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White-lipped Snake (Drysdalia coronoides)

The White-lipped Snake is a small, slender venomous snake found in south-eastern Australia, including New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. It may be encountered during vegetation clearing, earthworks and work around rocks, logs, litter and grass, and is an EVNT species with Rare listings in South Australia and Tasmania.

Conservation status

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Rare.

Breeding season

White-lipped Snakes give birth to live young around March and April. Ovulation occurs from late spring to early summer, and breeding frequency may vary between regions, with Tasmanian snakes sometimes breeding only once every two years.

Breeding mode: Live bearer

Ovulation: Late spring to early summer

Births: March to April

Litter size: 2 to 10 young

Age at maturity: About 3 years

Incubation or gestation: Not recorded

Fledging or weaning: Not recorded

Timing may shift between years and regions with temperature and seasonal conditions, and Tasmanian snakes may breed less frequently than mainland snakes.

  • Ovulation and mating activity: Ovulation occurs in late spring to early summer, with the strongest indication in December and January.
  • Live births: Young are born live around March and April.
  • Newborn and young snakes: Newborn snakes occur from March and April, but the duration of dependence is not recorded.
  • Daytime activity: The species is mainly diurnal and can forage on fine winter days, so daytime activity may occur in every month.
  • Highest clearing risk: March and April have the highest risk because live births occur then and shelter sites may contain newborn snakes.

Identification: Appearance and size

The White-lipped Snake is a small, slender snake with a gently tapering tail. It has small fangs and venom glands, but is not generally considered dangerous to healthy adults. Treat every bite seriously.

Adults are generally 35 to 50 cm long in Victoria, while Tasmanian specimens are commonly 25 to 40 cm. Newborns are about 8 to 11 cm long.

Colour varies from grey, brown or black to dark olive green or green-grey. The underside is pale, often with pink or grey tones. Juveniles may be very dark and can have an orange underside.

  • A thin white line runs along the upper lip.
  • A narrow black line may border the white lip marking above.
  • The head is narrow and rounded at the front.
  • The body is slender and the tail tapers gently.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The White-lipped Snake is identified by its body form, colour and white lip marking rather than by calls. No distinctive call or echolocation feature is used for site identification.

Do not rely on colour alone. Compare the head shape, lip stripe, body pattern and overall size, and seek confirmation from an experienced snake handler where identification is uncertain.

Identification: Field signs and safe observation

Direct sightings are the most useful field record. The species may be seen moving through grass or basking in warm, open areas, then quickly retreating under cover.

Observe quietly from a distance before attempting capture. A healthy, alert snake should tongue flick regularly, move freely on its belly and breathe without open-mouth breathing.

  • Record the location, date, habitat, behaviour and direction of movement.
  • Check rocks, logs, litter and dense vegetation without turning cover by hand where a snake may be concealed.
  • Do not handle or capture the snake unless trained and authorised.
  • If a snake must be moved, use a suitably trained venomous snake handler and follow the site fauna management plan.

Distribution: Australian range

The White-lipped Snake occurs in south-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. On works sites, records are most likely in areas retaining heath, grassland, open woodland, forest edges and ground cover.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. It occurs across south-eastern mainland Australia and is widespread in Tasmania.

In Tasmania it has been recorded from sea level to about 1300 m. It is one of Australia's more cold-adapted snakes and can occur at high altitudes and southern latitudes.

  • New South Wales, including the South East Corner Bioregion.
  • South Australia.
  • Tasmania.
  • Victoria, including the Mornington Peninsula and other suitable areas.

Distribution: Distribution on development sites

A site can retain habitat value even where it is small or surrounded by roads, housing or cleared land. Look for connected strips of grass, heath, woodland, litter, logs and rocks.

Nearby records should be considered during pre-clearing planning, particularly where the site contains warm, sheltered ground cover close to water.

  • Check state and local biodiversity databases before clearing.
  • Review recent records within and around the project footprint.
  • Map retained habitat and likely movement routes before machinery enters the site.

