Dwyer's snake | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Elapidae |
Genus: | Suta |
Species: | S. dwyeri |
Binomial name | |
Suta dwyeri (Worrell, 1956) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Dwyer's snake (Suta dwyeri) [3] also known commonly as the whip snake [4] and the variable black-naped snake, [2] [5] is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia, where it is found from New South Wales to South Queensland. [2] [6] [7] While closely related to Australian sea snakes, [7] S. dwyeri is a terrestrial reptile. [8]
The specific name, dwyeri, is in honor of Australian herpetologist John Dwyer. [9]
There has been a great amount of instability of the nomenclature of many Australian snake taxa, particularly concerning the generic classification of the smaller Elapidae, some of which have been placed in several different genera in the span of just a few decades. [10]
Accordingly, Dwyer's snake, which was originally named Denisonia dwyeri by Worrell in 1956, has been variously called Unechis dwyeri by Cogger in 1983, Suta dwyeri by Valentic in 1998, Suta spectabilis dwyeri by Cogger in 2000, and Parasuta dwyeri by Greer in 2006. [2]
Adult S. dwyeri males average 31 cm (12 inches) in length from the tip of the snout to the uro-genital vent. Females are slightly smaller at around 29 cm (11 inches) in snout-to-vent length (SVL). [11] S. dwyeri has a cylindrical brown body with a slender to medium build. The head is short and somewhat widened so as to be distinct from the neck. The tail is short as well, and the dorsal scales are smooth. The eye is medium-sized, with a vertically elliptical pupil. [12]
Breeders of exotic reptiles advise letting pairs of S. dwyeri mate when they reach a length of about 23 cm (9.1 in) for males and 22 cm (8.7 in) for females. This species is viviparous rather than egg laying and successfully births about three offspring per brood. Newborn S. dwyeri young are about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. [11]
Like other snakes in the family Elapidae, S. dwyeri is venomous and has hollow fangs fixed at the front of the upper jaw. These fangs are connected via ducts to venom glands near the eyes. Like the majority of Australian elapids, Dwyer's snake is inoffensive and mostly harmless. Herpetologists at the Queensland Museum describe Dwyer's snake as "weakly venomous", and do not include it among their list of eight snake species in the Brisbane area considered capable of inflicting potentially fatal bites. [8] A 25-year-old man in Western Sydney mildly describes a snakebite from this species by saying that he was:
... bitten on the finger by a Suta dwyeri once. The bite did not hurt at all. But little did I know he had left his fang in my finger. A couple of days later it got a tiny bit infected and hurt for a couple of days ... nothing major though. [13]
When threatened P. dwyeri prefers to coil into a tight ball as a defense mechanism for protection from larger predators. This enables the snake to protect its head and more vulnerable areas of its body. [4]
S. dwyeri is a secretive, nocturnal snake that seeks shelter under rocks, debris, and ground litter, and may make its home in burrows made and abandoned by other creatures. Open woodland, grassland, and rocky areas are its preferred natural habitats. [1]
S. dwyeri feeds mainly on small lizards such as geckos and skinks. [12]
The eastern brown snake, often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It was first described by André Marie Constant Duméril, Gabriel Bibron, and Auguste Duméril in 1854. The adult eastern brown snake has a slender build and can grow to 2 m (7 ft) in length. The colour of its surface ranges from pale brown to black, while its underside is pale cream-yellow, often with orange or grey splotches. The eastern brown snake is found in most habitats except dense forests, often in farmland and on the outskirts of urban areas, as such places are populated by its main prey, the house mouse. The species is oviparous. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the snake as a least-concern species, though its status in New Guinea is unclear.
The mud adder, also known commonly as Devis's banded snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to certain regions of eastern Australia, including South West Queensland, northern New South Wales, north-west Victoria, and South Australia. Its scientific and common names refer to Charles Walter De Vis.
Drysdalia is a genus of snakes, commonly known as crowned snakes, belonging to the family Elapidae. The three species in this genus are venomous snakes, but not considered deadly.
Paroplocephalus is a genus of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species Paroplocephalus atriceps, the Lake Cronin snake. The species is endemic to western Australia.
The bandy-bandy, also commonly known as the hoop snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The word bandy-bandy (bandi-bandi) traces back to the indigenous dialect of Kattang, from the Taree region, New South Wales. There are 5 known species of bandy-bandy, all of which are endemic to Australia.
The highland copperhead, also known as Ramsay's copperhead, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae endemic to Australia.
Suta is a genus of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae. The genus is endemic to mainland Australia.
The curl snake is a species of venomous, heavily built snake in the family Elapidae. The species, which is native to Australia, is also known more commonly in Western Australia as the myall snake. The curl snake is often confused with a similar species named the Ord curl snake.
Hemiaspis damelii is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. It is a relatively small species of elapid with a mean snout-vent length (SVL) of 42.6 to 60 cm. The species is endemic to eastern Australia and is most commonly found across central inland New South Wales through to the interior of south-eastern Queensland. Common names for this species include ngabi, grey snake and Dämel's Snake. The specific name, damelii, is in honor of German entomologist Edward Dämel, who collected Australian specimens for Museum Godeffroy.
The western brown snake is commonly known as Mengden's brown snake, and alternatively, gwardar.
Rhinoplocephalus is a genus of snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing the sole species Rhinoplocephalus bicolor, known commonly as the square-nosed snake, Müller's snake, or Muller's [sic] snake. The species is endemic to south-western Australia.
Ingram's brown snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The yellow-naped snake, also known commonly as Barnard's snake, is a small species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to northeastern Australia.
Shine's whipsnake also known commonly as Shine's Australian whipsnake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The monk snake, also known commonly as the hooded snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to central and western Australia.
The Mallee black-backed snake also known as the Mitchell's short-tailed snake or more commonly as the black-backed snake, is a species of venomous snake from the family Elapidae. This species is native to Australia and is found in a variety of habitats in southern mainland Australia.
The little whip snake, also known commonly as the whip hooded snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
The spectacled hooded snake, also known commonly as the Port Lincoln snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to central-southern Australia. There are three recognized subspecies.
Gould's hooded snake, also known commonly as the black-headed snake and Gould's black-headed snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Western Australia.
Cryptophis boschmai, also known commonly as the Carpentaria snake or the Carpentaria whip snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Australia and New Guinea.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) The good, the bad and the ugly: Australian snake taxonomists and a history of the taxonomy of Australia’s venomous snakes