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Ringed Brown Snake (Pseudonaja modesta)

The ringed brown snake is a small venomous elapid found across arid and semi-arid inland Australia. It uses arid scrubland and grassland, with spinifex and fallen timber providing cover, so individuals may be present in ground-clearing areas and require safe handling by trained fauna personnel.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Breeding season

Ringed Brown Snakes are egg-laying snakes with no confirmed species-specific breeding months. General brown snake records place mating and egg laying from spring into early summer, so plan clearing controls from September to February and manage shelter risks throughout the year.

Reproductive mode: Oviparous.

Clutch size: Average 5.7 eggs. Reported clutches range from 2 to 16 eggs, with 6 to 11 eggs also documented.

Incubation: Not recorded for this species. General brown snake records report 36 to 95 days.

Size at hatching: 104 mm snout to vent, and 161.5 mm from nose to tail.

Age at maturity: Not recorded for this species. About 2.5 years or 31 months is reported generally for brown snakes.

Nest or egg sites: Not recorded for this species. Brown snakes generally use protected sites such as logs, stumps, burrows or communal nests.

Breeding frequency: One to three clutches per year are reported, with two clutches per year also recorded.

Confirm timing locally before works, particularly where rainfall or temperature changes may shift activity, mating, egg laying, hatching or winter shelter use.

  • Mating: Species-specific mating months are not recorded. General brown snake records place mating from late winter to spring, with an October captive observation and mating activity extending from September to November.
  • Gravid females: The duration and months that Ringed Brown Snake females carry eggs are not recorded. This broad September to December window is inferred from general mating and egg-laying records, including a reported 58-day interval between mating and laying.
  • Egg laying: Egg-laying timing is not recorded for this species. General brown snake information places egg laying from mid-September to the end of November, with eggs produced from spring into summer.
  • Incubation: Incubation length is not recorded for this species. General brown snake records give 36 to 95 days, so eggs laid from September to November may remain in nests or soil from September to February.
  • Hatchlings: Species-specific emergence months are not recorded. Applying the reported 36 to 95-day incubation period to the September to November laying window gives an expected emergence period from October to February.
  • Active period: No month-specific activity peak is recorded. Ringed Brown Snakes are active by day or night, are frequently encountered at night, and may be diurnally active in cooler weather.
  • Winter inactivity: Winter inactivity is not confirmed for Ringed Brown Snakes. General brown snake information describes winter sheltering and occasional emergence on warm winter days, so June to August should be treated as a possible period of reduced activity in cooler parts of the range.
  • Highest clearing risk: No species-specific peak clearing window is documented. Treat risk as year round because snakes may be active at any time, while eggs, hatchlings and sheltering animals may occur from spring through summer and in concealed cover during cooler periods.

Identification

The ringed brown snake is a small, slender brown snake with a dark head and regularly spaced dark body bands. It is venomous and must be treated as a potentially dangerous animal during site work.

Adults are usually 0.5 to 0.6 metres long. The upper body is brown, with a black head and nape band, followed by narrow, widely spaced black bands on the body. The bands are usually more distinct in juveniles and may fade substantially with age.

The underside is cream and blotched with orange. The species has smooth dorsal scales, usually in 17 rows at midbody, a divided cloacal plate, and paired subcaudal scales.

Length: 0.5 to 0.6 metres

Weight: Not reported in the supplied documents

Pupil: Round, as in brown snakes generally

Identification: Similar species

The black head, pale neck band and body rings can resemble a juvenile eastern brown snake. Juvenile eastern brown snakes are generally described as having regularly spaced narrow black bands, a broad black nape and a black cap to the head, so identification should not rely on colour alone.

Use location, adult size, body pattern, scale characters and expert confirmation together. Do not handle a suspected brown snake for identification.

Identification: Field signs and safe identification

The supplied documents do not describe species-specific tracks, scats, calls, nests, eyeshine or slough characteristics. A direct sighting is therefore the most reliable field record, supported by a clear photograph taken from a safe distance.

Shed snake skin may indicate snake use of a site, but it should not be assigned to this species without expert examination. During clearing, stop work and obtain advice from the project fauna spotter catcher if a snake is seen or suspected.

  • Keep people, plant and vehicles away from the animal.
  • Do not corner, pursue, catch or move the snake unless this is undertaken by an appropriately authorised and trained person.
  • Record the location, habitat, time and photograph without approaching the animal.

Distribution: State and territory range

The ringed brown snake has a broad inland Australian distribution. The supplied records identify occurrence by state and territory, but do not provide mapped bioregional boundaries, population estimates or documented strongholds.

In New South Wales it is recorded from the extreme north-west. In Queensland it occurs in the south-west and west. In South Australia it occurs inland, excluding the south. In Western Australia it occurs inland, excluding the north and south. In the Northern Territory it occurs through much of the territory, excluding the north and north-east.

