The white-crowned snake (Cacophis harriettae) is a weakly venomous snake found in the moist and humid coast of Queensland, Australia. These dark-colored small snakes belong to the Elapidae family of cobras. The characteristic description of all Cacophis snake species is that these snakes are mildly or weakly venomous. White-crowned snakes are no exception. They are only active at night and spend most of their daytime under rocks and inside logs. These snakes populate the east moist coast of Queensland in large numbers.The absence of major threats in their native habitat has caused their population to grow and it is unlikely to decline in the near future. They also occur in numerous protected areas after this snake species was classified as vulnerable in New South Wales. However, the white-crowned snake distribution is uncommon in New South Wales and they are rarely found in this region. Since they prefer living in damp shelters, these snakes are occasionally found under leaf litter, inside debris on the ground, or digging in manmade rubbish.To know more facts about the snakes, keep on reading these facts. If you like reading these facts, you can also check our facts on sea snakes or king snakes.
Fun White-crowned Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-15
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type Dry scales
What were their main threats? No Threats
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Moist Damp Habitat
Locations Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
White-Crowned Snake Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a white-crowned snake?White-crowned snakes (Cacophis harriettae) are a type of snake.What class of animal does a white-crowned snake belong to?White-crowned snakes (Cacophis harriettae) of the Squamata order and Elapidae family belong to the class Reptilia, the common class for all reptiles. They belong to the family of cobras.How many white-crowned snakes are there in the world?The population of white-crowned snakes has not been estimated as of yet. The main reason behind this is that these snakes are nocturnal. This species is considered to be fairly common throughout their local range as they are visible frequently roaming around at night in their native habitat. Currently, there is no record of any substantial threat faced by this species in its wild habitat, helping their population to grow.Where does a white-crowned snake live?White-crowned snakes are an endemic snake species of Australia. The distribution of these snakes is restricted to the eastern moist coast of Queensland. They are found in the mid-eastern ridge of Queensland, close to Coffs Harbour located in the northern and northeastern corner of New South Wales. These weakly venomous snakes also occur in the Rockhampton region of Queensland. They are most commonly encountered in the suburbs and inner town of Brisbane and are also distributed abundantly throughout the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim.What is a white-crowned snake’s habitat?The proper description of an ideal white-crowned snake habitat is given as moist and damp places with humid climates and thick ground cover. However, these snakes have also been recorded in dry regions like moderately elevated eucalyptus forests, open woodlands, rock outcrops, and sclerophyll forests. They emerge at night in search of food. This snake can also adapt easily to suburban areas.Who do white-crowned snakes live with?They are nocturnal in nature like pit vipers and they only come out of their nests only at night. It is difficult to spot them in daylight and because of their elusive nature, there is not much known regarding their living habits and lifestyle. It is believed that they are a solitary species that roam alone in the night in search of food.How long does a white-crowned snake live?Unfortunately, the lifespan of the white-crowned snake has not been determined. The lifespan of all Australian crown snake species of the Cacophis genus is unknown.How do they reproduce?The reproductive behavior of this snake species is not well studied therefore there is very little information about the copulating and mating habits of males and females. The white-crowned snake species is oviparous in nature and females give birth to young ones by laying eggs. These snakes lay multiple eggs in a single clutch. The litter size varies between 2-15 eggs in a single brood. The snout-vent length of the hatchlings at the time of birth, that is their length from the head up to the tip of the tail, is approximately 6 in (15 cm).What is their conservation status?According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN, the white-crowned snake is listed as a species of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. These snakes are distributed over a fairly large range extending throughout the moist coast of Queensland in Australia. Although they are absent from New South Wales, the snake’s distribution is yet considered to be large enough to reach the threshold of endangered species.White-Crowned Snake Fun FactsWhat do white-crowned snakes look like?The white-crowned snake is a dark-colored slender snake with a small body and oval-shaped head. These snakes have dark brown to steely gray upper parts starting from the head to the tail with dark metallic gray color in the belly region. They have a creamish or whitish band called a crown on the top of the head. This band extends up to the snout and sides of the head.We’ve been unable to source an image of a white-crowned snake and have used an image of a European grass snake instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of white-crowned snake, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].How cute are they?The white-crowned snake generally does not attracts humans because of its slimy nature.How do they communicate?Like all other snakes, the white-crowned snake communicates by chemical cues.How big is a white-crowned snake?The white-crowned snake can grow up to a length of 16 in (40.6 cm). They are around 10 times smaller in length than king cobras.How fast can a white-crowned snake run?The white-crowned snake does not run, they glide along the surface. However, the speed of their movement is unknown.How much does a white-crowned snake weigh?The weight of a white-crowned snake has not been determined because of its unavailability.What are the male and female names of the species?A male and female snake do not have any specific name, both are called white-crowned snakes.What would you call a baby white-crowned snake?A baby snake is called a nestling or hatchling.What do they eat?These snakes are carnivorous in nature. They feed on lizards and skink eggs.Are they poisonous?Yes, they are weakly venomous.Would they make a good pet?No, they do not make good pets.Did you know…These snakes do not have a strong bite. They warn their threats or predators using a buff display rather than a bite.What are the different types of crowned snake?There are four types of crowned snake. These are the dwarf crowned snake, northern crowned snake, golden-crowned snake, and white-crowned snake.How deadly are white-crowned snakes?Although white-crowned snakes are venomous, their bite is not harmful to humans. These weakly venomous snakes rarely bite. White-crowned snake bite symptoms may include swelling and pain. It is better to seek medical attention immediately.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles from our black-necked spitting cobra facts and krait facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable snake coloring pages.We’ve been unable to source an image of a white-crowned snake and have used an image of a European grass snake instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of white-crowned snake, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].
What type of animal is a white-crowned snake?
White-crowned snakes (Cacophis harriettae) are a type of snake.
Fun White-crowned Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-15
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type Dry scales
What were their main threats? No Threats
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Moist Damp Habitat
Locations Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
Fun White-crowned Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-15
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type Dry scales
What were their main threats? No Threats
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Moist Damp Habitat
Locations Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
Fun White-crowned Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-15
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type Dry scales
What were their main threats? No Threats
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Moist Damp Habitat
Locations Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
Fun White-crowned Snake Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-15
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type Dry scales
What were their main threats? No Threats
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Moist Damp Habitat
Locations Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
What do they prey on? Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-15
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type Dry scales
What were their main threats? No Threats
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Moist Damp Habitat
Locations Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
What do they prey on? Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-15
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type Dry scales
What were their main threats? No Threats
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
What do they prey on?
Lizard and skink eggs
What do they eat?
Carnivore
Average litter size?
2-15
How much do they weigh?
N/A
How long are they?
16 in (40.6 cm)
How tall are they?
What do they look like?
Gray-brown with a white or cream crown
Skin Type
Dry scales
What were their main threats?
No Threats
What is their conservation status?
Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Moist Damp Habitat
Locations Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
Where you’ll find them?
Moist Damp Habitat
Locations
Queensland
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Cacophis
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Cacophis
Class Reptilia
Family Elapidae
