Tiger Snake

Snakes * Venomous Snakes * Snake Identification * Common Australian Species

21 May

The Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus)

The Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) is one of the most dangerously venomous snakes in Australia. In the Sydney region they are no longer common — but they have not disappeared, and for residents of the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the wetter pockets of bushland around the city's edge, Tiger Snake awareness is still part of basic snake safety.

We attend few Tiger Snake call-outs across the metropolitan area itself. The species has largely retreated from heavily urbanised Sydney over the past several decades. Most of our Tiger Snake work now sits on the bush-edge fringes — particularly in the Blue Mountains and around the wetter parts of the Greater Sydney region. In 2025 we attended homes with Tiger Snake’s in Arcadia, Blaxland, Katoomba and one memorable one in Dundas.

Identification

Tiger Snakes are one of the most variable snakes in Australia. The name suggests banding, but plenty of Tiger Snakes show no banding at all — and the colour ranges from pale tan through olive and grey to almost black.

In the Sydney region, Tiger Snakes typically show:

Robust, muscular build with real bulk
Length up to 1.2 metres
Broad head, distinctly wider than the neck
Subdued bands of tan, brown and grey across the body
Darker bands across the face
A yellow tint often visible along the sides
Smooth, slightly glossy scales
Round pupils

The broad, blocky head and the muscular body are the most useful identifying features when the banding is faint. Tiger Snakes are built more solidly than Brown Snakes or Whip Snakes.

What gets confused with a Tiger Snake

The most common confusion is with the Highland Copperhead (Austrelaps ramsayi). The two species share habitat in the highland parts of the Sydney region and can look superficially similar — but Copperheads are generally more uniformly coloured, often with reddish or coppery tones, and lack the distinct banding seen in many Tiger Snakes.

In darker, more uniform individuals, Tiger Snakes can also be confused with Red-bellied Black Snakes — but Red-bellied Blacks have glossy black backs and the distinctive red flanks. Tiger Snakes never have that combination.

In Tiger Snake habitat, treat any unidentified snake as potentially venomous until a licensed reptile catcher confirms otherwise.

Where they live in the Sydney region

Tiger Snakes are wetland specialists, tied to frogs and damp ground. The Sydney distribution reflects this — they have largely disappeared from the metropolitan area but remain present in:

The Blue Mountains, particularly the Upper Blue Mountains
The Southern Highlands and adjacent country
Wetter bushland reserves around the city's edge
Parts of the Royal National Park
Higher-elevation parts of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Properties bordering national parks in higher-rainfall areas

If you live in the Blue Mountains and you have a creek, a swampy gully, or frogs calling on summer evenings, Tiger Snakes are part of your local fauna whether you have seen one or not.

Behaviour

The Tiger Snake's reputation for standing its ground is largely deserved. They are quicker to defend themselves than most Australian elapids and will sometimes hold position where another species would retreat.

The defensive display:

Flattens the neck and forebody into a broad, cobra-like shape
Raises the front portion of the body off the ground
Hisses loudly
Strikes with force and accuracy
Does not always retreat once committed

Crucially, Tiger Snakes can be reluctant to give ground when cornered. This is not aggression so much as confidence — they have enough venom and capability that retreat isn't always their first instinct. Most encounters still resolve themselves if the snake is given a clear path and time to leave, but the margin is narrower than with most Sydney species.

The dramatic encounters almost always involve a snake that has been startled at close range, cornered, stepped on, or actively threatened. A Tiger Snake that has seen you from 5 metres away and is moving toward cover is not a problem. A Tiger Snake you've blocked into a corner is.

How dangerous they are

Tiger Snake venom is ranked among the most toxic land snake venoms in the world. It is:

Highly neurotoxic — affects the nervous system
Strongly procoagulant — causes dangerous blood clotting
Myotoxic — destroys muscle tissue

What a bite involves:

Significant pain at the bite site, though sometimes minimal initially
Rapid onset of neurotoxic effects — drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, progressing paralysis
Coagulation disturbance with potential for severe bleeding
Muscle damage
Without prompt treatment, death from respiratory failure
With antivenom and supportive care, survival is the usual outcome

Tiger Snakes were historically responsible for a significant share of Australian snakebite deaths. Modern antivenom and improved emergency response have dramatically reduced fatalities, but the species remains capable of killing a person within hours if a bite is untreated.

