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  1. Terrestrial snakes
  2. Australia and the Pacific Islands
  3. Biomedical Database
  4. Elapids
  5. Biological entry: Various Australian elapid genera

Animal: Various Australian elapid genera

Species

  1. Antaioserpens spp.
  2. Aspidomorphus spp.
  3. Brachyurophis spp.
  4. Cacophis spp.
  5. Cryptophis spp.
  6. Demansia spp.
  7. Denisonia spp.
  8. Drysdalia spp.
  9. Echiopsis curta
  10. Elapognathus spp.
  11. Furina spp.
  12. Hemiaspis spp.
  13. Loveridgelaps elapoides
  14. Narophis bimaculatus
  15. Neelaps calonotus
  16. Ogmodon vitianus
  17. Parapistocalamus hedigeri
  18. Parasuta spp.
  19. Paroplocephalus atriceps
  20. Rhinoplocephalus bicolor
  21. Salomonelaps par
  22. Simoselaps spp.
  23. Suta spp.
  24. Toxicocalamus spp.
  25. Vermicella spp.

Former genus Unechis is integrated in the genus Suta

Former genus Glyphodon is integrated in the genus Furina, Cacophis respectively

Some species which wehre belonging to Suta are now put into the genus Parasuta

Most genera comprise only one or a few species. Brachyurophis comprises 8, Cryptophis 5, Demansia 15, Furina 5, Parasuta 6, Simoselaps 4, Suta 11, Toxicocalamus 24and Vermicella 6 species.

Taxonomy

Serpentes; Elapidae; Elapinae/Hydrophiinae

Common names

  1. Burrowing snakes
  2. Crowned snakes
  3. Shovel-nosed snakes
  4. Crowned sakes
  5. Whip snakes
  6. Banded snake, Ornamental snake
  7. Bardick
  8. Crowned snake
  9. Naped snakes
  10. Grey snake, Swamp snake
  11. Solomon’s small-eyed snake
  12. Black-naped burrowing snake, Western black-naped snake
  13. Black striped burrowing snake, Western black striped snake
  14. Fiji Cobra, Fijian ground snake
  15. Bougainville coral snake, Hediger’s coral snake
  16. Lake Cronin snake
  17. Square nosed snake, Muller's snake
  18. Solomons coral snake
  19. Banded snakes, Burrowing snakes, Shovel-nosed snakes
  20. Forest snakes
  21. Bandy-bandy

Distribution

See link "Distribution" at the top of the page for detailed information.

Biology

The genera listed here comprise a group of mostly smaller Australian elapids. Demansia species are amongst the largest in this group, with a length of up to 2 m. Most of the other members of this group are rarely more than 60 cm long.

Most are nocturnal, in contrast to the medically more significant Australian elapids. Many of them are rarely seen. Some spend most of their time as burrowing snakes under the ground (Neelaps calonotus, Simoselaps sp., Vermicella sp. and Suta sp.).

Risk

Only very sparse clinical information available. Some species are considered potentially dangerous. According to Cogger (1987) the genera Cryptophis, Demansia, Denisonia, Echiopsis, Glyphodon, Hemiaspis and Suta can cause serious but not fatal envenoming. Nevertheless Furtado and Lester (1968) describe a single fatal case by Cryptophis nigrescens with muscular pain, dark urine (myoglobinuria), acute kidney failure, hyperkalaemia and respiratory failure. The patient died. 

Marshall and Herrmann (1984) describe an E. curta bite (morphologically identified) with only local swelling.

Bites caused by Demansia psammophis are common, but generally have a mild course with only minor local reactions.

An Aspidomorphus muelleri bite with morphological dentification of the culprit is published by Schiefenhövel (1969): Local pain, swelling and reduced sensibility. Nausea and vomiting. Collapse.

The genera Cacophis, Drysdalia, Elapognathus, Furina, Neelaps, Rhinoplocephalus, Simoselaps and Vermicella are likely to cause asymptomatic or mild envenoming.

Literature (biological)

Cogger 1986, De Haas 1950, Hutchinson 1990, Keogh et al. 2000, McCoy 1980, O'Shea 1990, 1996, 2005, Shea and Scanlon 2007

The Reptile Database

The Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia

The Australian Reptile Online Database