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Whip Hooded Snake (Suta flagellum)

The Whip Hooded Snake is a small venomous elapid found in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. It uses woodland, rocky outcrops and associated ground refuges, so clearing, removal of rocks or fallen timber, and disturbance during its breeding period can affect individuals on development sites.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The Whip Hooded Snake is a live-bearing species. Recorded birth timing differs between sources, from September to February in Victorian guidance and September to February profiles, while captive southern Victorian records show births from late January to mid-April, peaking in February and March. Plan clearing around local conditions, with particular care around refugia during the birth and young periods.

Reproductive mode: Live bearing, also described as viviparous or ovoviviparous.

Litter size: 2 to 7 young.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Size at birth: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Nest or egg sites: Birth occurs within refugia. No nest construction or specific birth-site dimensions are recorded.

Breeding frequency: One litter per year was recorded for captive females. Frequency in wild females is not recorded.

Confirm timing locally before works, because the reported birth period varies between regions and may respond to local temperature and rainfall conditions.

  • Mating: The species is known to mate, but no mating months are recorded. All months are shown as possible only, not as a documented seasonal peak.
  • Gravid females: Gravid females were documented in October and November in southern Victorian observations. The full duration of pregnancy is not recorded, so other months are not mapped.
  • Births: Births are recorded from September to February in Victorian guidance and other species profiles. Captive southern Victorian records extend from late January to mid-April, with 12 of 23 litters in February and 9 in March. February and March are marked as peak months.
  • Newborns: Newborns can be expected when births occur. The documented birth windows are September to February and late January to mid-April, but the duration of young remaining in refugia or their period of greatest abundance is not recorded. February and March represent the documented birth peak.
  • Active period: Adults are nocturnal, although gravid females may bask during the day. No seasonal activity months are recorded, so all months are shown as possible activity months without a peak.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest during the documented birth and newborn periods, with February and March the strongest evidence-based peak. September to April covers the combined birth windows, and October and November also include records of gravid females. Births occur within refugia, so retain and inspect rock crevices and other ground cover before clearing.

Identification

The Whip Hooded Snake is a small, slender Australian elapid. Identification should be confirmed by an experienced reptile ecologist because it is venomous and can resemble other small brown snakes in disturbed habitats.

The species is generally brown on the body with black pigmentation on the top of the head. Body banding may be present or absent, and colour varies between individuals and populations.

Adults have a reported snout to vent length of 30 to 40 cm. No body weight information was provided in the supplied documents.

Adult size: 30 to 40 cm snout to vent length

Head and body colour: Brown body, with black on the top of the head; banding may be present or absent

Venom: Venomous; the Victorian guidance describes it as not fatal

Identification: Field identification

The dark head contrasting with the brown body is a useful field feature, but colour and banding vary. Treat any small snake with this combination as potentially venomous until identification is complete.

The supplied documents do not provide diagnostic scale counts, eye details, sex differences, tracks, scats, calls, slough characteristics or eyeshine. These features should not be used as assumed identification criteria for this profile.

  • Keep hands and face away from any snake and do not handle it unless this is part of an approved fauna handling procedure.
  • Use clear photographs, including the head, dorsal pattern and full body where safe, to support confirmation by a suitably experienced herpetologist.

Identification: Similar species and field signs

The species has been recorded under several combinations of Suta, Parasuta and other historical generic names. Records and permits should be checked against the current accepted name and relevant state requirements.

No species-specific tracks, scats, nests, calls or other diagnostic field signs are described in the supplied documents. A live sighting, photograph or captured animal remains the most reliable site record.

  • Do not rely on the common name alone when checking databases, survey records or fauna handling documentation.
  • Record the location, habitat, date, time, behaviour and photographs for each observation.

Distribution

The Whip Hooded Snake is recorded from south-eastern Australia. The supplied documents identify its state range but do not provide a national population estimate, trend, detailed bioregional range or named strongholds.