Distribution: Conservation status

The White-lipped Snake is treated as an EVNT species for this profile. It is listed as Rare in South Australia and Tasmania. These listings require a more cautious approach to survey, impact assessment and mitigation than would apply to a common, unlisted snake.

  • Confirm the current state listing and approval requirements before works begin.
  • Use suitably experienced fauna spotter catchers for clearing and snake handling.
  • Retain and protect suitable habitat wherever practicable.

Habitat: Vegetation types

The White-lipped Snake uses a range of open and semi-open terrestrial habitats. It is most relevant to works where low vegetation and ground cover occur near water or in sunny, sheltered locations.

Look for the species in heath, grassland, open woodland, sclerophyll forest and grassy areas. It can occur in disturbed landscapes where enough shelter and prey remain.

  • Dense native or introduced grass.
  • Heath and low shrub cover.
  • Open woodland and forest edges.
  • Sclerophyll forest with a developed litter layer.

Habitat: Site features

Likely habitat includes sunny ground close to cover. Areas near water may be used, especially where grass, litter, rocks and fallen timber are retained.

  • Edges of wetlands, dams, drainage lines and other water bodies.
  • Rocky ground and exposed rocks that warm in the sun.
  • Logs, fallen branches and deep leaf litter.
  • Transitions between grassland, heath, woodland and forest.

Habitat: Planning and pre-clearing checks

Before clearing, walk the footprint and identify habitat patches, cover objects and likely basking areas. Mark habitat to be retained and include it in the site induction.

  • Schedule a targeted reptile search as part of the pre-clearing inspection.
  • Inspect warm, sheltered areas before machinery starts.
  • Stage clearing so fauna can move towards retained habitat where the risk assessment supports this.
  • Keep personnel and machinery away from retained rocks, logs and litter unless they are being assessed or removed under supervision.

Foraging habitat: Where to search

The White-lipped Snake is an active searcher and is mainly diurnal. It hunts mostly small skinks and other lizards, so sites with healthy reptile habitat can support feeding activity.

Search sunny edges and open areas beside dense cover. Snakes may move through grass, heath, litter and woodland edges while looking for prey.

  • Grass beside logs, rocks and litter.
  • Heath and open woodland with basking opportunities.
  • Warm edges near water.
  • Areas supporting skinks, small lizards, frogs or lizard eggs.

Foraging habitat: Timing and conditions

The species is mainly active during the day. Warm conditions increase the chance of observing a moving or basking snake, although Tasmanian animals may forage on fine winter days.

  • Prioritise daytime searches when conditions are warm and suitable.
  • Check warm ground and edges of cover rather than only dense vegetation.
  • Avoid disturbing cover unnecessarily during searches.

Foraging habitat: Prey and habitat protection

Clearing that removes grass, litter, logs and rocks can remove both feeding habitat and the prey base. Retaining a connected mix of cover and open ground is preferable to leaving isolated cover objects.

  • Retain native ground cover where practicable.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of logs, rocks and litter from habitat areas.
  • Limit lighting, vehicle movement and repeated disturbance around retained habitat.

Breeding habitat: Breeding period

The White-lipped Snake gives birth to live young, rather than laying eggs in a nest. Specific birth sites are not defined, so protection should focus on the broader habitat and ground cover used by adults and young.

Young are born around March and April. Sexual maturity is reached at about three years. Tasmanian snakes may breed only once every two years in the wild.

  • Live young, usually two to 10.
  • Birth around March and April.
  • No egg clutches or nest structures to locate and protect.

Breeding habitat: Likely breeding habitat

Birth places are not defined for site assessment. Use the surrounding habitat as the management unit, especially where grass, heath, litter, rocks and logs provide shelter and suitable temperatures.

  • Warm, sheltered ground near grass or heath.
  • Areas with connected litter, rocks and fallen timber.
  • Open habitat close to dense cover and likely skink habitat.
  • Habitat near water where ground cover is retained.

Breeding habitat: Management during clearing

Avoid treating the absence of a nest as evidence that breeding habitat is absent. Adults and young may shelter in ordinary ground cover across the site.

