by Aimee

The Common brown snake is also called the Eastern brown snake or false Cobra. It is a fast, fierce snake. It feeds on rats, birds, mice, lizards and other snakes. This snake is easily angered.

Common brown snakes have a solid coloured body that is light to dark brown or green-grey. The belly is lighter with orange, grey or brown blotches. Newly hatched snakes have a black head and banded body. The common brown snake grows to approximately 1.5 metres in legth. It is a venomous snake. A special feature of the snake is the shedding of his skin as he grows. He does this by pushing his snout against a hard object, like a branch. The skin splits open near the jaw. The snake crawls forward, pushing against rocks and bushes and the old skin slips off. The snake has a nice soft skin underneath.

The common brown snake can be found in a variety of habitats, from arid scrubland to wet coastal eucalyptus forests. They like to hide under logs, in rock heaps and in tall grass. It is found in eastern Australia.

Most snakes bury their eggs in a little soil or rotting vegetation. Oxygen and moisture, for the young snakes' growth, is absorbed through the shell and the yolk provides food. The eggs of snakes are soft and flexible. The length of time the snake takes to hatch depends on the temperature. The snake's eggs hatch in twelve to fourteen weeks. The unborn snake grows an egg tooth on its snout, to help it break out of its shell. It falls off when the snake sheds its first skin.

The common brown snake is unique because when it is ready to strike, it flattens its neck and rises up in an "S" shape, like a cobra.

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