Southern Shovel-Nosed Snake
Brachyurophis semifasciatus
A small burrowing elapid from southern and western Australia with a distinctive banded pattern and a shovel-shaped snout for digging through sand.
- Venomous?
- Mildly venomous
- Adult length
- 20-30 cm (8-12 in)
- Range
- Southern and western Australia
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Overview
The Southern Shovel-Nosed Snake is a small, secretive elapid found in the sandy soils and heathlands of southern and western Australia. Its common name derives from the flattened, wedge-shaped snout that helps it burrow efficiently through loose substrate.
Rarely encountered above ground, it spends most of its life beneath leaf litter, sand, and rotting logs, emerging mainly at night or after rain.
How to identify it
- Small, slender body with smooth, glossy scales
- Alternating bands of black/dark brown and cream or orange along the body
- Distinctive flattened, shovel-like snout adapted for burrowing
- Small eyes with round pupils
- Head barely distinct from neck
- Similar-looking banded elapids are separated by precise band counts and snout shape
Habitat & range
Found in sandy heathlands, coastal dunes, and woodland with loose, friable soil across southern and western Australia. It stays below the surface most of the time, using its shovel snout to move through sand, leaf litter, and loose soil.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Nocturnal and fossorial, this species is rarely seen during the day. It feeds mainly on small skinks and other reptiles found underground. Reproduction is oviparous, with small clutches of eggs laid in moist underground sites.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Southern Shovel-Nosed Snake dangerous?
It is a mildly venomous elapid but rarely encountered and considered of low risk to humans due to its secretive, burrowing habits.
Where does it live?
It occurs in sandy habitats across southern and western Australia.
What does it eat?
It preys primarily on small skinks and other burrowing reptiles.
Why is it called shovel-nosed?
Its flattened, wedge-shaped snout helps it dig through sand and loose soil.
Southern Shovel-Nosed Snake guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Southern Shovel-Nosed Snake.
