Speckled brown snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Speckled brown snake |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pseudonaja
|
| Species: |
guttata
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Demansia guttata Parker, 1926 |
|
The speckled brown snake or spotted brown snake (Pseudonaja guttata) is a type of snake that has venom. It belongs to a group of snakes called elapids. This snake lives in northeastern Australia.
Contents
About the Speckled Brown Snake
How Scientists Name Snakes
Scientists give every animal a special name. This helps everyone know exactly which animal they are talking about. In 1926, an English zoologist named Hampton Wildman Parker first described this snake. He called it Demansia guttata. He found a sample of the snake in Winton, Queensland.
Later, in the 1960s, an Australian scientist named Eric Worrell studied the snake's skull. He decided it was more like other brown snakes. So, he moved it to the Pseudonaja group. Another scientist, Samuel Booker McDowell, agreed after studying the snake's venom glands. More recent studies using mitochondrial DNA have helped scientists understand how this snake is related to other snakes, like the taipan.
What Does It Look Like?
The speckled brown snake can grow to be about 1.4 meters (about 4.5 feet) long. It has a small head. Its upper body is usually straw-yellow to orange. Its throat and lips are white. The underside of its body can be cream, yellow, or white, often with orange spots.
You might notice black edges on its scales. These become easy to see when the snake bends or moves. Some of these snakes also have wide, darker bands around their bodies. It has many scales on its body, which scientists count to help identify it.
Where Does It Live?
The speckled brown snake lives in parts of Australia. You can find it in the eastern Northern Territory, western Queensland, and the far northern part of South Australia. It likes areas like the Channel Country and Mitchell Grass Downs.
What Does It Eat?
This snake is a predator, which means it hunts other animals for food. It mostly eats frogs and lizards. But it also enjoys small birds and mammals.
The speckled brown snake has venom. Its venom is very strong. In fact, it is about 1.6 times more powerful than the venom of the Indian cobra (Naja naja).
Sometimes, the curl snake (Suta suta) has been seen eating speckled brown snakes. This shows that even venomous snakes can become food for other animals in the wild.
Reproduction
Female speckled brown snakes lay eggs. On average, a female snake will lay about six eggs at a time.
