SNAKES

King Brown Snake

Pseudechis australis

Filter:

A heavy, broad-headed Australian elapid also known as the mulga snake, with the largest venom yield of any Australian snake.

Description

Despite its name, the king brown is not a true brown snake but a member of the black snake genus Pseudechis. It is a massive, muscular elapid up to 3 m long, with copper-brown to olive scales, paler edges to each scale, and a broad rounded head.

Behavior

King browns are tough generalists that prey on whatever they can catch, from cane toads (with apparent immunity to the toxin) to other snakes and small mammals. Bites are uncommon but the venom volume is enormous, and the bite causes massive muscle damage if not promptly treated.

Range

Distributed across most of mainland Australia outside the wet eastern strip and the cool southeast. The species is much more widespread than the eastern brown snake but is less often blamed for bites because it lives in less densely populated regions.

Find more snakes by letter

King Brown Snake starts with K and ends with E. Browse other snakes along the same letter.

Snakes that contain a letter from "King Brown Snake":