White-crowned snake
Cacophis harrietaeLike secretive people, some animals prefer the night because it lets them operate under cover of darkness.
One such secretive slitherer is the white-crowned snake. This snake spends its days hiding under leaves and other ground debris, but come night it's out looking for food - mainly little lizard snacks.
White-crowned snakes can grow to 40cm and are venomous but not classed as dangerous. When threatened, they will defend themselves with thrashing strikes, but this is basically just show, for they rarely try to bite.
White-crowned snakes are dark brown or steely grey with a white or yellowish stripe across their neck. They prefer damp places, so be alert for them under logs, rocks and sometimes even compost bins. They're found from around Rockhampton in Queensland to north-eastern New South Wales.
Last updated: 25 August 2006
White-crowned snake