Any of several species of all-black or nearly all-black snakes.
Australian black snakes are in the elapid genus Pseudeschis . The black snake of Australian wetlands ( P. porphyriacus ) grows to an average length of 5 ft (1.5 m). If annoyed, it expands its neck, cobra fashion. Its venom is rarely fatal. Other Australian black snakes are the mulga snake ( P. australis ) and the spotted black snake ( P. guttatus ). North American black snakes include two species in the family Colubridae: the black racer and the pilot black snake ( Elaphe obsoleta ).