Fun King Brown Snake Facts For Kids

The King Brown Snake, also known by the species' common name Mulga snake, Pseudechis australis, is not only found in the habitats of mulga. Mulga is a habitat composed of woodlands and open forests including the mulga tree. The distribution of this species of snakes is found mostly in Central, northern, and western Australia. The Australian King Brown snake is known by another common name, liru, but is mostly known all over the world as the mulga snake.

Known as the King Brown snake, these species of venomous snakes are actually not a true brown snake species, but a part of the black snake family. This is the reason why King Brown Snake venom is treated by the black snake antivenom. These species have variable colors on their bodies depending on the distribution of the mulga snakes across the Australian continent. This species is one of the most observed desert snakes and can be easily mistaken as many other species of snakes found in Australia and Asian countries.

Snakes are a big part of the ecosystem and constitute much of the forests' habitats in the world. There are numerous species found in these forests apart from the mulga snake. You might like to read some interesting facts about the Eastern Brown Snake and the African Rock Python when you're done with this article.

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What type of animal is a King Brown Snake?

Mulga snakes are a type of black snake in the Animalia kingdom.

What class of animal does a King Brown Snake belong to?

The mulga snake, Pseudechis australis, is a species of highly venomous snake in the family of Elapidae and the class of Reptilia.

How many King Brown Snakes are there in the world?

The accurate count of the population of the Mulga snake is unknown at the moment. Although there are no bigger threats endangering this species of the black snake at the moment.

Where does a King Brown Snake live?

Except for the states of Victoria and Tasmania, the species of snake-Mulga snake is found all over Australia. It was earlier seen in coastal parts of Queensland but has recently vanished. The species of black snake is mostly found in places ranging from Gladstone in Central Queensland, down through Gayndah, Dalby, the Warrumbungles, southwest to Condobolin, and Balranald. The range then extends to Port Pirie in South Australia. The range also includes Ceduna in South Australia, west through the Northern Nullarbor Plain to Kalgoorlie, Narrogin, and on coastal plains found in the Northern side of Perth.

The population of the species can also be seen in the northern, western, central, and southern parts of Australia. The northern territory has the highest concentration of this species in the world. Coastal areas are not the usual range for these species of reptiles any more. Similar species of the King Brown Snakes, Eastern Brown snake can be found in the central-southern part of Australian New South Wales.

What is a King Brown Snake's habitat?

A part of the genus Pseudechis, found in Australia, the Mulga snake is usually found in general habitats of woodlands, hummock grasslands, chenopod scrublands, and sandy deserts which are almost on the verge of loss of vegetation. These toxic reptiles live in areas of greater moisture like watercourses in the arid and semiarid parts of Australia. They can also be seen in wheat fields, rubbish piles, and vacated buildings in urban areas. These species of snakes even prefer areas with buffelgrass. Buffelgrass is a common weed of Central Australia that provides dense cover the whole year long.

Who do King Brown Snakes live with?

The Australian giant king brown snake is known to be solitary and only stays in a group or pair during the mating season. They have started moving to colonies in urban areas, and live amongst humans, although hidden. These species of snake bites if threatened and the venom is very poisonous to us humans.

How long does a King Brown Snake live?

The snakes are estimated to live up to 25 years in captivity. Their lifespan in wild is unknown to us at the moment.

How do they reproduce?

Reproduction between these snakes takes place in different seasons with respect to different places. The start of the breeding season is marked by males participating in a type of wrestling combat and pushing one over the other to win the right to mate with the female. Mating is seen at the start of spring in the southern hemisphere in southwest Western Australia, around the middle of spring in the Australian Eyre Peninsula, and when the wet season occurs in the northern habitat of the Australian continent. These Australian venom-producing species of snakes are oviparous where the female snakes produce a clutch of around 8-20 eggs. The longer females of the genus Pseudechis produce larger clutches. The average clutch is 10 eggs. The eggs are usually laid 39-45 days after mating is completed. The King Brown Snake eggs take about 70-100 days to hatch. Maternal care is missing in these Australian species and the incubation lasts about two to three months.