The documented distribution includes New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. The type locality is in the Melbourne area of Victoria, including Boroondara, Prahran, South Brighton, Caulfield and Mount Martha.

The supplied information does not identify particular bioregions, strongholds or discrete subpopulations. Victorian Biodiversity Atlas mapping is shown in the source, but the extracted material does not provide a readable list of mapped bioregions or population centres.

States recorded: New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria

Type locality: Boroondara, Victoria, with original type localities also including Prahran, South Brighton, Caulfield and Mount Martha

National population size: Not provided

Population trend: Not provided

Distribution: Project records

The species is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales in the supplied project information. It is not listed under the EPBC Act in that information.

State conservation status and approval requirements should be checked for the project location before clearing or fauna handling begins.

New South Wales status: Vulnerable

EPBC Act status: Not listed in the supplied information

Habitat

The Whip Hooded Snake occupies terrestrial habitats that provide both lizard prey and concealed ground refuges. The supplied Victorian guidance records woodland and rocky outcrops as habitat, with the broader species account also documenting woodland to river floodplain settings.

Recorded habitat includes woodland, rocky outcrops and river floodplain environments. These descriptions indicate that the species can occur in both relatively dry rocky settings and lowland habitats associated with floodplains.

The supplied documents do not state an elevation range, climate limit, vegetation community classification or required tree size.

Documented habitat: Woodland, rocky outcrops and river floodplain

Elevation range: Not provided

Vegetation communities: Not specified beyond woodland and floodplain habitat

Habitat: Structural features

Rock crevices are identified as hiding places. The species is therefore most likely to use sites where rocks, crevices and other ground-level cover occur close to suitable foraging areas.

The supplied information does not quantify required cover density, rock dimensions, litter depth or distance from water.

  • Inspect rocky outcrops, rock piles, crevices, fallen timber, disused burrows and dense ground cover before these features are removed or disturbed.
  • Retain connected patches of woodland and ground refuge habitat where practicable during site planning.

Foraging habitat

The Whip Hooded Snake feeds on lizards and uses both searching and ambush foraging. Its small home range means that habitat loss or removal of local refuges can reduce access to prey within a project area.

The recorded diet is lizards. The Victorian guidance describes the foraging style as search and ambush, indicating that the snake may actively inspect cover as well as wait near likely prey pathways.

Specific prey species and food plants are not provided. No information is supplied on prey density, feeding frequency or seasonal changes in diet.

Diet: Lizards

Foraging style: Search and ambush

Home range: 1 to 3 ha

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas on projects

Suitable foraging habitat is likely to include woodland and rocky areas that support lizards and retain ground refuges. River floodplain habitat is also included in the broader habitat description, although the supplied documents do not define its specific foraging value.

The documented home range of 1 to 3 ha should be considered when assessing whether a work area could affect habitat used by an individual.

  • Survey and clear rocky ground, timber and dense cover systematically rather than treating isolated refuge features as separate from the surrounding foraging habitat.
  • Avoid disturbing known refuge areas while nearby vegetation or ground works are underway.

Breeding habitat

The species is live bearing, with breeding activity or births recorded from September to February in the Victorian guidance. The supplied documents do not provide a confirmed mating period, gestation length, age at maturity, lifespan or detailed birth-site requirements.

Breeding habitat is expected to overlap with the species' normal woodland and rocky outcrop habitat because no separate birthing habitat is identified. Retained rocks, crevices and other concealed ground cover may provide protection for adults and young.

The species is territorial according to the Victorian guidance, but the supplied material does not provide territory size beyond the reported home range.

Reproductive mode: Live bearing

Birth period: September to February

Litter size: 2 to 7 young

Gestation: Not provided

Age at maturity: Unknown

Lifespan: Not provided

Incubation: Not applicable, because the species is live bearing

Breeding habitat: Breeding considerations

Clearing between September and February may coincide with births and the presence of young. The supplied documents do not state how long young remain dependent or when they disperse.

Avoid removing rock refuges and other concealed ground cover during this period where practicable. Use an approved fauna spotter catcher if individuals are encountered during clearing.

