Eastern Brown Snake Attack: Deadly Snake Bites Australian Woman in Her Bed, Placing Her in 'Serious Condition'

A snake attack placed an Australian woman in "serious condition" after being bitten by an eastern brown snake in her hand while sleeping, according to reports on Friday, January 12.

The woman in her 20s, based in the Western Downs region of Toowoomba in Queensland, encountered the reptile that seemed to have come out of nowhere on early Friday morning, the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) says.

The eastern brown snake, which is native to central-eastern Australia and southern New Guinea, is not to be taken lightly since it is a species of venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. Experts in recent years explained that an untreated eastern brown snake bite can kill a person in under half an hour. However, the survival rate is increased if the victim seeks medical attention.

Eastern Brown Snake Attack

An unretrieved photo from the QAS shows that the eastern brown snake was lurking under the bed covers.

Following the reptile attack, the Queensland woman was airlifted to a Toowoomba Hospital. The spokesperson of Darling Downs Health which owns the hospital, told the media the patient's condition is still serious, despite being reported by the QAS that she was in stable condition during the flight.

According to the aeromedical organization, LifeFlight Australia, headquartered in Brisbane, the woman's family applied bandages on the snake bite before the QAS paramedic arrived. The victim somehow survived the incident after emergency responders applied an anti-venom on the patient.

Furthermore, the patient reportedly believed that she was bitten by an eastern brown snake.

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What is the Eastern Brown Snake?

The eastern brown snake, often called the common brown snake, is a medium-sized snake with a body color ranging from any shade of brown to near black, and light tan. This Australian native snake species has grown in population due to the available supply of rodents following a widespread clearing of land for agriculture in the country, according to the Australian Museum.

Australia is a place known for its unique and diverse wildlife. However, it is also a haven for venomous and deadly creatures, ranging from snakes to spiders.

For decades, there have been multiple recorded attacks by different snake species on humans across the Australian landscape.

One of these species includes the eastern brown snake.

In October 2023, a suspected eastern brown snake attacked a 25-year-old man who was working at a grain receiving site in Nullawil, Victoria, at that time. The grain worker later succumbed to the snake's venom and died in a hospital.

In September 2020, a similar eastern brown snake attack occurred in Queensland, where a 40-year-old man died in Cairns Hospital two days later after encountering the deadly venomous snake.

In February 2018, a 46-year-old man in Deeragun, Queensland, collapsed after being bitten by an eastern brown snake. Prior to his collapse, the victim even managed to go to his neighbor who he was supposed to ask for help in identifying the reptile.

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