Significance to Humans:
Potentially Dangerous
Yellow Faced Whip Snakes are considered potentially Dangerous especially if there are children involved or bitten. A bit from this snake can potentially cause localised pain & severe symptoms. Apply correct first aid and seek medical attention.
General description:
They are a very slender snake with long, thin whip-like tail, which is obviously a trait of the whip snakes. Large prominent eyes with distinctive face markings with a pale creamy or yellow rim around their eye and a dark comma shaped marking curving back underneath the eye. Their body colour is generally pale olive or bluish-grey, often with rusty flush or longitudinal stripes along front-third of body. Belly grayish-green, often yellowish under tail. Dark bar or line with pale edges runs across front of snout from nostril-to-nostril. Scales smooth. Midbody scales at 15 rows. The Yellow Faced Whip Snake grows to around 70cm on average but specimens just under a meter have been recorded. They are a swift moving snake and have the capabilities of catching fast moving prey like lizards and little skinks and geckos. They have good vision and an active hunter and are diurnal. Can be quite hard to catch due to their size and speed. They are found in dry open areas, open forest, woodland, grassland and a frequent species around homes.
Around the home:
This species is commonly seen in a lot of suburbs around the Sunshine Coast. They often are found inside and will enter homes during foraging efforts during the day. Often seen hanging around homes taking advantage of the abundance of skinks and geckos. Whip snake will are a very nervous snake and will often use areas like rock walls, timber piles, sheets of iron, under rocks and other areas as a place to seek refuge. Often mistaken for brown snakes and sometimes a victim of the household cat.