  • Complete pre-clearance searches of rocky outcrops, crevices, fallen timber and other ground refuges before disturbance.
  • Record and report any adult or young snakes found during breeding-period works, and follow the project's approved handling and release procedures.

Sheltering habitat

The main documented sheltering feature is the rock crevice. The species also occurs in habitat where other ground refuges may be present, but the supplied sources do not confirm use of hollows, nests, specific burrow dimensions or particular litter depths.

Rock crevices are identified as roost or hide sites. Rocky outcrops may therefore provide both shelter and access to lizard prey.

No dimensions are provided for crevices, and no species-specific information is supplied for dens, tree hollows, burrows, litter, fallen timber or artificial refuges.

Documented refuge: Rock crevices

Refuge size: Not provided

Sheltering habitat: Pre-clearance inspection

Shelter features can be overlooked where rocks, timber or ground cover are partly buried or obscured by vegetation. Inspection should cover the full footprint of proposed clearing and access tracks.

The species is venomous, so searches and handling must follow the project's approved reptile safety procedure.

  • Inspect rock piles, exposed bedrock, crevices, disused burrows, fallen timber and dense ground cover before mechanical clearing.
  • Use trained personnel and suitable equipment when lifting or moving potential refuge materials.
  • Do not place hands into crevices or burrows during searches.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The supplied documents identify habitat use and a New South Wales Vulnerable listing, but do not provide a species-specific threat assessment. The following project risks are therefore based on the documented dependence on woodland, rocky outcrops, ground refuges and lizard prey.

Removal of woodland, rocky outcrops and ground refuges can directly kill snakes and reduce access to lizard prey. Fragmentation can also separate parts of the reported 1 to 3 ha home range.

The source material does not quantify rates of decline or identify a confirmed threshold for habitat loss.

  • Map and retain rocky outcrops, crevices and connected woodland before finalising the clearing footprint.
  • Use staged clearing and pre-clearance searches in suitable habitat.

Threats: Roads and construction activity

Road construction and vehicle movements can injure or kill snakes moving through woodland, rocky habitat and floodplain areas. The supplied documents do not provide road mortality rates or confirmed movement corridors.

Vibration, machinery and removal of cover can displace individuals from small home ranges.

  • Apply fauna speed controls and incident reporting in suitable habitat.
  • Keep machinery and spoil away from retained rocky refuges and woodland edges where practicable.

Threats: Fire, predators and hydrology

The supplied documents do not identify fire thresholds, predator impacts, disease, hydrology requirements or confirmed disease records for this species.

Changes to floodplain hydrology may alter habitat structure and lizard prey availability, but species-specific effects are not documented in the supplied material.

  • Assess fire, drainage and floodplain changes in the context of the site's woodland, rocky refuge and prey habitat.
  • Do not assume that a recently burnt or modified site is unused without targeted survey evidence.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop and habitat inspection

Use targeted searches in the species’ known habitat, with emphasis on woodland, rocky outcrops and rock crevices. The supplied documents do not prescribe project survey effort, so the project ecologist must set effort from the disturbance footprint, habitat quality, season and detection risk.

Confirm whether the project occurs within the recorded range in New South Wales, South Australia or Victoria.

Map woodland, rocky outcrops, rock crevices, fallen timber, litter, disused shelter sites and connected retained habitat before setting field effort.

Treat small retained habitat patches as potentially occupied because the Victorian guidance gives a home range of 1 to 3 hectares.

Recorded range: New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria

Typical habitat: Woodland and rocky outcrops

Home range reported in Victoria: 1 to 3 hectares

Survey methodology: 2. Nocturnal spotlighting

Undertake nocturnal spotlighting because the species is reported as mainly nocturnal in the Victorian guidance.

Search slowly through rocky outcrops, rock crevices, woodland ground cover, fallen timber and litter, including edges of proposed clearing and retained habitat.

Record weather, start and finish times, observers, route length or area searched, habitat searched and all detections.

