Brown Tree Snake
Photo: C & D Frith
Australian Tropical
Reptiles & Frogs
Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis) - They are nocturnal (active during the night) and arboreal (tree dwelling).
- It acts aggressively towards humans, and although they are a venomous snake, their bite is normally more frightening than dangerous to humans.
- Their bite could be serious for a young child or person with a heart condition.
- It sometimes appears in bird cages and in roof spaces. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)
Markings: - Their colour ranges from a whitish-cream to reddish-brown with conspicuous red coloured cross bands.
Habitat: - These snakes live throughout the northern Australian tropics and down the eastern coast as far as the Sydney area.
- The snakes live in rainforest rock crevices and tree hollows.
Diet: - The Brown Tree Snake preys on; small mammals, birds, eggs, nestlings and lizards.
Size: - This is an egg-laying snake with clutches of 5 to 12 eggs being laid in one clutch.
- When fully grown, the average length of a mature snake reaches 1.5 meters but can reach 2 metres.
Brown Tree Snakes of the Lamington National Park
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