White-crowned Snake - profile

Scientific name: Cacophis harriettae 
 Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Description

The White-crowned Snake is a small, slim snake up to 45 cm long. Its upper body is dark steely-grey to dark grey-brown and the belly is lighter grey. The black crown is encircled by a creamy-white band that is widest on the nape, extending around the sides of the head to enclose the snout. It is mainly nocturnal and reacts to disturbance by raising its head and upper body off the ground and making striking movements, but seldom attempts to bite.

Location and habitat

Distribution
 Coastal and near-coastal areas from central eastern Queensland south to the vicinity of Coffs Harbour in north-east NSW. The western limit is the Legume area near the NSW-Queensland border; however, their stronghold appears to be the middle Clarence Valley.

• Favours low to mid-elevation dry eucalypt forest and woodland, particularly areas with a varied and well-developed litter layer, where their prey of small lizards may be more abundant.
• Also occasionally found in moist eucalypt forest and coastal heathland.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

• Northern Rivers

Threats

• Clearing, fragmentation and isolation of suitable habitat due to agricultural and intensive forestry activities.
• Loss of foraging and sheltering habitat as the result of frequent burning associated with grazing and forest management.
• Collection of firewood, bush rock and mulch from areas of habitat.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 14 priority actions to help recover the White-crowned Snake in New South Wales.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

• Use alternative methods to protect property from fire.
• Allow forest and woodland litter layers to develop by reducing the incidence of fire.
• Do not collect fallen timber for firewood or bush rock for gardens from bushland areas.
• Protect known and potential habitat from clearing, fragmentation and isolation.
• Reconnect areas of known and potential habitat with wide forested corridors.
• Report any records from outside the known distribution to the DEC.

References

• Cogger, H. G. (2000) Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. 6th ed. Reed New Holland, Sydney.
• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002) Threatened Species of the Upper North Coast of NSW: Fauna. NPWS, Coffs Harbour.