Repeat searches on suitable nights where the first survey does not detect the species, because the supplied documents do not provide a prescribed number of nights or hours.

Peak activity: Nocturnal

Foraging style: Search and ambush

Reported prey: Lizards

  • Use a consistent transect or search area so effort can be compared between survey nights.
  • Do not treat a lack of detections as evidence that the site is unoccupied when suitable shelter habitat remains.

Survey methodology: 3. Targeted shelter and ground searches

Search rock crevices, rocky outcrops, fallen timber and litter during the day and before clearing starts.

Inspect habitat features carefully and replace rocks, logs and ground cover after searching where they are being retained.

Use a fauna spotter catcher during any pre-clearance search that involves lifting or moving potential shelter features.

Known shelter: Rock crevices

Additional ground cover: Fallen timber and litter

  • Prioritise features within woodland and rocky areas, and features connected to retained habitat.
  • Record the location and type of each occupied or potentially occupied feature before disturbance.

Survey methodology: 4. Trapping and supplementary methods

Use trapping only where it is authorised, suitable for the site and supervised by appropriately experienced personnel.

Select any supplementary method after considering the species’ nocturnal activity, search and ambush foraging style, rocky shelter and lizard prey.

The supplied documents do not specify trap type, trap nights, transect length, survey area, temperature limits or weather conditions, so document the basis for the selected effort in the survey plan.

  • Do not deploy traps where they cannot be checked at the required frequency or where heat, flooding, predation or construction activity could injure captured fauna.
  • Obtain the required animal ethics, wildlife research and state approvals before using capture methods.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Set survey effort in a written plan that covers the full disturbance footprint and connected habitat, with additional effort directed to woodland, rocky outcrops and rock crevices.
  • Include at least nocturnal searches and targeted searches of shelter features where those habitats occur.
  • Record survey dates, times, weather, observers, methods, effort, GPS locations, habitat condition, photographs and detection results.
  • Have a qualified ecologist review the survey results before clearing or construction begins.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database and retain the record submission reference in the project file.
  • Update the survey and fauna management plan if the footprint, staging or timing changes.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Plan the works around the species’ shelter and activity requirements. Retain rocky and woodland habitat wherever practicable, and make sure all wildlife approvals and handling arrangements are in place before clearing.

Retain woodland, rocky outcrops, rock crevices, fallen timber and litter outside the approved disturbance area.

Maintain connected retained habitat between occupied or suitable rocky and woodland areas where practicable.

Avoid unnecessary removal or relocation of rocks, logs and ground cover because these features provide shelter or foraging habitat.

Treat retained habitat within and near the disturbance footprint as potentially occupied until it has been surveyed and cleared under an approved procedure.

  • Use the smallest practicable clearing footprint.
  • Mark no-go areas, retained rocks, logs, rocky outcrops and connected habitat on plans and in the field.
  • Do not place stockpiles, compounds, access tracks or spoil over retained shelter habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and fauna planning

Check the current Commonwealth and state conservation status before works start, including whether the proposal requires an EPBC Act assessment or referral and whether state approvals, licences or permits apply.

Prepare a fauna management plan that names the fauna spotter catcher, authorised handlers, wildlife carer or veterinarian, stop-work contacts and escalation process.

Specify the survey method, pre-clearance procedure, exclusion controls, handling limits, release locations, incident reporting and unexpected species response.

Taxonomic names used in the supplied documents: Suta flagellum and Parasuta flagellum

Venom status: Venomous

  • Confirm that the relevant state wildlife database and approval conditions have been checked for the project area.
  • Do not rely on the common name alone, because the supplied sources use both Suta flagellum and Parasuta flagellum for this species.

Before habitat disturbance: Timing and site preparation

Schedule pre-clearance surveys and clearing when the species can be detected, with nocturnal searches included because the Victorian guidance identifies it as mainly nocturnal.

Stage clearing so retained habitat remains available while adjacent areas are being cleared.