  • Complete pre-clearing searches before removing cover.
  • Keep retained habitat connected where practicable.
  • Use staged clearing and fauna supervision in areas with suitable habitat.
  • Record and report any live young, gravid-looking snake or breeding-related observation.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features

The White-lipped Snake shelters beneath ground debris, rocks, logs and litter. These features can conceal snakes during clearing and should be checked by trained personnel before they are moved.

Shelter is likely to be most useful where it is close to sunny ground. Snakes may move between cover objects and nearby grass, heath or open woodland.

  • Flat or loose rocks.
  • Fallen logs and branches.
  • Leaf litter and other ground debris.
  • Dense grass and low vegetation.

Sheltering habitat: Clearing precautions

Rocks, logs and litter should not be lifted or disturbed by hand during routine clearing. Treat each cover object as a potential snake refuge until it has been checked under the approved fauna procedure.

  • Brief all workers on the species and its likely shelter sites.
  • Use a trained spotter catcher for searches and relocations.
  • Keep workers clear of a detected snake and establish a safe work exclusion area.
  • Do not place hands into holes, beneath rocks or into dense litter.

Sheltering habitat: Release and temporary care

If a snake is taken into care, it should be housed alone in a secure enclosure with a full-body hide and a shallow water bowl. Release requires suitable shelter and warm conditions above 20 degrees Celsius, preferably during the species' normal daytime activity period.

  • Release between September and March rather than in cooler months.
  • Prefer a forecast above 20 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days.
  • Use a release location with adequate shelter and suitable habitat.
  • Follow the relevant authorisation and project fauna management plan.

Threats: Clearing and machinery

Development can affect the White-lipped Snake through direct mortality, loss of ground cover and fragmentation of habitat. Cats and vehicle traffic are also recognised risks, including around otherwise suitable retained habitat.

Vegetation removal, earthworks and movement of machinery can crush snakes or remove their shelter. Risk is higher where rocks, logs, litter and dense grass are cleared without a fauna inspection.

  • Use a pre-clearing inspection and fauna spotter catcher where required.
  • Stage clearing and retain suitable habitat where practicable.
  • Set clear stop-work and reporting procedures for snake sightings.
  • Avoid unnecessary disturbance of retained ground cover.

Threats: Roads and vehicle movement

Vehicle strikes are a recognised general risk for snakes. New access tracks, haul routes and construction traffic can increase this risk, particularly where they cross habitat or connect shelter patches.

  • Set low site speeds and brief drivers on snake awareness.
  • Keep vehicles on defined routes.
  • Check traffic areas during daytime fauna inspections.
  • Record injured or dead snakes and review controls if incidents occur.

Threats: Predators

Domestic and feral cats kill White-lipped Snakes. In Tasmania, Laughing Kookaburras are also reported to take a heavy toll on these small reptiles.

  • Do not encourage cats or other predators around work compounds.
  • Secure food waste and construction rubbish.
  • Retain dense ground cover where it can provide refuge from predators.
  • Consider predator management through the project environmental plan.

Threats: Rubbish, netting and entanglement

Rubbish, netting and yabby traps can entangle or injure snakes. Construction materials and waste can also create artificial shelter that is difficult to inspect safely.

  • Remove waste and loose netting from the site promptly.
  • Store materials off the ground where practicable and keep them orderly.
  • Use wildlife-safe netting and inspect traps or similar equipment regularly.
  • Report injured snakes to the authorised fauna handler or relevant wildlife authority.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

White-lipped Snakes are small, mainly diurnal snakes that search through grass, heath, woodland edges and ground debris for skinks. Surveys are most productive in warm conditions, with attention to shelter sites near water.

Map heath, grassland, open woodland, sclerophyll forest, grassy areas near water and sites with abundant rocks, logs or leaf litter.

Check records and conservation requirements for the project state. Treat the species as an EVNT species where the relevant state listing applies, even though it is not listed under the EPBC Act.

Typical size: 35 to 50 cm snout to vent length in the Victorian profile. Tasmanian specimens are commonly 25 to 40 cm head and body length.

