Head to head
Mulga Snake vs Eastern Brown Snake
Mulga Snake
VS Eastern Brown Snake
The mulga snake, nicknamed the king brown, and the eastern brown snake are two large venomous Australian snakes that are often confused because of the name, but they belong to different groups.
| Mulga Snake | Eastern Brown Snake | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pseudechis australis | Pseudonaja textilis |
| Group | A black snake in the genus Pseudechis, more closely related to the red-bellied black snake than to the true brown snakes | A true brown snake, in the genus Pseudonaja |
| Size | Usually around 2 metres long, with a broad head and a heavy body | Usually 1.5 to 1.8 metres long, and up to 2.4 metres |
| Diet | Lizards, frogs, small mammals, birds, and other snakes, including venomous ones | Mainly the introduced house mouse, and also lizards, frogs, birds, eggs, and other snakes |
| Venom | Delivers large amounts of venom in a bite, and bites need urgent medical treatment | The second most toxic land-snake venom after the inland taipan, though the dose delivered is often very small |
| Behaviour | Shelters in burrows, hollow logs, and cracks in the soil, and lays eggs | One of the fastest Australian snakes, highly alert and quick to defend itself with an S-shaped raised strike |
| Habitat and range | Arid and semi-arid scrub, grassland, and desert across much of mainland Australia | Farmland, grassland, open woodland, scrub, and the edges of towns in eastern and central Australia, plus parts of Papua New Guinea |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Mulga Snake vs Eastern Brown Snake: common questions
Is the king brown a type of brown snake?
No, it is a black snake in the genus Pseudechis, more closely related to the red-bellied black snake than to the true brown snakes.
Which one lays eggs?
The mulga snake, which lays eggs, unlike its live-bearing relatives the red-bellied black snake and the tiger snake.
Which has the more toxic venom?
The eastern brown snake, whose venom is the second most toxic of any land snake after the inland taipan.