Complete a pre-clearance inspection immediately before disturbance and repeat it if there is a material delay or if habitat is altered.

Install exclusion fencing only where it can be designed and maintained to direct fauna away from the work area without trapping animals or blocking movement to retained habitat.

Reported Victorian breeding period: September to February

Reported home range: 1 to 3 hectares

  • Brief all workers on the species’ appearance, venom status, habitat features, stop-work triggers and reporting chain.
  • Clearly mark the approved disturbance boundary and all habitat to be retained.
  • Remove waste, loose materials and artificial shelter that could attract fauna into the work zone before machinery enters.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Use a controlled clearing process with a fauna spotter catcher present where habitat is being disturbed. Keep machinery outside the active search area until the spotter catcher has inspected it and released it for work.

Hold a daily pre-start briefing covering the approved work area, retained habitat, fauna contacts, weather, recent detections and stop-work requirements.

Keep the fauna spotter catcher in a position where they can see the work face and direct machinery movement.

Clear progressively in small sections so each section can be searched before machinery proceeds.

Stop machinery immediately when the fauna spotter catcher calls a stop or when a snake, potential shelter feature or injured animal is found.

  • Maintain exclusion zones around retained rocky habitat, rock crevices, logs and litter.
  • Do not allow workers to handle, chase, pin, injure or kill the snake.
  • Use machinery to move material only after the fauna spotter catcher has inspected the material and confirmed that work can proceed.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

Inspect rocks, logs, litter and ground cover before lifting, rolling, crushing or burying them.

Where practicable, move retained habitat features to an approved nearby retained location under the fauna management plan.

Have the fauna spotter catcher control the sequence for lifting or moving rocks and logs, with workers using tools or machinery only as directed.

Do not seal, fill or disturb a rock crevice until it has been inspected and cleared under the approved procedure.

Shelter feature identified in the supplied guidance: Rock crevices

Other relevant habitat features: Fallen timber and litter

  • Keep moved rocks and logs grouped with similar habitat in a nearby retained area rather than scattering them through unsuitable ground.
  • Record the original and final locations of moved habitat features where the management plan requires it.
  • Do not create artificial pits, trenches or material piles that could trap fauna.

During habitat disturbance: Snake encounters and stop-work response

Treat every suspected Whip Hooded Snake as venomous until it has been safely identified by an appropriately qualified person.

Keep people and machinery clear, establish a safe exclusion area and contact the authorised fauna handler.

Only an appropriately authorised and experienced handler may capture or relocate the animal.

Relocate an uninjured animal only to suitable nearby retained habitat approved in the fauna management plan, avoiding unnecessary movement beyond the local habitat area.

Arrange prompt assessment by a veterinarian or registered wildlife carer for an injured or compromised animal.

Stop work in the immediate area until the animal has been managed and the fauna spotter catcher confirms that work can safely resume.

  • Do not attempt to identify or catch the animal by hand unless authorised and trained to do so.
  • Do not release an animal into an unapproved location or across a barrier that prevents movement.
  • Escalate any bite, suspected envenomation, injury or unauthorised handling as a project incident.

During habitat disturbance: Records and release controls

Record every sighting, capture, relocation, injury, mortality, near miss and stop-work event on the day it occurs.

For each record, include the date, time, GPS location, habitat, photographs where safe, observer, action taken, release location and the names of authorised personnel involved.

Maintain daily clearing maps showing searched areas, cleared areas, retained habitat and unresolved risks.

Submit confirmed records and incident information to the relevant state wildlife authority or database where required by approval conditions.

  • Photograph the animal only from a safe distance and never delay release for photography.
  • Keep the fauna management plan, permits, daily records and release evidence available for inspection.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Confirm that cleared areas and retained habitat are safe after each work stage. Use the results to adjust controls and document all outcomes for approval compliance and future surveys.

Inspect each cleared section after machinery has left, focusing on remaining rocks, crevices, logs, litter and edge habitat.

Check exclusion fencing, open trenches, stockpiles and other construction hazards at the frequency set in the fauna management plan.