Activity: Mainly diurnal

Shelter: Rocks, logs, ground debris and leaf litter

  • Review recent records, habitat condition, proposed clearing and nearby retained habitat.
  • Identify areas where machinery, stockpiles, access tracks or trenching could remove shelter.
  • Confirm whether the project is in South Australia or Tasmania, where the species is listed as Rare, or in another state with different requirements.

Survey methodology: 2. Visual searches

Search slowly and quietly during the day. Walk habitat edges, grassy areas, near-water areas and likely shelter sites before clearing starts.

Inspect the ground surface, not only the vegetation. Look beneath loose debris only where the surveyor is authorised and can do so safely.

Identification features: Slender snake with a white line or white scales along the upper lip. Colour may be grey, brown, black, olive green or green-grey.

Diet: Mainly skinks, with frogs and lizard eggs also recorded

  • Check the edges of rocks, logs and litter for a visible body, movement or a white line along the upper lip.
  • Use a one-person observation approach where possible, with the observer standing far enough away to avoid altering the snake's behaviour.
  • Do not place hands into concealed spaces. Treat every snake as venomous and arrange a trained handler for capture or closer inspection.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and conditions

Schedule searches for warm, settled daytime conditions when snakes are more likely to move or bask. The species can forage on fine winter days, but cold or wet conditions are less suitable for detection.

Repeat searches when the first visit has been affected by cold, rain, strong wind, poor visibility or active construction disturbance.

Breeding information: Young are born live around March and April. Litter size is generally 2 to 10, with 2 to 8 recorded for Tasmania.

Maturity: About three years

  • Give priority to the warmer months, particularly before planned clearing from September to March.
  • Consider additional attention in March and April, when young are born. Avoid assuming that a single visit excludes snakes or recently born young.
  • There is no known regular migration period. Plan surveys around local habitat, weather and the construction footprint rather than a migration window.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and identification

Record every observation, including animals that leave before identification is complete. Photograph the snake from a safe distance where this can be done without causing additional disturbance.

Map the exact location and relate it to the proposed disturbance area and retained habitat.

Behaviour: Usually searches for prey and is mainly active during the day

Territoriality: Territorial, with a Victorian home range of 1 to 3 ha

  • Record date, start and finish time, observers, weather, temperature if measured, ground conditions and habitat type.
  • Record coordinates, direction of travel, behaviour, body size, colour, lip markings and the shelter or substrate used.
  • Record whether the animal was observed, captured, moved, injured or released, and identify the authorised handler involved.
  • Report uncertain identifications for expert confirmation before work proceeds in the area.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Retain habitat first, then use a staged pre-clearance process to reduce the chance of killing or injuring a White-lipped Snake. Requirements depend on the state, the approval pathway and the proposed action.

Confirm the project's environmental approvals before works begin. The White-lipped Snake is not listed under the EPBC Act, but state conservation and wildlife laws still apply.

Obtain any required state permits for survey, capture, handling, relocation or take. Use only people authorised and trained for venomous snake work.

South Australia: Listed as Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

Tasmania: Listed as Rare under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995

EPBC Act: Not listed

  • In South Australia and Tasmania, account for the species' Rare listing and apply the higher level of planning expected for an EVNT species.
  • In New South Wales and Victoria, check current state and local wildlife requirements, despite the species not being listed as threatened in the cited state profiles.
  • For Queensland works, confirm whether the relevant animal is a protected near threatened species and whether a species management program is required before tampering with a breeding place. Do not assume a Queensland approval applies elsewhere.
  • Refer the project under the EPBC Act only if another protected matter or action trigger requires referral.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Retain connected patches of heath, grassland, open woodland and sclerophyll vegetation wherever practicable. Keep rocks, logs, leaf litter and ground debris in retained areas.

Avoid placing access tracks, compounds, stockpiles, trenches and spoil over likely shelter habitat or beside retained habitat where it can be protected by design.

