The inland taipan scores 0.025mg, but the eastern brown successfully out-toxifies the nearby death adder (0.6mg) red-bellied black snake (2.45mg), and tiger snake (0.12mg). The LD50 rating of eastern brown snake venom is 0.05mg, the quantity required to kill 50% of mice injected into. Source: iNaturalist user John Tann – CC BY 4.0 Eastern brown snakes meet people constantly, from playparks, to cattle fields, and even people’s front doors.

It’s said that every town from Adelaide to Cairns is secretly surrounded by this snake. It’s common in eastern Australia, lurking among some of Australia’s most inhabited spots, including Sydney and Brisbane. The eastern brown snake ranks second for venom toxicity among land-dwelling snakes, beaten by the inland taipan. Another set of statistics has the brown snake family causing 76% of Australian snake bites, among 3000 snakebites per year. The tiger snake caused 17%, while the brown snake group dominated at 43%.įor deaths, brown snakes were even more disproportionate, at 15 of 19. From 2005 to 2015, the red-bellied black snake was responsible for 16% of Australian snake bites. This is the kind of snake that inspired the country’s slithery reputation, from the present to the early horror stories of European colonists returning to London.ĭespite the inland taipan having the most toxic venom, the eastern brown snake holds the unwelcome record of highest yearly bites. But the eastern brown fits the mould perfectly. Not all Australian snakes are deadly, despite the country’s reputation as the land “where everything kills you”. Source: iNaturalist user Edward Bell – CC BY 4.0

Eastern brown snake predators