Which Australian snakes are non-venomous?

Not all snakes are venomous ans indeed most venomous snakes are dangerous. There are far more non-venomous snakes than venomous ones worldwide, but in Australia the opposite is the case and the majority are venomous. Unfortunately unless you are familiar with snakes it is not possible merely by looking to tell if a snake is venomous or not.

In Australia, four of our seven families are regarded as non-venomous;

• Blind snakes
• Pythons
• File snakes 
• Colour-blinds

The Blind snakes have small shiny worm like bodies with blunt heads ans short tails that end in a spine. Their eyes are reduced to dark spots and the scales are a uniform size around the body (with one enlarged on the belly as in some other snakes). When handled, they have a tendency to emit a strong, pungent odour.

Pythons are muscular , usually heavily built and slow moving. Most Australian pythons have heat-sensing pits in some of the scales of their lips. They all have 30 or more scale rows around the middle of the body and their belly scales are larger than the others. All pythons possess surs(whic are the vestiges of ancestral hind limbs) on either side of their vent.

The File snakes are totally aquatic and have large bodies with baggy skin. Unlike the paddle-like tail of the typical sea snakes, the tails of the file snakes are narrow and can grasp things, so they are useful 'anchors'. The scales are small, very rough and rasp-like.

The Colour-blinds are found across northern Australia and down the east coast. These snakes may be completely non-venomous, although some have enlarged, grooved, poison-conduction fangs at the back of their mouth but even these are not regarded as dangerous.