Brown Tree Snake

Brown Tree Snake

Boiga irregularis

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Lamington National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

26 Verified sightings at Lamington National Park From 2019 to 2026
240 In all 9 parks
December Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Brown Tree Snake

The brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), also known as the brown catsnake, is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, eastern Indonesia (Sulawesi to Papua), Papua New Guinea, and many islands in northwestern Melanesia. The snake is slender, which facilitates climbing, and can reach up to 2 metres in length. Its coloration may also vary, some being brown, green, or even red. Brown tree snakes prey on a wide range of animals, from invertebrates to birds and even some small mammals. It is one of the very few colubrids found in Australia, where elapids are more common.

Due to an accidental introduction after the events of World War II, this snake is now infamous for being an invasive species responsible for extirpating the majority of the native bird population in Guam. Currently, efforts are being made to reduce and control the population on Guam and prevent the snake from spreading to other locations. Researchers are employing various methods, including aerial baiting, to attempt to control the population, while multiple agencies continue to fund and support the species' removal.

The brown tree snake is a nocturnal, arboreal... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
2 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
3 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
4 Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
5 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
6 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
7 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
8 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
9 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Melbourne Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
2 Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
3 Alexandra Park Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
4 Port Moresby Nature Park 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Tree Snake in Lamington National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Tree Snake sighting in Lamington National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 38 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Brown Tree Snake in Lamington National Park?

October and December

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Tree Snake in Lamington National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July and September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Brown Tree Snake?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown Tree Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Where does the Brown Tree Snake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Brown Tree Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Lamington National Park (26 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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