Known habitat: Heaths, grasslands, open woodlands, sclerophyll forests, grasses and areas near water

Known shelter: Rocks, logs, ground debris and leaf litter

  • Mark no-go areas before machinery arrives.
  • Retain links between shelter areas and nearby grass, heath and water-associated habitat.
  • Keep retained habitat free of rubbish, netting and other entanglement hazards.
  • Do not remove rocks, logs or litter from retained habitat merely to make it look tidy.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and exclusion

Complete a pre-clearance search shortly before disturbance, using an ecologist or authorised fauna spotter catcher who can identify and safely manage snakes. A single negative search is not proof that the site is snake-free.

Species-specific exclusion distances and construction buffers have not been established. Set site controls from the risk assessment, habitat quality, state approval and advice from the project ecologist.

Breeding period: Young are born around March and April

Movement information: No regular migration period is established

  • Search the full disturbance footprint and likely escape routes, including beneath loose debris and around grass tussocks, rocks and logs.
  • Install clearly marked exclusion areas around retained shelter and habitat identified for protection.
  • Use temporary exclusion fencing only where it can be installed without trapping snakes or blocking access to retained habitat.
  • Inspect fencing, gates, trenches and pits each day for trapped animals and provide safe escape arrangements under the approved fauna management plan.
  • Schedule clearing outside March and April where practicable. If this cannot be achieved, increase pre-clearance supervision and stop-work readiness because young may be present.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction

Brief all workers before clearing. The induction should cover identification, likely shelter, stop-work authority, safe distances and the approved reporting pathway.

Make clear that workers must never catch, kill, harass or relocate a White-lipped Snake themselves.

Venom: Venomous, but not considered fatal in the cited Victorian profile. Some people may be sensitive to the venom.

  • Show the white lip marking and the range of body colours that may be encountered.
  • Tell workers to stop work, withdraw, warn others and contact the fauna spotter catcher if a snake is seen.
  • Require long sleeves, trousers and covered shoes for authorised handling activities, together with a first-aid kit containing a snake-bite bandage.
  • Display emergency arrangements. Anyone bitten by a snake must receive first aid and immediate medical assistance by calling 000.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear in a controlled sequence, with the fauna spotter catcher able to stop work immediately. White-lipped Snakes are small and can shelter under debris, so machinery must not outrun the search and handling process.

Clear from the less disturbed edge towards retained habitat, allowing animals an opportunity to move into protected areas. Use the sequence approved for the site, and keep the spotter catcher ahead of machinery.

Use low-impact methods around rocks, logs, litter, dense grass and other likely shelter. Remove or disturb cover only when it has been checked.

Foraging style: Searches for prey, mainly skinks

Peak activity: Mainly diurnal

  • Conduct a final visual check immediately before each clearing stage.
  • Clear in small sections rather than opening the entire footprint at once.
  • Keep machinery stopped while the spotter catcher checks a shelter site or directs the operator.
  • Do not drive over a snake, suspected shelter site or temporary exclusion fence.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work and handling

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work for any snake, suspected snake, unsafe condition or damaged exclusion control. Work must not resume until the animal and the risk have been managed.

Only an authorised and experienced person may capture, handle or relocate the snake. Avoid picking it up where possible.

Transport temperature guidance: The vehicle should be air conditioned and not below 20°C

Handling risk: Treat the species as venomous. Juveniles are also venomous.

  • Keep workers and machinery away, and allow the handler to assess the animal from a safe distance.
  • Use a jigger or hook stick where appropriate, or the approved clear tube and secure container method used by a trained handler.
  • Transport a snake in a solid-sided, secured container with air holes. Label the container as containing a venomous snake where required by the plan.
  • Do not provide food or water during short-distance transport unless directed by a wildlife veterinarian or rehabilitation provider.
  • Record the capture and release location, time, handler and reason for movement.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Breeding places and shelter

If a snake is found with young, or a suspected active breeding place is identified, stop work in the immediate area and contact the project ecologist and relevant authority. Do not dismantle the shelter to search for young.

The species gives birth to live young, and specific breeding-place structures are not established. Manage any suspected breeding place as an occupied site until an authorised person advises otherwise.

