It was the first Australian elapid snake described. Incorrectly assuming it was harmless and not venomous, he wrote, "This beautiful snake, which appears to be unprovided with tubular teeth or fangs, and consequently not of a venomous nature, is three, sometimes four, feet in nature." The species name is derived from the Greek porphyrous, which can mean "dark purple", "red-purple" or "beauteous". The red-bellied black snake was first described and named by English naturalist George Shaw in Zoology of New Holland (1794) as Coluber porphyriacus. The snake is a least-concern species according to the IUCN, but its numbers are thought to be declining due to habitat fragmentation and decline of frog populations. It forages in bodies of shallow water, commonly with tangles of water plants and logs, where it hunts its main prey item, frogs, as well as fish, reptiles, and small mammals. Victims can also lose their sense of smell.Ĭommon in woodlands, forests, swamplands, along river banks and waterways the red-bellied black snake often ventures into nearby urban areas. The venom contains neurotoxins, myotoxins, and coagulants and has haemolytic properties. Although its venom can cause significant illness, no deaths have been recorded from its bite, which is less venomous than other Australian elapid snakes. It is not aggressive and generally retreats from human encounters, but can attack if provoked.
Averaging around 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) in length, it has glossy black upperparts, bright red or orange flanks, and a pink or dull red belly. Originally described by George Shaw in 1794 as a species new to science, it is one of eastern Australia's most commonly encountered snakes. The red-bellied black snake ( Pseudechis porphyriacus) is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae, indigenous to Australia. Range of red-bellied black snake (in red)
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