Critter Science
  • Zoology
    • Ecology
      • Animal Conservation
        • CITES: Protecting Wildlife
        • Endangered Animals
        • Ex Situ Explained
        • In Situ Explained
      • Ecosystems
        • The Biomes
        • Coastal Erosion
      • Evolution. The Facts.
        • Animal Devolution
        • Arachnids – What are They?
        • Natural Selection
        • Evolution of Amphibians
        • Evolution of Birds
        • Fish and Sharks
        • Natural Selection
        • Primate Language: The Debate
        • What is a Marsupial?
      • Predator vs Prey
      • Producers and Consumers
    • Sustainability
      • Climate Change
      • Global Warming
      • Pollution
        • Air Pollution
        • Land Pollution
        • Light Pollution
        • Microplastics Pollution
        • Noise Pollution
        • Water Pollution
      • Recycling
        • Recycling Plastics
      • Renewable Energy
    • Animal Behavioral Patterns
      • Elephant Communication
      • Types of Animal Dormancy
    • What are Species?
      • Amphibians vs Reptiles
      • Animal Reproduction
      • Claws, Nails, and Talons
      • Frogs vs Toads
      • Fur and Hair
      • Gecko Feet
      • Invasive Species
      • IUCN Statuses
      • The Enigmatic Purr
      • Venom vs Poison
      • What is a Marsupial?
    • About the Critterman
  • Daily Critter Facts
    • Amphibian Facts
      • Frog Facts
      • Newt Facts
      • Salamander Facts
      • Toad Facts
    • Arthropod Facts
      • Arachnid Facts
      • Insect Facts
    • Bird Facts
      • Flightless Bird Facts
      • Predatory Bird Facts
      • Scavenger Bird Facts
    • Cryptozoology
    • Fish Facts
      • Cephalopod Facts
      • Crustacean Facts
      • Jellyfish Facts
      • Reefs
      • Shark and Ray Facts
      • Shellfish Facts
    • Flying Mammal Facts
    • Gastropod Facts
    • Land Mammal Facts
      • Canine Facts
      • Feline Facts
      • Lagomorph Facts
      • Marsupial Facts
      • Mustelid Facts
      • Primate Facts
      • Rodent Facts
      • Ungulate Facts
    • Parasite Facts
    • Reptile Facts
      • Crocodilian Facts
      • Lizard Facts
      • Snake Facts
      • Turtle Facts
    • Sea Mammal Facts
      • Dolphin Facts
      • Porpoise Facts
      • Sea Lion Facts
      • Seal Facts
      • Whale Facts
    • Worm Facts
  • For Teachers
    • Animal Quizzes
      • Amphibians Quiz
      • Bird Quiz
      • Cat Quiz
      • Dolphin Quiz
      • Insect Quiz
      • Reptile Quiz
    • Butterfly Life Cycle
      • Butterfly Metamorphosis
      • World’s Largest Butterfly
      • World’s Largest Moth
    • Metamorphosis – A Frog’s Life Cycle
    • The Cellular Structure of an Animal
    • Insect vs Bug
    • Animal Word Search
    • Coloring Pages
  • Study Guides
    • African Animals
    • Antarctica Animals
    • Asian Animals
    • Australian Animals
    • Central American Animals
    • European Animals
    • North American Animals
    • South American Animals
  • Diseases & Parasites
    • Bsal
    • Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)
    • Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
    • The Deadly Chytrid Fungus
    • All About Parasites
    • The Rabies Virus
    • White-Nose Syndrome
  • Contact
    • General Contact
    • Guest Article Submission
      • Guest Articles
        • Guest Articles – 2024
    • What Critter is This?
    • Animal Welfare Organizations
    • Privacy Policy
Subscribe
brown tree snake

The Troublesome Brown Tree Snake

  • 30 April, 2019
  • Critterman
  • No Comments
  • 1302 Views
  • 1 Likes
Daily Critter Facts, Reptile Facts, Snake Facts

The brown tree snake is an arboreal (lives in trees), rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, eastern Indonesia (Sulawesi to Papua), Papua New Guinea, and a large number of islands in northwestern Melanesia. This snake is quite infamous for being a highly invasive snake species responsible for rooting out and destroying, almost completely, the majority of the native bird population in Guam. It is also one of the very few colubrids found in Australia, where elapids are much more common. It is also one of the few known venomous colubrids.

First the Stats…

Scientific name: Boiga irregularis
Weight: Up to 5 lbs.
Length: Up to 10 feet
Lifespan: Up to 15 years

Now on to the Facts!

1.) This snake is nocturnal (active at night).

2.) The brown snake preys on lizards, bats, birds, and rats, as well as other small rodents in its native range. It preys, almost exclusively, on birds and shrews in Guam.

3.) Brown tree snakes seem to have gotten to Guam via a suspected military shipment and from there began to run rampant.

4.) There are an estimated 2 million of these snakes living on Guam now and are devastating the local fauna as an invasive species does!

5.) The brown tree snakes are arboreal (spend most if not all of their lives in trees).

But wait, there’s more on the brown tree snake!

6.) Typically the female only produces a clutch about twice a year. But on Guam, they produce all year long!

7.) The female produces 4 – 12 leathery oblong eggs. She deposits the eggs in rock crevices, hollow logs, & other sites where they’re more likely to be protected from drying out and from high temperatures.

Did you know…?
The venom is a weak neurotoxin (affects the nervous system) and a cytotoxic (damages cells) with localized effects that don’t have much affect on adults but can have serious medical consequences to children.

8.) When threatened this critter is highly defensive and tends to lunge and strike at their aggressor repeatedly!

9.) A study was performed to determine if the introduction of predators to Guam could help alleviate the invasive tree snake. 2 possible solutions are the introduction of the cane toad and the red-bellied black snake. But there is hesitation in doing this due to the obvious outcomes of other animals being affected too; especially by the highly invasive cane toad.

Now a Short Brown Tree Snake Video!

Also, check out the Critter Science YouTube channel. Videos added frequently!

Want to suggest a critter for me to write about? Let me know here.

Learn more about all kinds of cool critters, right here!
arborealAustraliabrown snakebrown tree snakenocturnalreptilesnaketreevenomvenomous
Critterman

With over 50 years of critter experience to my credit and hundreds of zoology teaching hours to people around the world, I have amassed not only a continuing thirst for critter knowledge but a desire to teach others all I can about the majesty and wonder of our natural world. Critter Science is a culmination of such knowledge. I have hands on as well as book acquired intel on all kinds of critters. Whether they're on land, sea, or in the air. I will never say that I know everything about all animals. That's impossible, even for a savant. But, that being said, ask me any animal question and I'll answer it. If I don't know the answer, I'll get an answer for you!

The Powerful Owl
The Giant Prickly Stick Insect
Related Posts
  • rhinoceros auklet
    The Rhinoceros Auklet 29 August, 2025
  • Tanzanian blue ringleg centipede
    The Tanzanian Blue Ringleg Centipede 28 August, 2025
  • Queensland whistling tarantula
    The Queensland Whistling Tarantula 27 August, 2025
  • Daily Critter Facts
  • Guest Articles
  • BYET
  • Teachers
  • Study Guides
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025, Critter Science. All Rights Reserved.