Fact Check

King Brown Snake

Now that's a snake... a King Brown in Branxton, NSW, Australia.

Published May 17, 2011

Claim:

Claim:   Photograph shows a king brown snake in Australia.


FALSE


Examples:   [Collected via the Internet, May 2011]


That would scare the crap out of us all !!!!

Now that's a snake...

A King Brown in Branxton, NSW, Australia.

Of the Cobra family as most Australian snakes are -- One of the most deadliest snakes in the world
 


Driving along the highway near the Morganza spillway and this was spotted.



 

Origins:   This photograph of a large snake first hit our inbox in May 2011, when it was most commonly described as a picture of a creature that was loosed in Louisiana when the Morganza Spillway was opened to relieve flooding pressures along the Mississippi River. It has also been circulated with text identifying it as a King Brown snake photographed in New South Wales (NSW), Australia; a black mamba from South Africa; and
a snake (of unidentified species) spotted in "Delray [Beach], near Tamarac, Florida."

The identification of the Australian locale appears to be correct, but not the snake's status as a genuine example of reptilian wildlife. According to a discussion thread on reddit, the snake is a sculpture situated alongside Uralba Street in Alstonville, NSW, where one of the site's member photographed herself with the artwork in January 2012:

Last updated:   9 April 2015

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994.

Article Tags