Eastern Brown Snake

Eastern Brown Snake

Pseudonaja textilis

Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Great Otway National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

7 Verified sightings at Great Otway National Park From 2019 to 2026
101 In all 8 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Eastern Brown Snake

The eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis), often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It was first described by André Marie Constant Duméril, Gabriel Bibron, and Auguste Duméril in 1854. The adult eastern brown snake has a slender build and can grow to 2 m (7 ft) in length. The colour of its surface ranges from pale brown to black, while its underside is pale cream-yellow, often with orange or grey splotches. The eastern brown snake is found in most habitats except dense forests, often in farmland and on the outskirts of urban areas, as such places are populated by its main prey, the house mouse. The species is oviparous. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the snake as a least-concern species, though its status in New Guinea is unclear.

It is considered the world's second-most venomous land snake after the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), based on its LD50 value (subcutaneous) in mice. The main effects of its venom are on the circulatory system: coagulopathy, haemorrhage (bleeding), cardiovascular collapse, and cardiac arrest. One of the main components of the venom is the prothrombinase complex pseutarin-C, which breaks down prothrombin. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
2 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
3 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
4 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
5 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
6 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
7 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
8 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
2 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Australia Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
2 Taronga Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
3 Melbourne Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
4 Billabong Sanctuary 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
5 Sydney Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
6 Reptile Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
7 Australian Reptile Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
8 Sea Life Sydney Aquarium 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
9 Wild Life Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity

Closest Relatives at Great Otway National Park

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Eastern Brown Snake in Great Otway National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Brown Snake sighting in Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 19 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Eastern Brown Snake in Great Otway National Park?

October

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Brown Snake in Great Otway National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–September and December, the lowest months. That is one of Great Otway National Park's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 40 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see an Eastern Brown Snake?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Brown Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Great Otway National Park the best place to see an Eastern Brown Snake?

8th of 8

Of the 8 parks where we can rate Eastern Brown Snake sightings, Great Otway National Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Grampians National Park (Australia, about 20%), Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Booderee National Park (Australia, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Eastern Brown Snake live in Great Otway National Park?

Same family: Elapidae

The closest relatives of the Eastern Brown Snake that you can see in Great Otway National Park (family Elapidae, Elapid Snakes) are Eastern Tiger Snake (about 30%), Lowlands Copperhead (about 20%) and White-lipped Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Eastern Brown Snake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Eastern Brown Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Great Otway National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

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