Litter size: 2 to 10 young, with 2 to 8 recorded in Tasmania

Reproductive mode: Live bearer

  • Prevent workers, vehicles and equipment from entering the affected area.
  • Do not move rocks, logs, litter or other cover associated with the observation unless directed under an approved management plan.
  • In Queensland, do not tamper with a breeding place for a protected near threatened animal without the required species management program.
  • Document the location, evidence, photographs, number of animals and decision made by the ecologist or authority.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or dead animals

Treat an injured White-lipped Snake as a venomous animal. Keep people away and contact an authorised wildlife rehabilitator or wildlife veterinarian.

Do not attempt treatment, feeding or release at the work site.

Common recorded hazards for snakes: Vehicle trauma, predators, people, entanglement, rubbish, netting and yabby traps

  • Stop work around the animal and prevent further disturbance.
  • Note the injury, likely cause, location, time and condition without handling the snake.
  • Use an authorised handler for containment and transport. Keep the container secure, quiet and out of direct heat.
  • If a bite occurs, apply snake-bite first aid and call 000 immediately.
  • Report a dead animal as a fauna incident and retain photographs or other evidence where safe and lawful.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that animals have not been left in the work area and that controls worked as intended. Use the results to improve the next clearing stage and the project fauna plan.

Inspect the completed footprint after each clearing stage and again before construction activities occupy the area. Check pits, trenches, drains, stored materials and edges of retained habitat.

Give particular attention to remaining rocks, logs, litter, grass tussocks and damp areas near water.

Shelter sites to check: Rocks, logs, ground debris and leaf litter

Activity period: Mainly diurnal

  • Search for live, injured or dead snakes and signs of entrapment.
  • Check that exclusion fencing remains intact and that no animal is trapped between fencing and the work area.
  • Keep open trenches and pits managed under the approved fauna plan, with daily fauna inspections where required.
  • Escalate any repeat sightings rather than treating them as isolated events.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated animals

Release a healthy relocated snake only under the project approval and advice of the authorised handler or rehabilitation provider. Choose habitat with adequate shelter and suitable prey, close enough to maintain local ecological context and without placing the snake in a new hazard.

Release in warm conditions when the snake can move to shelter.

Release habitat: Adequate shelter is required

Release temperature: Above 20°C

  • Use the approved release location and record its coordinates.
  • Prefer release during the species' normal daytime activity period.
  • Release only when ambient temperature is above 20°C. The cited guidance prefers a forecast above 20°C for three consecutive days.
  • Do not release in the cooler months. The stated preferred release period is September to March.
  • Do not release beside roads, active machinery, domestic animals or exposed areas lacking shelter.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Reporting and monitoring

Report all records, captures, relocations, injuries, deaths, breeding observations and stop-work events to the project ecologist and approval holder. Submit statutory reports required by the relevant permit or approval.

Monitoring should be scaled to the listing and project risk. South Australian and Tasmanian Rare listings warrant stronger documentation and follow-up than a low-risk site in an area where the species is common.

South Australia and Tasmania: Manage as Rare and apply enhanced oversight, reporting and follow-up

Other mapped states: Check current state requirements and apply controls proportionate to habitat and construction risk

  • Maintain a site register with observation details, photographs, coordinates, habitat, action taken and outcome.
  • Compare records between clearing stages and against pre-clearance results.
  • Monitor retained habitat and known shelter areas during subsequent works, especially where clearing has isolated habitat.
  • Review monitoring results with the ecologist and adjust the work method if snakes continue to enter the construction area.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every snake incident before the next clearing shift or stage. Include the spotter catcher, supervisor, operator and project ecologist in the review.

Look for failures in sequencing, exclusion fencing, induction, habitat retention, lighting, stockpiling or communication.

  • Record what happened, where, when and under which work conditions.
  • Identify a corrective action, responsible person and completion date.
  • Repeat the induction where a worker handled an animal, ignored a stop-work direction or entered an exclusion area.
  • Update the fauna management plan when the incident shows that existing controls are not sufficient.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore the ground structure that White-lipped Snakes use for shelter and foraging. Focus on native vegetation, connected cover and safe access to suitable habitat rather than installing structures that have not been shown to benefit this species.

