The Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) is a venomous snake native to Australia, known for its striking appearance with glossy black upperparts and bright red or orange flanks. Typically averaging around 1.25 meters in length, this snake is one of eastern Australia’s most commonly encountered species. While it possesses venom that can cause significant illness, it is generally not aggressive and tends to retreat from human encounters, with no recorded deaths from its bite. Found in woodlands, forests, swamplands, and urban areas, the Red-bellied Black Snake forages in shallow water, preying mainly on frogs, but also on fish, reptiles, and small mammals. Although classified as a least-concern species by the IUCN, its population is believed to be declining due to habitat fragmentation and diminishing frog populations.
