Ceridwen, I wonder how many non-Australians know what the Australian red bellied snake and the brown snake are. Your casual references to them gives no indication. Both are members of the same family as cobras, mambas, kraits and coral snakes among others. According to the wikipedia entry for the brown snake, it is the world's second most venomous land snake. Your poor dogs! Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA where we have local snake species called red bellied snake and brown snake - ours are strictly of the harmless garden variety.