Tiger Snake | Australia’s Deadliest Snake Guide & Safety Tips

Tiger Snake Facts, Identification and Emergency Response

Recent encounters with Tiger Snakes in Melbourne homes, including one found under a baby’s bouncy chair, highlight why Australians need to understand these impressive yet dangerous creatures. As one of the world’s most venomous snakes, the Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) commands both fear and respect across southern Australia.

Appearance and Identification

Tiger Snakes are masters of camouflage, despite their name suggesting distinctive stripes. Their thick-bodied form ranges from 1 to 1.5 metres in length, with a broad, flattened head.

Their colouration varies dramatically: from jet black in Tasmania’s chilly highlands to boldly banded patterns along the mainland coast.

Some sport olive-green hues, while others showcase rich browns or even reddish bellies. This extraordinary variation isn’t merely cosmetic – it’s a brilliant adaptation to diverse environments.

Did You Know?
Some island populations have evolved larger heads specifically to cope with large prey animals

Multiple subspecies are recognised including:

• Notechis ater ater (Krefft’s Tiger Snake)
• Notechis ater humphreysi (Tasmanian Tiger Snake)
• Notechis ater niger (Peninsular Tiger Snake)
• Notechis ater serventyi (Chappell Island Tiger Snake)
• Notechis scutatus occidentalis (Western Tiger Snake)

Habitat and Distribution

These adaptable serpents thrive throughout southeastern Australia, particularly in Melbourne’s western suburbs, coastal regions, and Tasmania. They show a marked preference for areas near water, inhabiting coastal wetlands, creek systems, urban parklands, and even mountain highlands up to 1,000 metres altitude. Unlike many snakes, they’re excellent swimmers and surprisingly good climbers, having been documented swimming underwater for up to nine minutes and climbing trees and buildings up to 10 metres high.

The Island Effect demonstrates their remarkable adaptability: while mainland snakes typically reach about 1.2 metres, Chappell Island giants average 1.9 metres due to abundant mutton bird chicks, while Roxby Island dwarfs average just 0.86 metres, surviving mainly on small skinks.

Behaviour and Defence

The aggressiveness of tiger snakes has often been greatly exaggerated. In my experience, like most Australian snakes, they will avoid humans whenever possible. That said, attacks do occur. The tiger snake, in particular, requires very little provocation to become “ready to bite.”

Did You Know?
Known predators include butcherbirds, goshawks, harriers, ibises, kites and kookaburras

When threatened, Tiger Snakes perform one of nature’s most impressive defensive displays, raising their forebody off the ground, flattening their neck cobra-style, and emitting loud hisses while inflating and deflating their bodies. Despite this fearsome display, they prefer to avoid human contact and typically only become defensive when threatened or accidentally disturbed.

Diet and Hunting

These skilled opportunistic predators hunt both day and night, particularly in warmer weather. Their diverse diet includes frogs, tadpoles, small mammals (including bats), birds, eggs, fish, lizards, and occasionally other snakes. They’re most active during warmer months but may emerge to bask even during winter.

Reproduction

Tiger snakes are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young. The number of offspring varies from five to over sixty, with breeding typically occurring in late summer. Newborns measure about 10 centimetres and are immediately independent and venomous.

Each snakelet is enclosed within a separate tissue sac filled with fluid. The mother lays loosely outstretched in a shaded position as her muscular contractions pushed each sac along the cloaca. The birth process appears to cause her little more discomfort than an act of excretion.

The young are natural fighters from the moment they are born, vigorously working to rupture the tissue sacs enclosing them as soon as their heads emerge. This task is usually accomplished quickly. Once free, the young tiger snakes, still wet and slimy, begin exploring their surroundings, flickering their tongues, flattening their necks, and even striking at imaginary threats.

A few hours after birth, when their skin has dried completely, the young snakes undergo their first sloughing (shedding). The brightly banded juveniles, slightly heavy-headed, are then ready to hunt the tiny insects and lizards that form their first meals.

Safety and First Aid

Tiger snakes (Notechis spp.) are considered among the most dangerous of Australia’s common snakes due to their highly toxic venom. Their venom, weight for weight, is nearly as potent as that of the Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), the Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus), the Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus), and the Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).

Tiger snakes typically inject smaller quantities of venom compared to these species. Their venom is strongly neurotoxic, targeting the nervous system, and also contains coagulant properties that can impair blood clotting. A bite that delivers venom directly into the bloodstream can cause severe symptoms, potentially leading to respiratory paralysis and death.

Thankfully, the likelihood of such a bite is relatively rare. Additionally, tiger snake venom lacks the diffusive properties of some brown snakes (Pseudonaja spp.), such as the Eastern Brown Snake, whose venom can rapidly spread beneath the skin and into the vascular system. This characteristic means that tiger snake venom generally progresses more slowly, allowing slightly more time for medical intervention.

Untreated bites have a historically high mortality rate of 40-60%.

If a bite occurs:

1. Apply a pressure-immobilisation bandage immediately
2. Keep the person completely still
3. Call 000 straight away
4. Don’t wash the bite site (venom identification needed)
5. Await professional medical help and antivenom treatment

George Cann, the famous snake-catcher of La Perouse, had a harrowing story. Years ago, he captured a tiger snake and was placing it into a bag when he was bitten on the arm. He barely had time to secure the bag before losing consciousness. Four days later, he was found by an elderly Russian man who brought help and rushed him to the hospital. George spent another two weeks completely paralyzed before recovering.

George confirmed that tiger snakes exceeding six feet have been caught in Tasmania. Interestingly, these snakes appear more sluggish compared to their mainland counterparts.

Living Safely with Tiger Snakes

As urban development encroaches on snake habitat, following these precautions becomes crucial:

• Maintain short grass and clear yards of debris
• Remove potential shelters like wood piles
• Seal gaps under houses
• Install snake-proof fencing where practical
• Keep children and pets supervised in snake-prone areas
• Have emergency numbers readily available

Remember: These protected creatures control rodent populations. Never attempt to handle or kill them – doing so risks both injury and substantial fines up to $7,500. Instead, contact licensed snake handlers for safe removal.

The Flinders Ranges population is listed as vulnerable (Commonwealth, IUCN) and the Chappell Island population is also listed as vulnerable (Tasmania).

Through understanding and respect, we can ensure both human safety and the preservation of these fascinating, if deadly, creatures in our shared environment.