Size and Breeding Information for Australian Snakes

Reproduced by the Herp Shop with permission from the Appendix of Rick Shine's "Australian Snakes - A Natural History" (Available from the Herp Shop - click here for details.) and is copyright Rick Shine and may not be reproduced without his expressed permission.

Note that the while every effort has been taken to transcribe this information correctly no responsibility can be taken for errors in this transcription.

Minimum breeding sizes have been extrapolated based on 75% of the average adult size as indicated in the notes accompanying the appendix. Rick has asked us to point out that some species attain very different adult body sizes in different parts of their geographic range, so these numbers will provide a general guide only.

All lengths are Snout to Vent Length (SVL) in centimeters and based on average adult size.
Family Common Name Scientific Name
Hatch size
Average Adult Male SVL
Average Adult Female SVL
Average number of Offspring

Egg layer
o=EggLaying
(oviparous)
v=LiveBirth
(viviparous)
Minimum Male Breedng SVL
Minimum Female Breeding SVL
Arochordidae
Arafura filesnake Acrochordus arafurae
36
105
135
17
v
79
101
Little filesnake Acrochordus granulatus
59
60
4
v
44
45
Boidae
Black-headed python Aspidites melanocephalus
55
156
159
8
o
117
119
Woma Aspidites ramsayi
39
148
158
14
o
111
119
Green python Chondropython viridis
30
100
129
12
o
75
97
Children's python Liasis childreni
23
69
72
7
o
52
54
Water python Liasis fuscus
42
130
147
10
o
98
110
Queensland children's python Liasis maculosus
24
77
84
13
o
58
63
Olive python Liasis olivaceus
44
176
190
16
o
132
143
Pygmy python Liasis perthensis
17
45
47
5
o
34
35
Stimson's python Liasis stimsoni
24
88
85
6
o
66
64
Scrub python Morelia amethystina
75
192
233
11
o
144
175
Diamond and Carpet python Morelia spilota
32
130
151
21
o
98
113
Colubridae
Brown tree snake Bioga irregularis
30
104
96
6
o
78
72
Bockadam Cerberus rhynchops
15
48
59
7
v
36
44
Northern tree snake Dendrelaphis calligastra
76
87
7
o
57
65
Common Tree snake Dendrelaphis punctulatus
24
82
96
8
o
62
72
Macleay's water snake Enhydris polylepis
19
53
64
12
v
40
48
White-bellied mangrove snake Fordonia leucobalia
16
49
51
6
v
37
38
Richardson's mangrove snake Myron richardsoni
10
26
31
6
v
20
23
Slatey-grey snake Stegonotus cucullatus
24
95
84
12
o
71
63
Keelback Tropidonophis mairii
15
49
58
9
o
37
44
Elapidae
Death adder Acanthophis antarcticus
12
44
58
8
v
33
44
Pygmy copperhead Austrelaps labialis
14
48
43
7
v
36
32
Highlands copperhead Austrelaps ramsayi
14
74
64
15
v
56
48
Lowland copperhead Austrelaps superbus
17
76
67
15
v
57
50
White-crowned snake Cacophis harriettae
15
29
36
5
o
22
27
Dwarf crowned snake Cacophis krefftii
10
24
26
3
o
18
20
Golden-crowned snake Cacophis squamulosus
16
39
51
6
o
29
38
Black whipsnake Demansia atra
18
79
73
8
o
59
55
Olive whipsnake Demansia olivacea
17
46
43
4
o
35
32
Yellow-faced whipsnake Demansia psammophis
17
57
53
6
o
43
40
Collared whipsnake Demansia torquata
17
54
51
4
o
41
38
De Vis' banded snake Denisonia devisi
11
33
34
5
v
25
26
Ornamental snake Denisonia maculata
12
28
34
7
v
21
26
Crowned snake Drysdalia coronata
13
32
32
4
v
24
24
White -lipped snake Drysdalia coronoides
10
29
30
5
v
22
23
Masters' snake Drysdalia mastersi
8
22
23
3
v
17
17
Blue Mountains crowned snake Drysdalia rhodogaster
11
30
31
5
v
23
23
Bardick Echiopsis curta
13
29
34
7
v
22
26
Short-nosed snake Elapognathus minor
9
29
34
10
v
22
26
Red-naped snake Furina diadema
12
24
27
3
o
18
20
Northern red-naped snake Furina ornata
12
29
37
4
o
22
28
Brown-headed snake Furina tristis
61
58
6
o
46
44
Yellow-naped snake Furina barnardi
12
29
44
8
o
22
33
Grey snake Hemiaspis damelii
14
40
43
10
v
30
32
Black-bellied swamp snake Hemiaspis signata
13
41
38
10
v
31
29
Pale-headed snake Hoplocephalus bitorquatus
20
46
52
5
v
35
39
Broad-headed snake Hoplocephalus bungaroides
20
55
57
6
v
41
43
Stephens' banded snake Hoplocephalus stephensi
20