The risk to dogs

The risk to dogs in Tiger Snake habitat is severe. Bites typically cause rapid collapse, paralysis and respiratory difficulty. Without immediate veterinary treatment and antivenom, mortality is high.

If you live in Tiger Snake country and have dogs, know where the nearest 24-hour vet with Tiger Snake antivenom is located. Don't find out after the fact.

Breeding

Tiger Snakes are live-bearing, like Red-bellied Blacks and unlike most Australian elapids. Mating is in spring. Females give birth to 15 to 30 live young — sometimes more — in late summer. The young are fully independent and fully venomous from birth.

The live-bearing strategy is an adaptation to cooler climates. Carrying developing young internally lets the female regulate their temperature through her own basking, which matters in the cool damp conditions where Tiger Snakes do best.

What to do if you find one at your home

The response is the same as for any dangerously venomous snake, with the caveat that Tiger Snakes are less inclined to give ground than most.

Immediately:

Stop. Don't move suddenly.
Back away slowly. Aim for at least 5 metres.
Keep children, pets and other people clear
Watch where the snake goes from a safe distance — if it disappears into cover, keep watching the spot where you last saw it

Then call us on 0418 633 474. We attend 24/7 across the Greater Sydney region, including the Blue Mountains. Stay on the phone — we'll talk you through what to do while the catcher is on the way.

What not to do:

Don't try to kill it. Tiger Snakes will defend themselves vigorously, and the majority of bites occur during attempted killings.
Don't try to catch it. This is not a species for amateur handlers under any circumstances.
Don't stand close enough to photograph. 5 metres is the minimum.
Don't assume the snake will move on quickly. Tiger Snakes will often hold a basking spot for extended periods.

If someone is bitten

A confirmed or suspected Tiger Snake bite is a true medical emergency.

Call 000. Mention "Tiger Snake" if the identification is confident — it's medically significant for antivenom selection.
Keep the patient still and calm. Movement spreads venom rapidly.
Apply pressure immobilisation bandaging — broad firm bandage at the bite site, wrapping along the limb in both directions, splint the limb. As firm as for a sprained ankle.
Don't wash the bite — venom traces help antivenom selection.
Don't cut, suck or apply a tourniquet.
Don't give the patient anything to eat or drink.
Photograph the snake from a safe distance only if you can do so without delaying treatment.

For pet bites, the same urgency applies. Get the animal to a 24-hour vet immediately and call ahead.

Reducing risk on your property

If you live in Tiger Snake country — the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, wetland-adjacent properties — these measures reduce risk:

Keep grass short within at least 10 metres of the house
Clear rock piles, timber stacks and clutter from immediately around buildings
Maintain pond margins but keep them visible — dense vegetation right up to water increases encounter risk
Address rodent problems
Seal gaps in foundations, brickwork and around pipework
Block gaps under sheds, decks and outbuildings
Use a torch outside at dawn, dusk and after dark
Wear long pants and closed shoes in the garden through snake season
Keep dogs on lead near creeks, dams and dense vegetation
Know where your nearest 24-hour vet with antivenom is located

A note for Blue Mountains residents

In the Blue Mountains, Tiger Snake awareness should be part of standard household knowledge. The species is present in many areas — particularly properties with bushland frontages, damp gullies, and creek or dam access.

This doesn't mean Tiger Snakes are constantly underfoot. Most Blue Mountains residents go years without seeing one. But the species is there, and the right precautions, identification skills and emergency response knowledge can prevent the rare encounter from becoming a serious incident.

Summary

The Tiger Snake is one of Australia's most dangerously venomous snakes — historically a major cause of snakebite deaths, and still capable of killing a person within hours without treatment. They are largely gone from metropolitan Sydney but remain present in the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the cooler, wetter parts of the Greater Sydney region. They are wetland specialists, closely tied to frogs and damp habitats, and they defend themselves more readily than most Sydney snakes.

The right response to finding one is to stop, back away slowly, keep pets and children clear, watch where the snake goes, and call a licensed reptile catcher. If anyone is bitten, treat it as a life-threatening emergency.

Found a Tiger Snake at your home? Urban Reptile Removal operates 24/7 across the Greater Sydney region, including the Blue Mountains. Licensed, insured, and equipped for the most dangerous species we work with. Call 0418 633 474 — day or night.