Check out Australia Zoo’s King Brown or Mulga Snake!

Don’t miss our you-beaut reptiles that call Australia Zoo home! Our impressive mulga snake, otherwise known as a king brown, can be spotted in Robert’s Reptile House.

Mulgas have the widest distribution of any Australian snake! They are scattered throughout the continent, with the exception of southern and eastern coastlines. They live in a wide variety of environments including shrublands, woodlands and sandy deserts. In order to successfully camouflage into their diverse habitat, they are highly variable in colour, ranging from red, copper, orange and black, through to light and dark brown shades.

Although mulgas are often referred to as the king brown snake, they are actually a distant relative to brown snakes and are, instead, a member of the black snake family!

Mulgas are often spotted seeking refuge from the midday sun in hollow logs and crevasses. During early mornings and late afternoons, they forage for their next meal and on the menu is often reptiles, birds and small mammals.

Mulgas are a highly venomous snake and their venom is produced in huge quantities! A large mulga may deliver over 150 milligrams of venom in one bite, whereas the average tiger snake only produces up to 20 milligrams. Strewth!

Large mulga snakes have few enemies and are a species of are least concern.