The species is associated with arid regions and inland Australia. Victoria is not included in the supplied distribution accounts.

Distribution: Bioregions and populations

The supplied documents do not identify named IBRA bioregions, strongholds, subpopulations, population density or population trend. For project assessment, treat suitable arid scrubland and grassland within the documented inland range as potential habitat unless local survey or agency information indicates otherwise.

Population size: Not reported

Population trend: Not reported

Documented strongholds: Not identified in the supplied documents

Habitat: Habitat types

The ringed brown snake is an inland species of arid and semi-arid country. It is recorded from arid scrubland and grassland, particularly where ground cover remains available.

Recorded habitats include arid scrubland and grasslands. The broader brown snake account also identifies open, semi-arid to arid habitats as favoured settings for the genus.

Important site features include spinifex, other dense ground cover and fallen timber. These features can provide concealment in otherwise open country.

Habitat: Site features and limits

No elevation limits, minimum patch size, vegetation height, canopy cover or climate thresholds are provided. The known distribution indicates an association with inland, dry environments rather than humid northern or southern coastal environments.

Retain habitat patches and connected ground cover where practicable, especially around spinifex and fallen timber. Inspect these features before they are removed or disturbed.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The ringed brown snake is an apparent lizard specialist. The supplied documents do not describe its foraging distance, home range, feeding times in detail or preferred lizard species.

It feeds almost exclusively on lizards, including as an adult. This differs from larger brown snake species, many of which broaden their diet to include mammals as they grow.

Primary prey: Lizards

Foraging range: Not reported

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas

Foraging habitat is expected to be associated with the species' arid scrubland and grassland habitat, including areas containing spinifex and fallen timber where lizards may occur. This is an inference from the documented diet and habitat, not a measured habitat preference.

Do not assume that a cleared strip is unused simply because no snake is visible. Individuals may be concealed in ground cover or under timber during inspection and construction activities.

  • Search retained ground cover, fallen timber and the edges of cleared areas before disturbance.
  • Schedule inspections during both daylight and night-time conditions where project risk and approvals require increased detection effort, because the species is frequently encountered at night but can be diurnal in cooler weather.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The ringed brown snake lays eggs. The supplied documents provide clutch size but do not give a breeding season, nest-site description, incubation period, age at maturity or lifespan.

Breeding mode: Oviparous

Clutch size: 6 to 11 eggs

Breeding season: Not reported in the supplied documents

Incubation period: Not reported

Age at maturity: Not reported

Lifespan: Not reported

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat

Specific egg-laying sites and nesting substrates are not described. Retained arid scrubland, grassland, spinifex and fallen timber should be treated as potentially relevant breeding habitat because these are the documented habitat and shelter features used by the species.

  • Avoid disturbing concealed ground cover and fallen timber until the area has been inspected by the fauna spotter catcher.
  • Report any eggs or congregations of snakes immediately and keep workers and machinery clear until the site has been assessed.

Sheltering habitat: Known refuges

The ringed brown snake is reported to hide in spinifex and under fallen timber. No den, burrow, hollow or refuge dimensions are provided.

Spinifex and fallen timber are documented shelter features. Dense ground cover can conceal the snake from workers and machinery, particularly when it is inactive during warmer conditions or when disturbed.

  • Inspect spinifex clumps, timber piles, logs and the margins of cleared areas before removal.
  • Use remote observation and safe separation rather than lifting timber or probing cover by hand.

Sheltering habitat: Unconfirmed shelter types

The supplied documents do not confirm use of burrows, tree hollows, rock crevices or purpose-built dens, and give no refuge dimensions. Do not treat the absence of visible shelter as evidence that the site is unsuitable.

Threats: Clearing and construction

The supplied documents do not identify a quantified threat profile for the ringed brown snake. On development sites, the main practical risks arise from direct contact with animals and removal of the ground cover and fallen timber in which they shelter.

Clearing of arid scrubland, grassland, spinifex and fallen timber can remove habitat and expose concealed snakes to machinery, workers and predators. Fragmentation can also reduce continuity between remaining habitat patches, although species-specific fragmentation effects are not reported.

Brown snakes may bite when approached, cornered or threatened. The ringed brown snake is generally described as less likely to bite people than larger brown snakes, but it remains venomous and must be managed as a bite risk.

  • Use an approved fauna spotter catcher during vegetation and ground disturbance works.
  • Stage clearing so that habitat is inspected before removal and escape routes are not blocked by simultaneous disturbance on all sides.
  • Keep workers clear of any snake and activate the project's snakebite emergency procedure after any suspected bite.

Threats: Roads, fire and predators

The supplied documents do not provide species-specific evidence for road mortality, altered fire regimes, introduced predators, disease or hydrology change. These pressures should be assessed locally where roads, repeated burning, predator control, earthworks or drainage changes affect arid scrubland and grassland habitat.

