson da Silva, Australia Geographic, January 28, 2021

She stoops to a glass cabinet while she watches a coastal taipan intently as she uses a hook to prise it up from its cubicle. She holds it for me to see — left hand on the tail, right hand using the extendable hook to gently hold the snake’s head at a distance. An American, Christina got her undergrad biology degree in California and came to Australia to study palm cockatoos before doing her PhD at the University of Queensland on her first love — snakes, specifically the toxicology and conservation of death adders, one of the world’s most venomous land snakes.

Christina’s loved snakes since she was five, when her brothers got one as a pet. At 11, she began breeding veiled chameleons, lizards native to the Middle East, and grew up with all manner of other reptiles in the house. “They’re fantastic pets. They’re not noisy, they don’t destroy the furniture and, depending on the species, you can leave them alone for weeks if you’re on holiday,” she explains. “I would study their behavior so intently as a little girl. I still love getting my hands on snakes and seeing them up close, but I’m careful with the venomous ones.”

Christina is now studying snake venoms, and most of her research papers arise from venom she milks from the snakes at home. She’s found that snake venoms — even within the same species — can vary by sex, age, geography and even local temperature. She’s also studying how well existing antivenoms work, what active compounds they do and don’t neutralise and what elements of one antivenom have cross-reactivity with other venoms. She hopes the benefits that science and medicine are deriving from venom will allow the public to appreciate that snakes and other venomous animals not only perform essential roles in nature but are valuable to society.

“Venom is very common throughout the tree of life,” Christina says. “You’ve got tens, even hundreds, of millions of years of evolution, which has honed these very special cocktails to enable each species to survive and thrive, that transforms capturing prey from a physical battle into biological warfare. And that’s turned out to be a goldmine for us humans.”

Snake Bite Fatalities by Unknown Snakes in Australia

In October 1884, an unknown snake killed Henry Marsh, Coleraine, New South Wales. He was bitten when walking home from school and taken to a doctor but died later the same day.
In January 1896, an unknown snake killed Miss Kelly, an 8-year-old girl in Victoria. She was bitten on the finger, arm, and throat while asleep on a porch. The snake was killed, the wound scarified and sucked, but the child died on the way to the hospital.
In November 1900, a 13-year-old girl was killed by a snake in Bendigo, Victoria
In November 1906, a small boy was killed by a snake in Yea, Victoria
In 1907, Frances McKnight was killed by a snake in Middle Harbour, New South Wales. The snake bit her three times on ankle while McKnight was gathering wild-flowers
In 1908, Walter Harden was killed by a snake in Maroubra, New South Wales
In 1908, Ronald Whitechurch was killed by a snake in Seymour, Victoria
In 1909, Hugh McDay was killed by a snake in Deloraine, Tasmania
In March 1910, a 14-year-old male, Casterton, Victoria was killed by a snake while he was rabbiting with friends. He was bitten when put hand in a burrow to get a rabbit. [Source: Wikipedia]

On February 27, 1920 and unknown snaked bit and killed Thomas Boxer in Coleraine, Victoria. He was bitten on the hand while trying to catch a rabbit in a burrow on Kurtuk estate. He was taken to homestead by car and to a doctor. He died the following day.
On December 13, 1920, an unknown snake killed Colleera Telford, a 3-year-old girl, in Apollo Bay, Victoria. She was bitten while at her parents' dairy farm. Puncture marks were found on her leg after death.
On March 20, 1930, an undisclosed snake killed Dulcie Joan Wilson, a 5-year-old girl, in Laceby South.
In March 1932, an undisclosed snake killed Raymond George Barham, a 13-year-old male, in Gosford, New South Wales. According to testimony at a coroner inquest a ligature was applied and a half-hour later the doctor said black snakes weren't venomous and they removed the ligature.
In February 1932 an undisclosed snaked bit and killed Mrs. Mervyn Cole, a 43-year-old female, in Horsham, Victoria. She was bitten on the foot while fishing and died several hours later.
On December 18, 1938, an unknown snake killed Martha Elliot, a 53-year-old woman, in Kiewa, Victoria. She as bitten on the foot after stepping out of a bath. She received antivenom but died one day later.
In October 1940, an unidentified a snake killed, Norma Wells, a 12-year-old girl. She was bitten on the foot while walking beside the Goulburn River. She died in the hospital.
In September 1946, an undisclosed snake killed Norman Boyd, 4-year-old boy, in Hampton, New South Wales; He was bitten while playing outside his home and later died after doctors failed to revive him.
In January 1972, an undisclosed snake killed Mark Turner, 6-year-old boy, in Lowmead, Queensland. He was bitten on his shin on his father's property.

