| Speckled brown snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Pseudonaja |
| Species: | P. guttata |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudonaja guttata (Parker, 1926) | |
| Synonyms [1] [2] | |
Demansia guttataParker, 1926 | |
The speckled brown snake or spotted brown snake (Pseudonaja guttata) is a species of venomous elapid snake native to northeastern Australia. [1] [2]
English zoologist Hampton Wildman Parker described the speckled brown snake as Demansia guttata in 1926 from a specimen collected in Winton, Queensland. [1] The brown snakes were moved to Pseudonaja by Australian naturalist Eric Worrell in the early 1960s on the basis of skull morphology, and reinforced by American herpetologist Samuel Booker McDowell in 1967 on the basis of the muscles of the venom glands. This classification has been followed by subsequent authors. [3] A 2005 analysis using mitochondrial DNA found that the speckled brown snake was an early offshoot of the genus, with the taipans as more distantly related. [4] A 2016 genetic analysis showed that the speckled brown snake was an early offshoot of a lineage giving rise to the taipans, rather than the other brown snakes. [5]
The speckled brown snake grows to 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) long. It has a small head, straw-yellow to orange upper parts, white throat and lips, and cream, yellow, or white under parts blotched with orange. Its scales have black edges that become visible when the snake bends or moves. Some snakes have wide, darker bands. [6] It has 19–21 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 190 to 220 ventral scales, 44 to 70 divided subcaudal scales (occasionally some of the anterior ones are undivided), and a divided anal scale. [6] It is found in the eastern Northern Territory, western Queensland, and far northern South Australia. [6] It lays a clutch of six eggs on average. [7]
The speckled brown snake occurs in the Channel Country, Mitchell Grass Downs, and Mount Isa Inlier [1] in Northern Territory, Queensland, and South Australia. [1] [2]
Frogs and lizards make up a large proportion of its diet, though it also eats small birds and mammals. [7] Its venom is 1.6 times as toxic as that of the Indian cobra (Naja naja). [6]
The curl snake ( Suta suta ) has been reported preying on speckled brown snakes at Goyder Lagoon in South Australia. [6]
The king cobra is a venomous snake species of elapids endemic to jungles in Southern and Southeast Asia. The sole member of the genus Ophiophagus, it is distinguishable from other cobras, most noticeably by its size and neck patterns. The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with an average length of 3.18 to 4 m, reaching a maximum of 5.85 m (19.2 ft). Its skin colour varies across the habitats, from black with white stripes to unbroken brownish grey. It preys chiefly on other snakes, including its own species. Unlike other snakes, it rarely hunts non-reptile vertebrates, such as rodents and lizards.
Elapidae is a family of venomous snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Many members of this family are also recognized by their threat display of rearing upwards while spreading the neck-flap. Elapids are endemic to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, with terrestrial forms in Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas alongside 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 neurotoxins in their venom which is channeled by their hollow fangs, while some may contain other toxic components in various proportions. The family includes 55 genera with some 360 species and over 170 subspecies.
Taipans are snakes of the genus Oxyuranus in the elapid family. They are large, fast-moving, highly venomous, and endemic to Australia. There are currently three recognised species, one of which, the coastal taipan, has two subspecies. Taipans are one of the deadliest known snakes.
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 is up to 2 m (7 ft) long with a slender build. Its variable upper parts can be several shades of brown, ranging from pale brown to almost 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. It has become more common in farmland and on the outskirts of urban areas, benefiting from agriculture due to the increased numbers of its main prey, the introduced house mouse. The species is oviparous. The snake is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), though its status in New Guinea is unclear.
The Caspian cobra, also called the Central Asian cobra, ladle snake, Oxus cobra, or Russian cobra is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Central Asia. Described by Karl Eichwald in 1831, it was for many years considered a subspecies of the Indian cobra until genetic analysis revealed it to be a distinct species.
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.
Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes 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 are true cobras. They are not true cobras in that they do not belong to the genus Naja, but instead each belong to monotypic genera Hemachatus and Ophiophagus.
The many-banded snake, also known as the burrowing cobra is a species of venomous elapid snake. The species is found in the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon in Africa.
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 Central Ranges taipan, or Western Desert taipan, is a species of taipan that was described in 2007 by Australian researchers Paul Doughty, Brad Maryan, Stephen Donnellan and Mark Hutchinson. Taipans are large, fast, extremely venomous Australasian snakes. The Central Ranges taipan was named one of the top five new species of 2007 by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University.
Dwyer's snake also known as the whip snake and the variable black-naped snake, 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. While closely related to Australian sea snakes, P. dwyeri is a terrestrial reptile.
The black-necked spitting cobra is a species of spitting cobra found mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are moderately sized snakes that can grow to a length of 1.2 to 2.2 m in length. Their coloration and markings can vary considerably. They prey primarily on small rodents. They possess medically significant venom, although the mortality rate for untreated bites on humans is relatively low. Like other spitting cobras, they can eject venom from their fangs when threatened. The neurotoxic venom irritates the skin, causing blisters and inflammation, and can cause permanent blindness if the venom makes contact with the eyes and is not washed off.
The rough-scaled snake is a highly venomous Australian elapid. The animal's name comes from its scales that are raised above the surrounding scales and have rough texture. The scales are known as "keels".
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 longest venomous snake in Australia, the coastal taipan averages around 2 m long, with the longest specimens reaching 2.9 m 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 (IUCN).
The Papuan black snake is a venomous snake of the family Elapidae native to New Guinea. Reaching around 2 m (7 ft) in length, it is a predominantly black snake coloured grey underneath.
The western brown snake is commonly known as Mengden's brown snake, and alternatively, gwardar.
Ingram's brown snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic 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 Elapoidea are a superfamily of snakes in the clade Colubroides, traditionally comprising the families Lamprophiidae and Elapidae. Advanced genomic sequence studies, however, have found lamprophiids to be paraphyletic in respect to elapids. In describing the subfamily Cyclocorinae, Weinell et al. (2017) suggested some or all subfamilies of Lamprophiidae should be reevaluated at full family status as a way to prevent the alternative, which is classifying them as elapids.
The Mallee black-backed snake, also known commonly as the black-backed snake, the copper snake, and Mitchell's short-tailed snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.