Re-establish native grasses, heath and open woodland structure appropriate to the local plant community. Retain or reinstate natural ground cover, including suitable logs, rocks and leaf litter where this is safe and consistent with the rehabilitation design.

Keep restored areas connected to retained habitat and avoid creating isolated strips surrounded by hard surfaces.

Relevant habitat: Heaths, grasslands, open woodlands, sclerophyll forests, grasses and areas near water

Shelter: Rocks, logs, ground debris and leaf litter

  • Use locally appropriate native plants and protect them from grazing, mowing and vehicle access while they establish.
  • Replace ground cover progressively as rehabilitation areas become stable.
  • Retain natural basking and shelter opportunities without creating piles that could trap snakes or obstruct fire management.
  • Keep construction rubbish, netting, wire and other entanglement hazards out of rehabilitation areas.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Water, weeds and fire risk

Protect nearby water-associated habitat while avoiding artificial ponds or drainage changes that increase erosion, drowning or access by predators. Maintain natural ground cover around water where practicable.

Control weeds without leaving loose netting, chemical containers or other hazards in the habitat.

Foraging habitat: Grass, heath and other habitats supporting small skinks and occasional frogs

Known threats: Domestic and feral cats, and predation by Laughing Kookaburras in Tasmania

  • Use weed control methods approved for the site and protect native grasses and heath during treatment.
  • Prevent sediment, spills and construction waste from entering retained or restored habitat.
  • Design mowing, slashing and fire management to retain shelter where safety and ecological objectives allow.
  • Inspect restored areas after heavy rain, earthworks and maintenance activities.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Artificial structures

Nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites and roost structures are not recommended as a routine measure for this species. White-lipped Snakes give birth to live young, and no species-specific replacement breeding structure has been established.

Use natural shelter restoration instead. Consider artificial shelter only where the project ecologist designs and approves a trial based on local evidence.

Breeding mode: Live bearer

Established breeding structures: No replacement nest or roost structure is identified for this species

  • Do not install bird nest boxes, bat boxes or roost structures and assume they will replace snake habitat.
  • If an artificial shelter trial is approved, document its design, location, installation date, inspection method and animal use.
  • Ensure any artificial structure cannot create a pit, entrapment point or access route for domestic animals.
  • Remove unsuccessful or damaged structures if they create a hazard.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Predators, lighting and access

Reduce avoidable predator pressure around restored habitat. Domestic and feral cats are recorded predators, and excessive disturbance can reduce the value of shelter areas.

Use lighting only where required for safety and direct it away from retained grass, heath, logs, rocks and water edges.

Recorded Tasmanian predator: Laughing Kookaburras

Recorded domestic predator: Domestic and feral cats

  • Keep cats and dogs out of rehabilitation and release areas.
  • Secure food waste and other attractants that may draw predators to the site.
  • Use downward-directed, shielded lighting and switch off temporary lighting when it is not needed.
  • Limit night access, vehicle movements and repeated disturbance through restored habitat.
  • Maintain signage and barriers that prevent unauthorised access to retained habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation for shelter development, snake use and threats rather than relying only on vegetation survival. The species is poorly covered by species-specific survey and management guidance, so adaptive monitoring is appropriate.

Use repeat daytime searches in warm conditions and compare results with the pre-clearance baseline.

Survey focus: Warm daytime searches of grass, heath, woodland edges, rocks, logs, litter and areas near water

Survey response: Scale repeat surveys and follow-up to the state listing, habitat quality and project risk

  • Record White-lipped Snake sightings, shelter use, injuries, deaths and evidence of reproduction where observed.
  • Track vegetation cover, retained logs and rocks, leaf litter, weed cover, water condition, predator activity and lighting changes.
  • Review monitoring after each construction stage and during the rehabilitation maintenance period.
  • Adjust mowing, weed control, access, lighting and predator controls when monitoring identifies a new risk.
  • Retain monitoring records for permit, approval and future site management reviews.

Sources