Cacophis squamulosus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Crowned Snake sighting in Royal National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and May
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Crowned Snake in Royal National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and June–September, 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.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Golden Crowned Snake sightings, Royal National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Lamington National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same family: Elapidae
The closest relatives of the Golden Crowned Snake that you can see in Royal National Park (family Elapidae, Elapid Snakes) are Red-bellied Black Snake (about 30%), Yellow-faced Whipsnake (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 Royal National Park (21 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.