What is their conservation status?

The Australian King Brown Snake facts show that these specimens of snakes that bite are found in many different habitats and are not in danger currently. The conservation status is kept as Least Concern at the moment.

What do King Brown Snakes look like?

The colors in these specimens of snakes vary with different areas where they are found. Adults are robust with a broad wide head and bulbous cheeks. Adults have prominent two-toned scales. The head is round and wider than the body. Eyes are small with red-brownish irises. They have a dark tongue. Most specimens are colored mid-brown, some with a coppery tinge, and the other specimens being very dark. The King brown snake identification can be marked by the shades on the scales with both a dark area and a light area, giving the specimens a subtle pattern on the body. The tail is darker, and the crown is of the same color as the body. The belly of the snakes is colored cream, white, or salmon.

The upper parts of the snakes are tan in northern Australia, have white spots in central Australia, dark body, occasionally blackish, in the southern part of the country, and western Australia has a darker variant.

How cute are they?

They are beautiful with a patterned body, but also very venomous.

How do they communicate?

Snakes are known to communicate by pheromones which are left for others to analyze. They are also known to communicate by hissing.

How big is a King Brown Snake?

These species are quite long with lengths ranging from 79.2-98.4 in (2-2.5 m).

How fast can a King Brown Snake move?

They are lazy movers and often are not seen moving fast.

How much does a King Brown Snake weigh?

The weight ranges from 6.6-13.2 lb (3-6 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male and female sexes of the species are not given different names. They are called by their common name.

What would you call a baby King Brown Snake?

Babies are often called hatchlings.

What do they eat?

The King Brown Snake diet includes lizards and frogs. Their diet also includes birds. They also show cannibalism by feeding on the same species, when required.

Are they poisonous?

The species is one of the deadliest venomous snakes found in Australia. The venom of this venomous snake is not as potent as other more dangerous snakes of Australia. But the venom of this snake is dangerous enough and can cause severe damage if the poison goes inside the body in large quantities. Also, this is possible as the King Brown snake bite and chew on their prey to release their venom in the predators' bodies. They are much more venomous than the tiger snake.

Would they make a good pet?

These species are not meant to be kept as pets but can be seen in enclosures in many different parts of the world.

Did you know...

If the bite remains untreated, it is estimated the venom of the Mulga snake can kill you in 30 minutes.

The Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake is the deadliest snake found in Australia, followed by the Eastern Brown and the Mulga.

Hatchlings inject a smaller amount, but it also has the same venomous properties as adults.

The toxic Mulga snake is most active during dusk and is crepuscular. During the day and after midnight till dawn, these venomous snakes remain inactive. During this time, the mulga snakes usually retire to crevices in the soil, burrows made by other animals, or under logs and rocks. In the summer, when the temperature sores, the mulga snake changes their time to being active after dusk and goes into the evening. This venomous snake remains active during the day in colder seasons and at night in warmer conditions in Australia.

The King Brown Snake's venom

To envenomate their victims, the King Brown snake attack and bite and chew repeatedly. Considerable pain, including abdominal pain, and tissue damage can be seen in the places where the King Brown Snake attacks. Necrosis has also been seen in many cases. King Brown Snake bite symptoms also include that the bites can paralyze a victim in minutes. The Mulga snake is the snake with the most strength of venom in all of Australia. These snakes have the largest venom output in the world, with 150 mg in one bite. In comparison, an average tiger snake only produces 10-40 mg when milked. The King Brown Snake bite effects also include severe damage to the humans' tissues and can kill living cells inside the body. Medical attention should be given as soon as possible and the victim should be administered a dose of black snake antivenom. The bite should also be given proper care.

What is the difference between a King Brown and Eastern Brown Snake?

Eastern Brown Snakes are much more dangerous than the King Brown Snakes for their smaller, slender, fast-moving body. They can attack faster. Mulga snakes are the third most venomous snakes in Australia, whereas the other one is second. Eastern snakes are found mostly in NSW.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles including the vine snake, or gray rat snake.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our King brown snake coloring pages.

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