Pygmy copperhead | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Elapidae |
Genus: | Austrelaps |
Species: | A. labialis |
Binomial name | |
Austrelaps labialis (Jan, 1859) | |
Distribution (in green; click to enlarge) | |
Synonyms | |
Alecto labialis Jan, 1859 |
The pygmy copperhead (Austrelaps labialis) is an Australian venomous elapid snake species [1] [2] found on Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. [3] It is from the Austrelaps genus along with two other species of copperhead, the Highland and Lowland copperhead snakes.
Adult pygmy copperhead snakes grow to an average of 80 cm (31 in) [4] making it the smallest of Australian copperheads. It preys on small reptiles and frogs. [5] Their bite is considered possibly lethal [6] but they are unlikely to attack unless stepped on or purposely provoked. [3]
They are not considered to be in need of conservation.
The pygmy copperhead was first described as the Alecto Labialis by Giorgio Jan in 1859. [7] This name was also briefly given to the White-lipped Snake in 1873 by Jan and associate Ferdinando Sordelli. [8]
It was formerly included in Austrelaps superbus [2] which, at the time, also included the highland and lowland copperhead snakes under the same name. The three species were officially separated in 1991 in a publication from P. A. Rawlinson, detailing key differences in appearance, distribution and behaviour between each type. [9] This publication renames the pygmy copperhead to Austrelaps labialis, with Austrelaps superbus remaining the name for the highland copperhead.
Snake-catcher Raymond Hoser has disputed the separation of species in Austrelaps, claiming the main separation is related only to environmentally influenced changes. [10] His paper has however been challenged by the wider community. [11]
The common naming of the snake refers to the colouration of the scales on top of its body and those surrounding the snake’s snout and eyes, [12] and "pygmy" refers to the species being smaller than the highland and lowland counterparts. Other common names include the pigmy copperhead, dwarf copperhead, [4] Adelaide Hills copperhead and Jan’s copperhead. [13]
It is not closely related to the American copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix (Viperidae).
The pygmy copperhead is the smallest of Australian copperhead snakes. It is expected for the males to grow to a larger size than the females, but the pygmy copperhead's ratio is more marked than most other snake species. [14] On average, the adult male snake reaches 80 cm (31.5 in) in length, with larger specimens reaching 120 cm (47.2 in) long. [4] The total length the snake can reach has been debated, with previous publications and research only finding specimens of 60 cm, 70 cm and 85 cm. [5] [15] [16]
On both sexes, the dorsal scales come in shades of brown to grey, with a notable darker stripe along the spine. [16] The abdominal area is cream to light-grey in colouration, with varying intensities of red along the edges before transitioning to the brown-grey backside. [16] The labial scales of the pygmy copperhead are barred [5] with dark colouration. [16] There can be from 140 to 165 ventral scales and 35–55 subcaudal scales, with an average of 15 rows of scales along their mid-bodies, and a single anal scale. [5]
Newborns often have paler backsides in comparison to adult pygmy copperheads.
The pygmy copperhead is endemic to Australia and restricted to a small section of South Australia (state), particularly Kangaroo Island and immediately adjacent mainland within the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Mount Lofty Ranges. [1]
The limited area is characteristically moist, with an average yearly rainfall of 600–800 mm (23.6–31.5 in) and milder summer temperatures, 23–25 °C (73.4–77.0 °F). [5] They are found living in concentrated numbers [15] near streams, in swamps, marshland and open sclerophyll woodlands and forests. The cold temperatures in these areas are notably too low for many other reptilian species. [15]
There have been sightings of individual pygmy copperheads in the Adelaide Hills, as well as on islands between the Australian mainland and Tasmania, including Flinders Island, Hunter Island, Kangaroo Island, King Island, Preservation Island and Great Dog Island, probably from having accidentally stowed away on boats. [5]
The pygmy copperhead is a common species but rarely seen. It is generally unobtrusive, commonly hiding under leaf litter, old iron and haystacks. The lowland and highland species can be potentially dangerous, but being smaller, the pygmy is not known for being aggressive. They are all considered non-threatening unless provoked. [17] Combat between males signifies sexual maturity in snakes, but it has not been observed in pygmy copperheads, despite the lowland and highland species exhibiting at two years of age. [5]
Being carnivorous, the pygmy copperhead's diet consists of smaller ectotherms, most commonly including small lizards, frogs and tadpoles. They are known to feed more frequently than highland and lowland copperheads. [5] There have also been reports of cannibalism in the pygmy copperheads. [12]
Bites are considered lethal without prompt anti-venom intervention, with possible irreversible presynaptic damage. [6] The pygmy copperhead’s venom is classed as strongly neurotoxic, with toxicity similar to that of the Indian cobra. It is weakly coagulant and strongly anticoagulant, with the ability to be both blood and muscle destroying. [5] Antivenom developed through the tiger snake is unable to completely neutralise the neurotoxicity of the whole venom, nor a modified version in research lab trials. [6]
The pygmy copperhead is viviparous, commonly giving live birth to seven young in each litter, [14] with an average maximum of 20 young in a single litter. [5] The litter size is half that of the other Australian copperheads, attributed to their smaller body size and the maternal snout-vent length (SVL) and litter size ratio. [18] There also appears to be a skewed sex ratio towards males. [5] Female ovulation in the pygmy copperhead is in spring, but field research found that only two thirds of surveyed (apparently adult) females were reproductive, suggesting that females do not reproduce every year. [14]
The eastern copperhead, also known simply as the copperhead, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic to eastern North America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae.
