Pseudonaja mengdeni

Last updated

Western brown snake
Darwin July 2014 832.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Pseudonaja
Species:
P. mengdeni
Binomial name
Pseudonaja mengdeni
(Wells & Wellington, 1985)
Western brown snake along fenceline in oat stubble. Mt Barker, Western Australia. Western Brown Snake.jpg
Western brown snake along fenceline in oat stubble. Mt Barker, Western Australia.

The western brown snake (Pseudonaja mengdeni) is commonly known as Mengden's brown snake, [2] and alternatively, gwardar. [3]

Contents

Pseudnaja mengdeni is endemic to Australia. It is highly variable in colour and patterns [2] and is a highly dangerous elapid whose bite can cause severe symptoms resulting in death. [4] It is one of the three species originally classified as Pseudonaja nuchalis along with P. aspidorhyncha , and P. nuchalis. [3]

Taxonomy

Previously the western brown snake was considered a 'morph' form of Pseudonaja nuchalis, recent genetic studies have proven it to be genetically unique. [5]

It is estimated that Pseudonaja nuchalis could include in excess of 10 different species. [5] Although currently there have been 8 species chromosomeally identified species these include: P. aspidorhyncha, P. mengdeni, P. imperator, P. acutirostris, P. gowi, P. carinata, P. kellyi and P. nuchalis. [5]

Description

Pseudonaja mengdeni grows up to a total length of 2m [2] with an average length 1.2m [5] It has slender body and narrow head. [6] Mengden's brown snake is highly variable in colour and patterns, ranging from light brown to almost black. [2] However it has two distinct forms ‘Orange with black head’ or ‘Pale head, grey nape’ [3] The underside along the belly is often cream, yellow, orange, or grey in colouration, frequently consisting of dark orange or grey blotches. [2]

Scales on the head often form a black V or W pattern. [6] Western brown snakes can be confused with the Eastern brown snake which has a pink mouth lining, [4] the Northern brown snake has a purplish/blue-black mouth lining. [7] [8] P. mengdeni has a distinctive large strap-like scale around the front of the snout. [8] To accurately identify this species the scales around the mid-body and along the lips need to be counted. 180-230 ventral scales, 45-70 subcaudals with a divided anal scale and 17 or 19 rows of smooth mid-body scales. [2] However this must only be done by an experienced herpetologist, as a scratch from the fangs can still be fatal from P. mengdeni. [4]

Confusion between the species is largely due to the possible hybridisation between the Pseudonaja species. [3]

The western brown snake is often confused with other Pseudonaja spp. (brown snakes) and also Aspidites melanocephalus (black headed python). [3]

Distribution and habitat

Found from the coast of Western Australia through central Australia to the north-west of New South Wales and western Queensland. The species distribution is poorly defined within its northern limits; [2] however, it is absent from wetter areas of eastern Australia and south-western Western Australia. [9]

Pseudonaja mengdeni is found throughout all dry to arid areas including, woodlands, boree woodlands, sandhill woodlands, mallee woodlands, spinifex deserts, spinifex-covered dunefields, sandplains, stony plains, croplands, grasslands and temperate sclerophyll forests. [2] [10] The western brown snake often found within fallen timber, dead trees, shrubs, native grasses and ground cavities. [4]

Rocky Landscape, Queensland, Australia.JPG
Spinifex Landscape, Queensland, Australia.JPG
Red Sand Dune, Queensland, Australia.JPG

Diet

Pseudonaja mengdeni preys upon small reptiles, mammals, other snakes, ground nesting birds and bird eggs. [2]

Reproduction

Pseudonaja mengdeni is oviparous and can lay up to in excess of 12 eggs per clutch. [5]

Venom

Pseudonaja mengdeni has highly dangerous venom neurotoxic and haemotoxic [3] and can cause severe symptoms resulting in death. [4] Mengden's brown snake is considered dangerously venomous. [10]

Antivenom used in case of envenoming is the brown snake Antivenom [11] If bitten first aid must be applied and medical attention sought.

Behaviour

Pseudonaja mengdeni will rear their fore-body into an S-shape when threatened [10] lifting their head off the ground and open their mouth. [4] Is also a terrestrial species that is diurnal however it can be active on warm nights [4]

Related Research Articles

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Acanthophis is a genus of elapid snakes. Commonly called death adders, they are native to Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands, and are among the most venomous snakes in the world. Despite their common name, they are not adders at all and belong to the Elapidae family. The name of the genus derives from the Ancient Greek akanthos/ἄκανθος ('spine') and ophis/ὄφις ('snake'), referring to the spine on the death adder's tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taipan</span> Genus of snakes

Taipans are snakes of the genus Oxyuranus in the elapid family. They are large, fast-moving, highly venomous, and endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Three species are recognised, one of which, the coastal taipan, has two subspecies. Taipans are some of the deadliest known snakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger snake</span> Highly venomous snake native to southern Australia and Tasmania

The tiger snake is a large and highly venomous snake of southern Australia, including its coastal islands and Tasmania. These snakes are often observed and locally well known by their banding, black and yellow like a tiger, although the species can be highly variable in coloration and patterning. All populations are classified within the genus Notechis (Elapidae). Their diverse characteristics have been classified either as distinct species or by subspecies and regional variation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern brown snake</span> Highly venomous snake native to Australia

The eastern brown snake, often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of highly 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woma python</span> Species of snake

The woma python, also known commonly as Ramsay's python, the sand python, and simply the woma, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae, endemic to Australia. Once common throughout Western Australia, it has become critically endangered in some regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dugite</span> Highly venomous snake native to Western Australia

The dugite is a species of venomous, potentially lethal, snake native to Western Australia, a member of the family Elapidae.