Search retained habitat adjoining the cleared area if a snake was detected, displaced or injured during works.

  • Remove or modify hazards that could trap or injure fauna.
  • Keep retained shelter habitat free from vehicle access, spoil and construction materials.
  • Repeat checks after major weather events, earthworks changes or prolonged work stoppages.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Compare post-clearance detections with the pre-clearance survey and daily clearing records.

Continue targeted nocturnal and shelter searches where approval conditions, the risk assessment or unexpected detections require them.

Report mortality, injury, relocation, habitat damage and non-compliance to the project manager and relevant authority within the required timeframe.

  • Maintain a species-specific register of detections and management actions.
  • Submit verified occurrence records to the relevant state wildlife database.
  • Review whether the retained habitat still includes woodland, rocky outcrops, rock crevices, fallen timber and litter.

After habitat disturbance: Maintain controls and offsets

Keep no-go areas, fencing, signage and access controls in place until the responsible ecologist confirms that construction risks have ended.

Manage any offset or habitat protection commitment in accordance with the approval, offset plan or conservation agreement.

Use monitoring results to identify further habitat protection, weed control, predator management or restoration actions.

  • Do not remove fauna controls solely because no animals were detected during one survey.
  • Record the condition and management of retained habitat at handover and during maintenance periods.

Rehabilitation actions: Recreate shelter and ground structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the shelter and foraging conditions identified for the species. Prioritise locally appropriate woodland and rocky habitat, with ground cover that provides crevices and refuge without creating construction hazards.

Reinstate rocks and rock features where they were removed, using stable arrangements that provide crevices and do not create unsafe voids or erosion paths.

Retain or replace fallen timber and suitable litter in rehabilitation areas where it is consistent with the approved fire and site management plan.

Restore locally native woodland vegetation that matches the pre-disturbance community and provides ground cover around rocky habitat.

Avoid using imported rocks, logs or soil that could introduce weeds, pests or unsuitable habitat.

Relevant habitat: Woodland, rocky outcrops and rock crevices

Foraging habitat features: Fallen timber and litter

  • Map the location and condition of reinstated rocks, logs, litter and connected retained habitat.
  • Keep rehabilitation areas free from vehicle traffic, spoil and unnecessary slashing.
  • Do not install hollows or nest boxes as a substitute for the documented shelter features unless another fauna value requires them and the design is approved.

Rehabilitation actions: Vegetation, weeds, predators and fire

Use locally native plant species selected from the pre-disturbance vegetation community rather than introducing species not recorded or approved for the site.

Control weeds so planted and naturally regenerating ground cover can establish around rocky and woodland habitat.

Manage domestic and introduced predators in accordance with the site’s approved environmental controls where monitoring identifies a risk.

Apply fire management that protects regenerating woodland, retained logs, litter and rocky shelter features while meeting statutory and site safety requirements.

  • Inspect rehabilitation after weed treatment, fire, flooding or major construction maintenance.
  • Keep chemical use, slashing and fire exclusion zones away from retained shelter features unless the approved management plan requires treatment.
  • Record plant survival, weed cover, erosion, ground cover and the condition of rock crevices and fallen timber.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor rehabilitation during the establishment period and at the intervals required by the approval or rehabilitation plan.

Use nocturnal searches and targeted searches of rocks, crevices, fallen timber and litter to check whether the restored habitat is being used.

Compare monitoring results with the pre-disturbance habitat map and survey records.

Set success measures for survival of locally native woodland plants, stable reinstated rocks, retained ground cover, weed control, erosion control and continued connectivity to suitable habitat.

Reported activity period: Mainly nocturnal

Reported home range: 1 to 3 hectares

  • Investigate and rectify failed plantings, displaced rocks, lost ground cover, weed reinvasion and erosion.
  • Continue monitoring when the species is detected or when habitat condition has not met the approved success measures.
  • Submit rehabilitation and fauna monitoring results to the relevant approval holder and state wildlife database where required.

Sources