Eastern Tiger Snake

1 Overview

The venom of the Eastern tiger snake contains both coagulants and neurotoxins, which is why fatalities from its bites are relatively common. The snake displays a variety of colors, most often brown and yellow banding.

Chinese Name: Eastern Tiger Snake

Scientific Name: Notechis sp.

Distribution: Australia

English Name: Eastern Tiger Snake

Family: Elapidae (elapid/cobra family)

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

2 Physical Characteristics

Because the Eastern tiger snake’s venom contains coagulants and neurotoxins and frequently proves fatal, great caution is required in the wild. It is a large Australian venomous snake, ranked fourth among the world’s ten most venomous snakes.

Before striking, it flattens its head and neck into a hood, much like a cobra. It is a common species, abundant in the swamps of southern Australia. The body appears in various colors, typically with brown and yellow banding. Average length is about 1.2 m (4 ft), with a total length of roughly 1.3–1.6 m.

3 Natural Habitat

The Eastern tiger snake is native to Australia. Owing to its venom’s coagulant and neurotoxic components, bites have often resulted in human fatalities, and it is seldom kept in captivity.

It has a stout body and a broad head, with a dull orange-yellow or tawny ground color overlaid with yellow-green, gray, or orange-brown crossbands. Found in the semi-arid regions of Australia and Tasmania, it favors the swamp lands of southern Australia.

4 Diet & Nutrition

The Eastern tiger snake is a large venomous snake, ranked fourth among the ten most venomous. Its venom, containing coagulants and neurotoxins, causes many human fatalities.

In the wild it feeds mainly on birds, small mammals such as rodents, and frogs, and is oviparous (egg-laying). It has a stout body and broad head, with a dull orange-yellow or tawny coloration marked by yellow-green, gray, or orange-brown crossbands.