<i>Pseudonaja</i> Genus of snakes

Pseudonaja is a genus of highly venomous elapid snakes native to Australia. Species of this genus are known commonly as brown snakes and are considered to be some of the most dangerous snakes in the world; even young snakes are capable of delivering a fatal envenomation to a human.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King brown snake</span> Highly venomous snake native to Australia

The king brown snake is a species of highly venomous snake of the family Elapidae, native to northern, western, and Central Australia. Despite its common name, it is a member of the genus Pseudechis and only distantly related to true brown snakes. Its alternative common name is the mulga snake, although it lives in many habitats apart from mulga. First described by English zoologist John Edward Gray in 1842, it is a robust snake up to 3.3 m (11 ft) long. It is variable in appearance, with individuals from northern Australia having tan upper parts, while those from southern Australia are dark brown to blackish. Sometimes, it is seen in a reddish-green texture. The dorsal scales are two-toned, sometimes giving the snake a patterned appearance. Its underside is cream or white, often with orange splotches. The species is oviparous. The snake is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though may have declined with the spread of the cane toad.

The spotted mulga snake, also known commonly as Butler's black snake and Butler's snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Western Australia. It is a member of the genus Pseudechis, dangerously venomous snakes that can intimidate an opponent by raising the head and presenting a hood. This cobra-like threat display is supported by the ability to produce a very large amount of venom.

<i>Pseudonaja nuchalis</i> Highly venomous snake native to Australia

Pseudonaja nuchalis, the northern brown snake or gwardar, is a species of very fast, highly venomous elapid snake native to Australia. Its colour and pattern are rather variable, depending largely on its location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal taipan</span> Highly venomous snake native to eastern and northern Australia

The coastal taipan, or common taipan, is a species of highly venomous snake in the family Elapidae. Described by Wilhelm Peters in 1867, the species is native to the coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia and the island of New Guinea. The second-longest venomous snake in Australia, the coastal taipan averages around 2.0 m (6.6 ft) long, with the longest specimens reaching 2.9 m (9.5 ft) in length. It has light olive or reddish-brown upperparts, with paler underparts. The snake is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The Papuan black snake is a venomous snake of the family Elapidae native to New Guinea. Reaching around 2 m in length, it is a predominantly black snake coloured grey underneath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curl snake</span> Species of snake

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-naped snake</span> Species of snake

The red-naped snake is a small venomous reptile from the family Elapidae. The snakes are found in four Australian states and are listed as 'threatened' in Victoria'. They are nocturnal and feed on small skinks. The young eastern brown snake is similar in appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ringed brown snake</span> Highly venomous snake native to Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speckled brown snake</span> Highly venomous snake native to northeastern Australia

The speckled brown snake or spotted brown snake is a species of venomous elapid snake native to northeastern Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strap-snouted brown snake</span> Highly venomous snake native to Australia

The strap-snouted brown snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. P. aspidorhyncha is part of a species complex that also includes P. mengdeni and P. nuchalis; all were formerly included in the latter species.

The eastern hooded scaly-foot or eastern scaly-foot is a species of flap-footed lizard found in the complex heaths of the lower west coast and the spinifex grasslands of mainland Australia. They are popular pets and are often mistaken for snakes due to their limbless appearance.

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References

  1. Shea, G.; Oliver, P.; Wilson, S.; Ellis, R. (2017). "Pseudonaja mengdeni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T42495921A42495923. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T42495921A42495923.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Cogger, Harold (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia (7th ed.). Australia: CSIRO Publishing. p. 926. ISBN   9780643100350.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Beatson, Cecilie. "Animal Species: Western Brown Snakes (nuchalis-complex)". Australian Museum. Australian Museum. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Michael, Damian; Lindenmayer, David (2010). Reptiles of the NSW Murray Catchment, A Guide to Their Identification, Ecology, and Conservation . Australia: CSIRO Publishing. pp.  206–207. ISBN   9780643098206.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Wells, Richard (2002). "Taxonomy of the genus Pseudonaja (Reptilia: Elapidae) in Australia" (PDF). Australian Biodiversity Record (7): 8. ISSN   1325-2992.
  6. 1 2 Edwards, Belinda (2011). Australian Snakes a Pictorial Guide. Australia: The Five Mile Press Pty Ltd. p. 63. ISBN   9781742116181.
  7. Swan, Gerry; Shea, Glenn; Sadlier, Ross (2004). A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales (2nd ed.). Australia: Reed New Holland. p. 256. ISBN   187706906X.
  8. 1 2 Swan, Gerry; Wilson, Steve (2008). What Snake is that? Introducing Australian Snakes. Australia: Reed New Holland. p. 80. ISBN   9781877069574.
  9. Queensland Museum. "Western Brown Snake". Queensland Museum. Queensland Museum. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2008). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia (2nd ed.). Australia: New Holland Publishers. pp. 458–462. ISBN   9781877069468.
  11. The University of Adelaide. "CSL Brown Snake Anitvenom". CSL Antivenom Hand Book. The University of Adelaide. Retrieved 10 October 2014.