The mulga steers clear of threats and rarely makes an appearance anywhere near humans. But in a land of killer creatures, this big Australian snake sits near the top of the list of deadly animals. This snake's fangs are primed with more venom than any other serpent in the world, and it can deliver a huge load of it in one bite. Day and night, the mulga hunts for prey. Always on the lookout for potential enemies, the snake will strike if it's cornered.
Flat-Out: When threatened by an enemy, the mulga flattens its body and spreads the skin of its neck wide, like a cobra. If this doesn't scare the attacker off, the snake bares its fangs and hisses loudly to startle its enemy.
Stopped Dead: Rather than chasing animals over terrain, this snake prefers to ambush prey. When the mulga bites, its venom attacks the victim's muscles, causing them to freeze up almost instantly so the victim can't run away.
Deadly O.D.[]
Desert dwelling mulgas come in colors that match the sand.
The mulga is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous snakes in all of Australia. Though its venom is nowhere near as toxic as such serpents as the fierce snake or sea krait, the mulga injects a lot of it with every bite-more than any other snake in Australia. The snake strikes like any other, but doesn't let go once it has sunk its fangs into a victim. Instead, it moves its jaws in a "chewing" motion, pumping more venom into the bite wound so its effects will hit the victim quickly.
Mistaken Identity: Although the mulga's scales are reddish-brown in color, the creature is a member of the black snake family. Black snakes have thicker bodies than brown snakes, and are generally more sluggish.
Day or Night: This snake lets the weather dictate its habits. During the summer, the mulga usually hunts in the cool of the night. During the winter, it's active mostly during the day—and often seeks shelter in warm places at night, including near people's homes.
Seeing Brown[]
- A man goes out to work on his broken-down truck one cold morning, but is unaware that a mulga had slithered underneath his truck's hood, in search of warmth during the night.
- As the man begins working, his actions disturb the snake. The man is too busy to notice the mulga's threatening gestures-until it rears up and bites him on the wrist.
- The man goes to the hospital and describes the snake's coloring to the doctors. They think it's a brown snake, so they give him the wrong antivenom, putting him in great danger.