KING BROWN SNAKE (MULGA SNAKE) - Pseudechis australis. Largest Venom Dose in Australia

The King Brown Snake - Mulga Snake Pseudechis australis. Largest Venom Dose in Australia


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the king brown snake is not a true brown snake but one of the black snake family. As with many Australian snakes the colour is variable. Most specimens are mid-brown, some with a coppery tinge, others being quite dark. Often each individual scale has a dark area and a light area giving the snake a subtle pattern. King browns are robust snakes with a wide head and large specimens will reach a length over 2.5m. King Brown Snakes inhabit woodlands, hummock grassland, chenopod shrubland and almost bare gibber or sandy deserts sheltering under timber, rubbish piles, burrows and deep soil cracks. This species can be found throughout Australia with the exception of Victoria, Tasmania and southern parts of Western Australia.



A bite from this snake would therefore be treated with black snake antivenom. The mulga is the heaviest venomous snake in Australia and has the largest-recorded venom output of any in the world – delivering 150mg in one bite; the average tiger snake only produces 10-40mg when milked.

Their temperament seems to vary with locality. Southern mulgas are reported to be shy and quiet, whereas northern specimens are much more agitated if disturbed – when they throw their heads from side to side and hiss loudly. Mulgas bite savagely, even hanging on and chewing as they inject massive amounts of highly toxic venom, which destroys blood cells and affects the muscles and nerves. Though commonly known as a king brown snake, the mulga is actually a member of the black snake genus Pseudechis, and black snake antivenom is needed to treat a bite.The king brown snake has specialized in eating other reptiles. Lizards and snakes, including other king browns are preferred but occasionally birds, mammals and frogs are also consumed. The King Brown is one of the reptile kings of Australia! Primarily a reptile eater even a bit from a venomous snake won't worry this snake. With giant venom glands, the King Brown will bite and hold its prey using a chewing action to pump enough venom into its prey to slow up even the most deadly adversary.


A number of new species of mulga snake have been proposed, however at present only one species is universally recognised, Pseudechis australis. Recent molecular studies have lent support to the identification of a number of cryptic species within P. australis. adults are usually quite robust, with a broad deep head and bulbous cheeks. The scales on the back, sides and tail are usually two-toned; a darker colour covers the distal portion of the scale to various degrees (from just the very tip to almost the entire scale) and may be brown, reddish brown, coppery brown or brownish black. The base of the scale is usually yellowish white to greenish yellow, contrasting with the darker colour to produce a reticulated effect. Individuals from the far northern arid areas have almost no darker pigment whereas southern populations are almost black. The tail is usually darker than the body and the top of the head is a uniform colour similar to the dark of the body scales. The eyes are relatively small with a pale reddish brown iris. The belly is cream to salmon-coloured, and often has scattered orange blotches.

Mid body scales in 17 rows, ventrals 185-225, anal scale divided, subcaudals single anteriorly and divided posteriorly (occasionally all single). The largest specimen of king brown snake. reliably measured was an individual from near Darwin that measured 3.3 m in total length. However they generally average around 200cm (total length). Among adult specimens in museum collections, mean snout-vent lengths are significantly larger in males than in females.



Female king browns produce a clutch of around 8-20 eggs, which may be laid in a disused burrow or beneath a log or rock. There is no maternal care for the eggs once they have been laid. Incubation lasts for about 2-3 months after which time the baby snakes go in search of their first lizard meal.


King brown or Mulga snakes may be active both during the day and night (according to temperature), with diminished activity during mid-day and between midnight to dawn. During the hottest months, particularly in the northern parts of their range, Mulga Snakes become most active in the late evening and early hours after dusk.