In December 2014, an unknown snake killed Dane Kowalski, 27-year-old male, 95 km south of Coober Pedy, South Australia; presumed bitten. His body was found 3 months after his vehicle was found after he went missing.
On February 5, 2018, an unknown snake killed Sinita Martin, 27-year-old female, in Meekatharra, Western Australia. The victim's unborn baby also died as a result of the snake bite.
On October 9, 2018, an unknown snake killed Mary Nicholls, 83-year-old female in Koorda, Western Australia. She as bitten on ankle while pushing a wheelbarrow. She told her son she felt the snake brush past but didn't think she was bitten, though blood was found on closer examination. Following symptoms of vomiting, she was placed in an induced coma but died in hospital in Perth.

On March 17, 2019, an unknown snake killed Nathan Scattini, a 41-year-old male in Champion Lakes, Western Australia. Scattini telephoned emergency services, saying he had been bitten by a snake on while bushwalking in the Kelmscott area. Emergency services were unable to locate Scattini or make further contact and a search operation commenced. Police located Scattini's body in bushland on March 19.
On May 20, 2021, an unknown snake killed Vange Missios, 49-year-old male, in Taradale, Victoria; Had been working on a landscaping job on May 12 before visiting a local transfer station where he collapsed, suffering cardiac arrest. Paramedics worked on him for an hour and a half and his heart stopped three times as they tried to save him. It was later discovered that he had unknowingly been bitten by a snake at some point that day. He was placed in an induced coma and on life support for days following, but died on May 20.
On November 21, 2021, an unknown snake killed Tristian Frahm, an 11-year-old male, in Murgon, Queensland. He was bitten while visiting a property with his father, who was later charged with manslaughter after failing to seek medical attention.

Avoiding Snake Bites When You're Bushwalking in Australia

Hikers in snake country are encouraged to wear heavy boots and walk heavily because snakes sense vibrations and usually scurry away when people approach. Don't stand between a snake and its escape route. A Queensland Government occupational health publication says that "The important thing to remember is to never attempt to catch or kill a snake – most snake bites occur when people are trying to do this." Snakes are most active from September through to January, when the cold-blooded reptiles warm up in the Australian summer.

Tahnee Jash wrote in ABC Everyday: If you're worried about getting bitten by a snake, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service conservationist Doug Beckers says it's more likely to happen at home than in the bush. "Studies have shown only 11 per cent of snakebite victims [are] bitten in a bush or scrubland environment. Most people [31 per cent] are bitten near their house." Toxinologist Dr Timothy Jackson, a University of Melbourne professor. said "Snakes are very invested in hiding so it's relatively unlikely you'll see one." [Source: Tahnee Jash, ABC Everyday, December 4, 2022]

When you think about a snake biting you, you might imagine it clamping onto your leg and stabbing its fangs through your flesh, but Dr Jackson says that's not usually how it happens. "A lot of brown snake bites are [like] a scratch … it may not even draw blood," he says. Most snake bites happen on the legs and arms, so wearing the right clothes makes a big difference. "One easy measure to reduce the likelihood of a snake bite is to wear long pants and a long shirt," he says. Wearing enclosed shoes and a hat helps too.

Spring "is the number one time" to see snakes, Dr Jackson says. "[When] it's colder, they're not eating, they're not mating and are basically keeping to themselves," he says. If you live in northern parts of Australia, snakes are more active as the wet season kicks off. As we transition into summer, scorching heat can make it hard for snakes to regulate their body temperature. That's why some snakes are more active during cooler parts of the day, like the morning or night. "In summer, the air itself is warm so there's no need to bask and some snakes even switch towards a more nocturnal pattern of behaviour and forage at night, like tiger snakes and brown snakes," Dr Jackson says.

There's a common myth that snakes chase humans but Mr Beckers says this behaviour is often misunderstood. It turns out, they're just as frightened of us as we are of them. "They just want to get away [and] the easiest way to escape might be along the same track you're on," he says. "If you corner them, they'll defend themselves to frighten you out of the way." The best advice if you see a snake is to leave it alone. Snakes usually move once they see you, so stay a couple of metres away to ensure it doesn't feel cornered and can find an escape route. If there's a snake that won't move, it's a good idea to take an alternate path.

