Black snake red stripe down back

Red-naped snake

Photo credit: Queensland Government

Common name: red-naped snake

Scientific name: Furina diadema

Family: Elapidae

Conservation status: This species is listed as Least Concern in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992).

Description

The red-naped snake is a slender snake growing up to about 40 cm. It is red-brown in colour with a shiny black head and nape, and a distinctive bright red or orange patch on the back of its head. Its belly is white or cream.

Habitat annd distribution

The red-naped snake occurs in a wide range of dry habitats, it tends to stay away from very moist areas such as rainforests. You may stumble across this snake under rocks, logs, leaves, timber piles, old sheets of iron or in cracks and crevices and it can often be found near ant colonies or termite nests. It is one of the most commonly encountered small snakes in the suburban gardens of Ipswich.

The red-naped snake occurs in humid to arid areas of eastern Australia from Cairns in north Queensland to Port Augusta in South Australia. It has been recorded in about 18 National Parks in Queensland including Main Range, Girraween, Bunya Mountains, Koombit Tops and Tamborine National Park.

Life history and behaviour

Like many snakes, the red-naped snake is nocturnal, hiding by day and active at night when it feeds on small skinks. The red-naped snake is venomous, but is regarded as 'virtually harmless' to humans. When threatened it will strike back, but usually with its mouth closed.

Further information

Cogger, HG 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th edition. Reed New Holland, Sydney, New South Wales

Couper, P and Amey, A 2007. Snakes of south east Queensland. Pocket guide. Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland.

Ryan, M (Ed) 2007. Wildlife of Great Brisbane. Revised edition. Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Queensland.

Shine, R 1991. Australian snakes a natural history. Reed Books, Sydney, New South Wales.

Wilson, S 2005. A field guide to reptiles of Queensland. Reed New Holland Press, Sydney, New South Wales.

Wilson, S and Swan, G 2003. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, Chatswood, New South Wales.

Wilson, S and Swan, G 2008. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia. Revised edition. Reed New Holland Publishers, Chatswood, New South Wales.

While many snakes have stripes running the length of their body, only a few species in the United States have a distinct stripe running down the center of their back. Correctly identifying the type of snake is a simple process since the color of the stripe varies from species to species. Using a digital camera and a good field guide as a reference is a good way to get a close look at the snake without having to capture the animal, preventing possible injury to you and the striped snake.

Get a Closeup With a Camera

Approach the snake slowly and use the zoom on your digital camera to get a closeup picture of the snake without physically getting too close. Many snakes are skittish and will flee if you get too close. Take several pictures to capture as much detail about the snake's appearance as possible to make the identification process easy.

Determine Approximate Length

Estimate the size of the striped snake. The specific length can be difficult to judge since snakes often coil up to make their body smaller when they are threatened. If the snake is less than 12 inches, brown or gray in color and has a light gray or white stripe down the center of the back, it is likely a brown snake.

Look for Stripes and Patterns

Look carefully at the color and number of stripes on the snakes back. In addition to a distinct stripe running down the center of their back, several snakes have additional stripes and patterns on their side. Garter snakes, ribbon snakes and patch-nosed snakes all have multiple yellow stripes. Use a field guide to distinguish between the color patterns of each type.

Beware Black Snake With Orange Stripe

Stay far away from snakes more than 2 feet long that have a single orange stripe with dark brown or black color pattern along their body. Timber rattlesnakes are the only venomous snake that sometimes have a stripe down the center of their back. However, the appearance and behavior of timber rattlesnakes is highly variable and they do not always have an orange stripe on their back or rattle their tail when approached.

Things You'll Need

• Snake field guide
• Digital camera

What is a black and red striped snake?

Is a red belly black snake poisonous?

Is a Texas garter snake poisonous?