64
69
6
v
48
52
Tigersnake Notechis scutatus
19
82
81
23
v
62
61
Inland Taipan Oxyuranus microlepidotus
34
132
144
16
o
99
108
Taipan Oxyuranus scutellatus
30
156
145
11
o
117
109
King brown snake Pseudechis australis
25
126
103
9
o
95
77
Spotted mulga snake Pseudechis butleri
25
104
93
10
o
78
70
Collett's snake Pseudechis colletti
33
132
124
12
o
99
93
Spotted black snake Pseudechis guttatus
22
103
102
12
o
77
77
Common blacksnake Pseudechis porphyriacus
22
106
93
12
v
80
70
Gwardar, "carinata" type Pseudonaja "nuchalis"
22
101
92
14
o
76
69
Gwardar, "Darwin" type Pseudonaja "nuchalis"
22
95
81
12
o
71
61
Gwardar, "orange" type Pseudonaja "nuchalis"
20
91
86
11
o
68
65
Gwardar, "southern" type Pseudonaja "nuchalis"
21
89
85
11
o
67
64
Dugite Pseudonaja affinis
22
109
109
15
o
82
82
Speckled brownsnake Pseudonaja guttata
20
68
71
6
o
51
53
Eyre Peninsula brownsnake Pseudonaja inframacula
20
93
83
10
o
70
62
Ingram's brownsnake Pseudonaja ingrami
23
120
123
15
o
90
92
Ringed brownsnake Pseudonaja modesta
13
32
37
6
o
24
28
Eastern brownsnake Pseudonaja tixtilis
19
109
98
16
o
82
74
Square-nosed snake Rhinoplocephalus bicolor
12
35
33
3
v
26
25
Eastern small-eyed snake Rhinoplocephalus nigrescens
15
45
38
4
v
34
29
Northern small-eyed snake Rhinoplocephaus pallidiceps
15
38
43
4
v
29
32
Desertbanded snake Simoselaps anomala
8
17
18
3
o
13
14
Northwestern shovel-nosed snake Simoselaps approximans
9
28
28
3
o
21
21
Coral snake Simoselaps australis
11
23
28
5
o
17
21
Desert banded snake Simoselaps bertholdi
7
18
21
4
o
14
16
Black-naped snake Simoselaps bimaculatus
14
29
34
4
o
22
26
Black-striped snake Simoselaps calonotus
10
21
22
4
o
16
17
Narrow-banded snake Simoselaps fasciolatus
12
26
29
5
o
20
22
No common name Simoselaps incinctus
10
25
27
o
19
20
West coast banded snake Simoselaps littoralis
7
16
24
4
o
12
18
Northern shovel-nosed snake Simoselaps roperi
11
26
28
3
o
20
21
Half-girdled snake Simoselaps semifasciatus
10
24
27
3
o
18
20
No common name Simoselaps warro
14
29
34
5
o
22
26
Carpentaria whipsnake Suta boschmai
18
37
41
8
v
28
31
Dwyer's black-headed snake Suta dwyeri
13
31
29
3
v
23
22
Rosen's snake Suta fasciata
12
38
39
4
v
29
29
Little whipsnake Suta flagellum
11
28
28
4
v
21
21
Gould's black-headed snake Suta gouldii
11
34
30
4
v
26
23
Monk snake Suta monachus
13
34
30
3
v
26
23
Black-backed snake Suta nigriceps
15
38
34
4
v
29
26
Black-striped snake Suta nigrostriatus
13
39
36
6
v
29
27
Little spotted snake Suta punctata
12
36
34
4
v
27
26
Krefft's snake Suta spectabilis
14
30
27
3
v
23
20
Curl snake Suta suta
15
44
39
5
v
33
29
Rough-scaled snake Tropidechis carinatus
16
68
67
10
v
51
50
Bandy-bandy Vermicella annulata
17
40
54
8
o
30
41
Hydrophiidae
Eydoux's seasnake Aipysurus eydouxii
23
4
v
Olive seasnake Aipysurus laevis
35
78
85
3
v
59
64
Stokes' seasnake Astrotia stokesii
82
85
12
v
62
64
Major's seasnake Disteria major
88
94
5
v
66
71
Beaked seasnake Enhydrina schistosa
25
80
95
18
v
60
71
Bar-bellied seasnake Hydrophis elegans
140
150
v
105
113
Hardwicke's seasnake Lapemis hardwickii
31
84
79
3
v
63
59
Yellow-bellied seasnake Pelamis platurus
25
62
66
4
v
47
50
Laticaudidae
Sea krait Laticauda colubrina
28
73
107
6
o
55
80
Sea krait Laticauda laticaudata
71
78
3
o
53
59
Typhlopidae
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops affinis
10
21
25
3
o
16
19
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops australis
9
24
31
7
o
18
23
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops bituberculatus
10
24
32
6
o
18
24
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops ligatus
9
24
31
8
o
18
23
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops nigrescens
12
32
42
9
o
24
32
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops pinguis
9
29
33
5
o
22
25
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops polygrammicus
9
2
37
7
o
2
28
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops proximus
11
26
42
13
o
20
32
Blindsnake Ramphotyphlops weidii
9
20
24
4
o
15
18