Brendan, Smythes Creek.

We have provided another photo. Your snake is a little whip snake, widespread around Ballarat, particularly in native grassy country and open woodlands with rocks, soil cracks and other sheltering places.

They can grow to about 40cm, but often shorter. Your photo showed obvious injury but no flesh eaten, so the cause of death is a mystery. Perhaps it was killed by a cat.

A young brown snake is similar, but the black marking on the head is slightly different. The little whip snake is mostly nocturnal.

It mainly feeds on skinks which it captures while they sleep. It also eats beetles and other invertebrates..