Austrelaps is a genus of venomous elapid snakes native to the relatively fertile, temperate, southern and eastern part of the Australian continent. Three species are currently recognized, with no subspecies. They are commonly called copperheads or Australian copperheads. They are not closely related to the American copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix.
Elapidae is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus Emydocephalus. Many members of this family exhibit a threat display of rearing upwards while spreading out a neck flap. Elapids are endemic to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, with terrestrial forms in Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas and marine forms in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Members of the family have a wide range of sizes, from the 18 cm (7.1 in) white-lipped snake to the 5.85 m king cobra. Most species have neurotoxic venom that is channeled by their hollow fangs, and some may contain other toxic components in various proportions. The family includes 55 genera with around 360 species and over 170 subspecies.
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.
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.
The red-bellied black snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae, indigenous to Australia. Originally described by George Shaw in 1794 as a species new to science, it is one of eastern Australia's most commonly encountered snakes. Averaging around 1.25 m in length, it has glossy black upperparts, bright red or orange flanks, and a pink or dull red belly. It is not aggressive and generally retreats from human encounters, but can attack if provoked. Although its venom can cause significant illness, no deaths have been recorded from its bite, which is less venomous than other Australian elapid snakes. The venom contains neurotoxins, myotoxins, and coagulants and has haemolytic properties. Victims can also lose their sense of smell.
Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras. Members of the genus Naja are the most widespread and the most widely recognized as "true" cobras. Various species occur in regions throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are also called "cobras", such as the king cobra and the rinkhals, but neither is a true cobra, in that they do not belong to the genus Naja, but instead each belong to monotypic genera Hemachatus and Ophiophagus.
Micrurus tener, commonly known as the Texas coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to the southern United States and adjacent northeastern and central Mexico. Five subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies, Micrurus tener tener, which is found in both the US and Mexico, and is also commonly known as the Texas coral snake. The species Micrurus tener was once considered to be a subspecies of the eastern coral snake.
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan. He was the first director of the natural history museum at Milan.
Raymond Terrence Hoser is an Australian snake-catcher and author. Since 1976, he has written books and articles about official corruption in Australia. He has also written works on Australian frogs and reptiles. Hoser's work on herpetology is controversial, including his advocacy of the surgical alteration of captive snakes to remove their venom glands and his self-published herpetological taxonomy, which has been described as "taxonomic vandalism".
Echiopsis curta is a terrestrial, elapid species of snake, also commonly known from the Aboriginal name as the bardick. It is a short, highly venomous snake with variable color which is mainly nocturnal, reaching a maximum length of 57 cm. It is endemic to Australia, most commonly found in three distinct populations through southern Australia. They are considered venomous to humans, however there is very little information. Their population is decreasing due to habitat degradation and destruction but considered least concern on the IUCN Red List.
The lowland copperhead or lowlands copperhead is a venomous snake species in the family Elapidae, found in southeastern Australia and Tasmania. It is commonly referred to as the copperhead, but is not closely related to the American copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix. If provoked, the lowland copperhead is a dangerous snake with neurotoxic venom, which can kill an adult human if correct first aid is not applied promptly.
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The yellow-faced whip snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae, a family containing many dangerous snakes. D. psammophis is endemic to Australia, found throughout the continent in a variety of habitats from coastal fringes to interior arid scrubland.
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The highland copperhead, also known as Ramsay's copperhead, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae endemic to Australia.
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