King brown snake

King brown snake
A thick-set brownish snake on gravel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Pseudechis
Species:
P. australis
Binomial name
Pseudechis australis
(Gray, 1842)
Range of king brown snake (in red)
Synonyms[2]
List
  • Naja australis Gray, 1842
  • Pseudechis darwiniensis Macleay, 1878
  • Pseudechis cupreus Boulenger, 1896
  • Pseudechis platycephalus Thomson, 1933
  • Denisonia brunnea Mitchell, 1951
  • Cannia centralis Wells & Wellington, 1985

The king brown snake (Pseudechis australis) is a species of highly venomous snake of the family Elapidae, native to northern, western, and Central Australia. The king brown snake is the largest terrestrial venomous snake in Australia.[3] Despite its common name, it is a member of the genus Pseudechis (black snakes) and only distantly related to true brown snakes. Its alternative common name is the mulga snake, although it lives in many habitats apart from mulga. First described by English zoologist John Edward Gray in 1842, it is a robust snake up to 3.3 m (11 ft) long. It is variable in appearance, with individuals from northern Australia having tan upper parts, while those from southern Australia are dark brown to blackish. Sometimes, it is seen in a reddish-green texture. The dorsal scales are two-toned, sometimes giving the snake a patterned appearance. Its underside is cream or white, often with orange splotches. The species is oviparous. The snake is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though may have declined with the spread of the cane toad.

Its venom is not as potent as those of Australia's other dangerous snakes, but can still cause severe effects if delivered in large enough quantities. Its main effect is on striated muscle tissue, causing paralysis from muscle damage, and also commonly affects blood clotting (coagulopathy). Often, extensive pain and swelling occur, rarely with necrosis, at the bite site. Deaths from its bites have been recorded, with the most recent being in 1969. Its victims are treated with black snake (not brown snake) antivenom.

  1. ^ "Pseudechis australis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017. e.T42493195A42493211. 2017. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T42493195A42493211.en.
  2. ^ Australian Biological Resources Study (11 January 2017). "Species Pseudechis australis (Gray, 1842)". Australian Faunal Directory. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  3. ^ Razavi, S., Weinstein, S. A., Bates, D. J., Alfred, S., & White, J. (2014). The Australian mulga snake (Pseudechis australis: Elapidae): Report of a large case series of bites and review of current knowledge. Toxicon, 85, 17–26.