Avoiding Particular Venomous Snake Species in Australia

Tahnee Jash wrote in ABC Everyday: Snakes usually hang out in areas where there is food, especially after hiding during the cooler months or after a flood. Knowing a little bit about their habitat can help you avoid them during bushwalks. Tiger Snakes are highly venomous and can be spotted near rivers, lakes and swamps. They live in bushes in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and southern parts of Western Australia. They love to eat frogs, so they're usually basking close to rivers and swamps. Red-Bellied Black Snakes eat tadpoles so they can also be found in water holes and lakes. Dr Jackson says red-bellied black snakes are "pretty chill" and most bites occur from people picking them up or stepping on them. [Source: Tahnee Jash, ABC Everyday, December 4, 2022]

According to Dr Jackson, Brown Snakes are responsible for around 60 per cent of venomous bites in Australia. They're very common in regional areas and love to hide in fallen logs and in between rocks. You might find them in backyards, farms, or bushlands outside of busy towns across the eastern states of Queensland, New South Wales, New South Wales and South Australia — and some parts of the Northern Territory. Death Adders. Usually hides in "leaf litter" in woodlands or forests waiting to pounce on its prey — like a bird or lizard. Mr Beckers says they're an "ambush predator". "I've seen them in sand dunes and parks around the Blue Mountains," he says. "Most of the time they are incredibly camouflaged." They live in most states except Tasmania. They are frequently spotted around New South Wales. If you're bushwalking near a lot of leaf litter, be careful where you're stepping in case there's a sleeping death adder.

Copperheads are found only found in cooler parts of Australia like high up in the alps of Tasmania, the Blue Mountains in New South Wales and parts of Victoria. They love to eat frogs and small lizards, so you might spot them in bush scrub or resting near creeks. Taipans are usually encountered in northern parts of Australia. Inland Taipans love dry habitats like deserts and dry bush but are rare to see. If you're bushwalking in arid parts of western Queensland, you might come across one. Coastal Taipans prefer coastal forests along northern New South Wales, Far North Queensland right across to parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Taipans love to eat small mammals and will often be hiding in burrows and fallen logs.

What Do If You Are Bitten By a Snake in Australia

Standard first-aid treatment for any suspected bite from a venomous snake is for a pressure bandage to be applied to the bite site. The victims should move as little as possible, and to be conveyed to a hospital or clinic, where they should be monitored for at least 24 hours. Tetanus toxoid is given, though the mainstay of treatment is the administration of the appropriate antivenom. It is important to possibly take a photograph of the snake or not wash around the wound so it can be determined what species of snake inflicted the bite so the correct antivenom can be selected.

Tahnee Jash wrote in ABC Everyday: If you're walking in dense bushland, it's a good idea to pack a snake bite bandage, which are different to the ones you'd find in typical first-aid kits Mr Beckers also recommends downloading an emergency app developed by the Australian emergency services departments before you leave. This will help you share your location coordinates with an ambulance if you get stranded or injured. Another free app Dr Jackson recommends is one for venomous bites and stings that will help you apply the right first-aid procedure. [Source: Tahnee Jash, ABC Everyday, December 4, 2022]

On the rare occasion that you get bitten, the first thing to do is remain calm, stay as still as possible and dial 000. The next step is to bandage the entire limb of the snake bite to stop the venom from spreading. Starting at the end (like your fingers or toes) wrap the compression bandage tightly around your limb until you reach the top (groin or armpit). "You need to of course test that you aren't compromising circulation," Dr Jackson says. "If the finger goes white and stays white, you've compromised circulation and the bandage is too tight."This is where a snake bite bandage comes in handy: it tells you if you've applied the right amount of pressure by using helpful markings on the outside of the bandage.

The second part is to immobilise the limb by attaching it to a splint (like a stick) or to another limb (bandage the legs together). Immobilisation applies to your whole body so it's important to stay as still as possible until emergency services arrive.

According to The Telegraph: Australia is home to around 140 species of land snake, around 100 of which are venomous, but of those only 12 are likely to inflict a fatal wound, according to the New South Wales government. Brown snakes are among the most dangerous, with about 200 people sent to hospital each year after being bitten. “We have very good quality antivenom in Australia,” Christina Zdenek of the Australian Reptile Academy told AFP.Ms Zdenek said the best way to treat a snake bite was by “staying still, calm and wrapping the whole limb tightly with a stretchy bandage”. “Don’t ever try to kill a snake,” she added. [Source: George Styllis, The Telegraph, March 20, 2024]

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org , National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, Australian Museum, David Attenborough books, Australia Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated August 2025