Golden-crowned snake

The golden-crowned snake is a small Australian elapid snake. Like other ''Cacophis'' species, the Golden Crowned-snake is a forest specialist, particularly rainforest. Their average length is generally 50 cm long, but may reach 90 cm, making it the largest of the Crowned-snakes. They are only mildly venomous, however will bluff and mock bite if threatened, rearing into an S-shape to display their bright orange ventral pigmentation. Bites from larger individuals may present a health risk, however they are more likely to attempt to intimidate those they feel threatened by. Their diet consists mostly of skinks and other small lizards which they hunt at night; they may also take frogs and tadpoles.

They are localised to eastern Australia, from Canberra, ACT, to Cairns, QLD; this snake prefers deeper forested areas, particularly rainforest on mountain slopes, however they can show up in suburbs near waterways and moist environments with good ground cover and shelter.