Threats: Venom and incident response

Brown snake venom can cause life-threatening envenomation, although the supplied account notes that serious effects are less commonly reported for the smaller ringed brown snake. Any suspected bite requires immediate first aid and urgent transfer to hospital for medical assessment.

  • Apply pressure immobilisation first aid if a bite is suspected and follow the project emergency plan.
  • Do not attempt to catch the snake for identification after a bite.

Survey methodology: 1. Nocturnal spotlighting

The Ringed Brown Snake is a small, nocturnal brown snake of inland Australia. Survey should focus on arid shrubland and grassland, especially spinifex, fallen timber and other ground cover where lizards and shelter may occur.

Undertake spotlighting after dark because Ringed Brown Snakes are frequently encountered at night, although they may be diurnal in cooler weather.

Search slowly through retained arid shrubland and grassland, including spinifex, fallen timber edges, tracks and other sheltered ground sites.

Record air temperature, wind, rainfall, cloud cover, start and finish times, searchers, route length and area searched for every survey night.

Expect low detectability where the snake is concealed under spinifex, timber or other cover, and do not treat a negative spotlighting result as proof that the species is absent.

Survey methodology: 2. Diurnal active searches

Search suitable shelter during daylight in cooler weather, when this species may be active during the day.

Inspect the edges and undersides of fallen timber, dense spinifex and other ground cover without creating unnecessary disturbance.

Search all habitat patches that will be cleared, including narrow retained strips and isolated patches connected to larger areas of arid shrubland or grassland.

Use experienced personnel who can distinguish the Ringed Brown Snake from similarly marked juvenile brown snakes and other small elapids.

Adult length: Approximately 0.5 to 0.6 metres

Typical habitat: Arid scrubland and grasslands

Key shelter: Spinifex and fallen timber

Survey methodology: 3. Targeted habitat and clearance assessment

Map arid shrubland and grassland within the disturbance footprint and identify patches with dense ground cover, spinifex, fallen timber or abundant lizard habitat.

Inspect proposed access tracks, stockpile areas, compound sites and temporary work areas as well as the main clearing footprint.

Use a pre-clearance search immediately before clearing because the species may remain concealed during earlier surveys.

Where a project-specific or state survey guideline specifies nights, search hours, transect spacing or trapping effort, apply that requirement and report the actual effort completed.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the survey effort required by the relevant state or territory fauna survey guideline, because the supplied sources do not specify a species-specific number of nights, search hours, trap nights or transect spacing.
  • Complete at least one documented pre-clearance search of every area to be disturbed, with additional nocturnal spotlighting where suitable habitat is present.
  • Record the search area, route or transect, date, time, weather, personnel, detection method, photographs and precise location for every observation.
  • Submit verified records, including nil records where required, to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.
  • Report the species under the current accepted name, Pseudonaja modesta, and retain photographs or other evidence needed for verification.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoiding removal of suitable ground cover is the preferred control. Planning should account for the species' broad inland range, nocturnal activity and use of spinifex and fallen timber for shelter.

  • Retain arid shrubland and grassland patches that contain dense spinifex, fallen timber and other ground shelter wherever practicable.
  • Keep connected areas of suitable habitat between retained patches so snakes and their lizard prey are not confined to isolated remnants.
  • Locate temporary access, laydown areas, spoil and compounds in already disturbed areas where practicable.
  • Keep clearing footprints and vehicle movements to the approved area and prevent unnecessary removal of ground cover outside the work zone.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

  • Confirm the current EPBC Act status and all state or territory listing, permit and animal welfare requirements before works begin.
  • Obtain any authority required for handling, capture, relocation or release of native reptiles, and ensure the fauna spotter catcher is authorised for the work.
  • Include Ringed Brown Snake procedures in the fauna management or pre-clearance plan, including search methods, stop-work triggers, release sites, incident reporting and contacts.
  • Stage clearing so that retained habitat is available before adjoining habitat is removed.
  • Schedule noisy or ground-disturbing work with regard to the species' frequent night activity, and avoid unnecessary night work in suitable habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

  • Complete the approved pre-clearance survey immediately before clearing and search both the footprint and access routes.
  • Mark retained habitat, no-go areas, logs, dense spinifex patches and other shelter features before machinery arrives.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it can direct animals away from the work area without trapping them against the clearing edge.
  • Brief machine operators and supervisors on the species' appearance, the requirement to stop on detection and the authorised handling arrangements.
  • Remove waste, loose materials and artificial shelter from the work area only under the approved fauna management procedure.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls

The fauna spotter catcher should control the immediate work area and have enough time to inspect ground cover before machinery moves. The species is venomous, so handling must be limited to authorised, trained personnel.

