Mainland Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus)

This snake is distributed along the southeastern coast of Australia, including Victoria, eastern New South Wales, part of South Australia and Tasmania. This includes many of the most populous areas of Australia, and tiger snake bite is currently one of the most common snake bites in Australia, along with brown snake bite. Mainland tiger snakes are active on warm summer evenings, and are attracted to farms and outer suburban houses, where they hunt mice and rats, and where they may be trodden on by unwary people barefoot at night.

They prefer swampy or marshy ground, and hunt frogs around creeks, rivers or dams. They are solidly built, with broad, flattened heads. When disturbed, tiger snakes may flatten their necks in a threat display. They usually strike low to the ground. Average length is approximately 1m Adults are usually banded, and colour may vary from pale yellow to almost black. Occasionally, the bands may be absent, leading to difficulties with identification.