# Eastern Brown V King Brown



## pigysus (Sep 21, 2009)

Given the variations in size and colouration of brown snakes, what is the definitive method of telling the difference between _Pseudechis australis, the King Bown or Mulga and _
Common or Eastern Brown Snake _Pseudonaja textilis._
_The snake I'm trying to identify Is olive brown top side with neatly and clearly defined scales. Lower jaw and undersides creamy with a dark edge to scales and orangey mark on most of the belly scales. Both snakes are not uncommon in this area but the King Brown much less common than it used to be._
_Sorry if this question has been asked before but local knowledge and names for snakes varies a lot around here. mostly seems to be "it's a dead snake" or "a soon to be dead snake"._


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## da_donkey (Sep 21, 2009)

imo the eastern is nowhere near as heavily set (slimmer) and has the orangey belly scale blotches.

that would be my "guess".

donks


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## ozianimals (Sep 21, 2009)

Pics is the best way.....but the king brown has usually got a bigger girth and head than the eastern brown. If you PM me a pic I can ID it for you.


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## cris (Sep 21, 2009)

I was expecting to see pics of a mulga snake eating a brown snake... Anyway i would reccomend getting a field guide and look at the differance in shape and scalation between the black snake genus(mulga snake) and the brown snake genus. Colour often isnt a good way of ID'ing snakes as many species are highly variable.


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## Jonno from ERD (Sep 21, 2009)

G'day mate,

There are some major differences, due to them not only being totally different species, but totally different genera. King Browns are _Pseudechis australis _(from the "Black Snake" family) and Eastern Browns are _Pseudonaja textilis _(from the "Brown Snake" family).

First things first - you don't have any King Browns in Drake. The closest that I am guessing you'd get them is out towards Walgett, maybe 100km east of there but I highly doubt it. They are a very differently shaped snake, with a wide, rounded head in a "D" shape, compared to an Eastern Brown with a slim, arrow shaped head. They are also a very "flat" snake, that will flare it's neck and body out when alarmed or basking. 

With regards to keying them out, there isn't a whole lot of variance. The "easy" things to look for are identical or overlapping - they both have 17 midbody scales, they both have divided anal scales, they can both have orange blotched ventrals, their ventral scale and subcaudals scale counts are virtually identical, although Eastern Browns nearly always have paired subcaudals where as King Browns normally have singles that turn into paireds.

Despite the similarities, they are very different snakes to look at. When you see them side by side, they are like chalk and cheese.

Hope this helps...


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## pigysus (Sep 21, 2009)

*dead brown snake*

Unfortunatley the snake is road kill, early today I came along shortly afterwards. It's 1.47 metes long and I think the head is damaged, I can't see any fangs in the mouth. It may have struck at the moving vehicle.
after reviewing this post I see only one photo has been succesfully attached, I'll send the other in the next post


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## pigysus (Sep 21, 2009)

*second pic of dead snake*

here is second photo


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## Jonno from ERD (Sep 21, 2009)

G'day mate,

That's an Eastern Brown.

Cheers


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