  • Inspect the active work area, access routes and exclusion fencing before work starts each day.
  • Maintain a clear communication link between the fauna spotter catcher, machine operators and the site supervisor.
  • Keep machinery outside marked no-go areas and do not move logs, spinifex or other shelter before the spotter catcher has inspected them.
  • Stop work if visibility, weather, dust, lighting or machinery movements prevent the required inspection from being completed.
  • Use low-speed, controlled clearing in suitable habitat so the spotter catcher can observe and intervene safely.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna spotter catcher response

  • Stop machinery and keep workers and vehicles clear if a Ringed Brown Snake is seen or suspected in the work area.
  • Do not touch, corner, chase or attempt to kill the snake, because brown snakes may adopt an open-mouthed defensive posture and can lunge at moving objects when threatened.
  • Allow the animal a clear route to retained habitat where this can be done safely and under the approved fauna procedure.
  • Use only an appropriately authorised and trained person for capture, handling or relocation.
  • Relocate the animal only to nearby suitable retained habitat selected under the fauna management plan, rather than moving it a long distance or releasing it into unsuitable cleared ground.
  • Treat any bite or suspected contact with the head as a medical emergency and follow the site's snakebite first-aid procedure.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and incidents

  • Inspect logs, rocks, dense spinifex, litter and other ground cover before they are removed or crushed.
  • Move habitat features only when the spotter catcher has checked them and the approved procedure allows movement.
  • Do not fill or seal burrows, crevices or other potential shelter until they have been inspected for fauna.
  • Record each sighting, capture, relocation, injury, death, escape, work stoppage and restart, including location, time, personnel and action taken.
  • Send an injured animal to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer through the approved fauna response process.
  • Escalate repeated sightings, an animal that cannot be safely removed, a suspected injury or a fauna death to the site environmental officer and project supervisor.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that animals have not been left in the work area and that controls remain effective. Retained habitat should be protected from secondary impacts for the duration of the project.

  • Complete a final inspection of the cleared area, retained edges, stockpiles, access routes and exclusion fencing after each clearing stage.
  • Check remaining logs, spinifex, rocks and other ground cover for animals before the area is handed to construction crews.
  • Remove or repair exclusion fencing only when the environmental officer confirms that the area no longer presents a fauna entrapment risk.
  • Maintain no-go areas and prevent vehicles, storage, dust and spoil from encroaching into retained habitat.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Undertake follow-up spotlighting or active searches where required by the approval, fauna management plan or state survey guideline.
  • Compare post-clearance observations with the pre-clearance effort, habitat mapping and incident records.
  • Report all confirmed records, injuries, deaths, relocations and control failures to the relevant regulator or database where required.
  • Submit verified occurrence records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.
  • Review the controls after each clearing stage and change the work method if Ringed Brown Snakes continue to be found in active work areas.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and residual impacts

  • Assess any unavoidable loss of suitable arid shrubland, grassland, spinifex or fallen timber habitat under the project approval and applicable offset policy.
  • Protect retained habitat from follow-on clearing, vehicle access, weed invasion and inappropriate fire where these actions could reduce shelter or lizard prey.
  • Document the location and condition of retained habitat so it can be checked during compliance inspections and rehabilitation monitoring.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore shelter and habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the dry ground structure used by the species and support its lizard prey. The supplied sources do not identify particular plant species, so revegetation should use locally appropriate native species for the relevant arid community.

  • Re-establish locally appropriate native arid shrubland or grassland vegetation across disturbed areas.
  • Retain or reinstate suitable fallen timber, spinifex clumps, rocks and other ground cover where they occur naturally and will not create a safety risk.
  • Avoid leaving large areas of bare compacted ground that provide little shelter for the snake or habitat for lizards.
  • Use locally collected or regionally appropriate seed and plant stock that matches the pre-clearing vegetation community.
  • Do not place logs, rocks or other habitat features in drainage paths or locations where they could be removed during maintenance.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats during recovery

  • Control weeds that replace native ground cover or reduce the structure of arid shrubland and grassland.
  • Control introduced predators and pest animals where required by the project approval or land management plan.
  • Plan fire management to retain a mosaic of shelter and avoid burning all available spinifex, fallen timber and ground cover at once.
  • Keep construction access, stockpiles and maintenance activities out of revegetated habitat.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a default measure for this species, because the supplied sources identify ground cover, spinifex and fallen timber rather than tree hollows as its shelter.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor success

  • Inspect rehabilitation for vegetation establishment, retained ground cover, erosion, weed invasion and unauthorised vehicle access.
  • Repeat targeted nocturnal spotlighting and daytime active searches where monitoring is required, using the same routes and recording measures as the baseline survey.
  • Treat persistence or return of suitable ground cover, records of lizards and verified Ringed Brown Snake observations as useful indicators, while recognising that absence during a search does not demonstrate absence.
  • Maintain monitoring and corrective actions for the period specified in the approval or rehabilitation plan.

Sources