Collett's Snake
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Pseudechis colletti or Colletts Snake
An inhabitant of the Black Soil Plains of central western Queensland, Colletts Black Snake is considered one of Australia's most beautiful snakes. The colour of individuals ranges from brown to cream to red, with dark bands or spots. The environment in which this snake lives is harsh and arid, where during the summer months the ground temperature often exceeds 45 degrees Celcius. The only way to escape from the extreme heat is to go deep underground. The snakes achieve this by utilising the deep cracks that appear in the ground. The Colletts Snake can reach a maximum length of 2.5 metres. Mature animals often become very thick in the body and as a consequence are heavy and strong.
As with all members of the Black Snake family, the Colletts Snake is not inclined to bite. Their venom has a number of low molecular weight toxins and two separate myolytic proteins. It has the potential to produce myoglobinuria. There is also high phospholipase activity. Colletts Snake feed on rodents, other reptiles, birds, and frogs.
On rainy nights when the burrowing frogs come up from underground, these snakes will come out to feast. This is a rarely-seen animal in the wild and there are possibly more of these animals in captivity than now live on the Plains. Females are egg layers, producing approximately 8 to 20 eggs in a clutch.
Did you know...
- Colletts snake is considered one of Australia's most beautiful snakes.
- The environment in which this snake lives is harsh and arid, where during the summer months the ground temperature often exceeds 45 degrees Celcius.
- The Colletts snake can reach a maximum length of 2.5 metres. Mature animals often become very thick in the body and as a consequence are heavy and strong.
Where in Australia Colletts Snake can be found:
