Cacophis squamulosus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The golden-crowned snake (Cacophis squamulosus) is a small species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Like other Cacophis species, the golden-crowned snake is a forest specialist, particularly rainforest. It prefers deeper forested areas, particularly rainforest on mountain slopes, however it can show up in suburbs near waterways and moist environments with ground cover and shelter.
Cacophis squamulosus is only mildly venomous; however, it will bluff and mock bite if threatened, rearing into an S-shape to display the bright orange ventral pigmentation. Bites from larger individuals may present a health risk; however, it is more likely to attempt to intimidate those it feels threatened by.
The diet of the golden-crowned snake consists mostly of skinks and other small lizards which they hunt at night; they may also take frogs and tadpoles. Cacophis squamulosus is localised to eastern Australia, from Canberra, ACT, to Cairns, QLD.
The average total length (including tail) of C. squamulosus is 50 cm (20 in), but it may reach 98 cm (39 in), making it the largest of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Crowned Snake sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 148 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 20th most-seen of the 39 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Crowned Snake in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden Crowned Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Golden Crowned Snake sightings, Sydney has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Elapidae
The closest relatives of the Golden Crowned Snake that you can see in Sydney (family Elapidae, Elapid Snakes) are Red-bellied Black Snake (about 20%) and Eastern Brown Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Golden Crowned Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Sydney (148 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
