Red-Naped Snake - Furina diadema

The Red-Naped Snake, a weakly venomous snake species rarely/never seen by snake catchers on the Sunshine Coast. This species grows to around 70cm in length and is only active during the night. It mainly feeds on skinks during the night. This is a small snake with a slender body. Body colour is brown to reddish/brown with a black glossy head and neck. Enclosed within the head/neck glossy black area is a bright orange-red blotch. Its belly is generally white or cream. The red-Naped snake tends to stay away from very moist areas like rainforest and is generally found in a wide range of dry habitats This snake is often found sheltering under logs, bark, rocks, debris, timber piles, sheet iron or in cracks and crevices. Often associated within close proximity of ant colonies or termite nests.

Carpentaria Whip Snake - Cryptophis boschmai

Photo: Copyright Steve K Wilson.

Carpentaria Whip Snake, a Mildly Venomous snake species rarely/never seen by snake catchers on the Sunshine Coast. This species grows to around 50 cm in length and are generally active during the night and around twilight periods. Body colour is shades of brown with the bases of the scales a little darker shade. Sometimes they have a darker brown flush along the midline of the body. Belly is usually cream in colour. Found generally in woodland habitats around coastal rangers and feeds almost exclusively on skinks.

Blind Snake - Anilios nigrescens

Photo: Copyright Steve K Wilson

Blind Snakes, a Non - Venomous snake species that is rarely encountered by snake catchers on the Sunshine Coast. Blind snakes are small, worm-like burrowers. The body scales tightly overlap each other and are around the same size. These snakes are completely harmless due to their inability to bite and limited defensive capabilities. Some defensive mechanisms they can imploy include producing a intense odour from their anal glands in order to try and deter a predator. Blind Snakes diet consists of things like termites and larvae.

Grey Snake - Hemiaspis damelii

Photo: Copyright Steve K Wilson

The Grey Snake, a Mildly Venomous snake species rarely/never encountered by snake catchers on the Sunshine Coast. The Grey Snake is listed as endangered in Queensland. They grow to around 60 cm in length and are active during the night. They spend a lot of time sheltering under logs, debris and rocks, especially during the day. Grey snakes are uniform olive grey to grey in colour on top and their belly colour is usually a white/creamy colour, with flecks of dark grey. The top of Juvenille Grey snakes head plus the first few rows of scales is black and as they get older this reduces to a narrow dark bar in adults. The dark bar can completely disappear in adults as well. This species feeds mainly on frogs and lizards.

Spotted Black Snake - Pseudechis guttatus

The Spotted Black Snake, a Dangerously Venomous snake species rarely/never encountered by snake catchers on the Sunshine Coast. This species grows to around 1.5 meters in length and is active during the day and on warmer nights. The Spotted Black snake has a variable colour pattern. The upper body surface can be black, dark grey and occasionally light brown or pinkish flushes. They have even been known to have light bands or blotches. The belly colour varies from grey, blue-grey to brownish shade. This species is often associated with river floodplains, open black-soil plains, eucalypt forests, woodlands, sclerophyll forests and pasture and cropped lands. The Spotted Black snakes diet consists of frogs, lizards, small mammals and other snakes.

Coastal Taipan - Oxyuranus scutellatus

Photo: Copyright Steve K Wilson

The Coastal Taipan, a Dangerously Venomous snake species rarely/never encountered by snake catchers on the Sunshine Coast. This species grows up to around 2 meters in length. The Coastal Taipan is a highly alert snake with great vision. They are a very intelligent snake and mainly active during the day. They have a long head with an angular brow. Body colour is pale brown to almost black. The head is distinctly paler in colour, especially on the snout. Belly usually creamy colour with orange spots or blotches. Usually found in grassy woodlands and amongst canefields along the east Coast of Queensland however are rarely seen on the Sunshine Coast. Sightings have been reported on the northern end of the Sunshine Coast. Diet consists of mainly rats but can take on prey items as big as a small rabbit.

Australian Coral Snake - Brachyurophis australis

The Australian Coral Snake, a Weakly Venomous snake species rarely/never encountered by snake catchers on the Sunshine Coast. They grow to around 35cm in length and are active during the night but usually stays hidden beneath the sand and ground cover. This species is part of the shovel-nosed snakes and has a shovel shaped snout. Body is smooth and glossy with colour consisting of shades of pink to reddish brown with numerous narrow ragged edged bands and creamy pale scales with dark edges. Head has a black blotch or bar on it with a broad black bar across neck. Belly colour usually a bright creamy white. Found in dry woodland areas and area with sandy soils. They will shelter under logs and within the sand during the day. Diet consists of reptile eggs and small skinks.