Species

Southern Death Adder

Acanthophis antarcticus
Category: Category 5
Care Sheets:

Genus: Acanthophis
Four short, very robust Australian spp. Head broad, distinct from neck. Tail slender, terminating in soft slender spine. Eye small, with male iris and vertically elliptic pupil. Head scales smooth to rugose, and body scales smooth to keeled in 19-23 rows at midbody. Anal scale single, and subcaudals single anteriorly and divided posteriorly. A row of subocular scales between eye and upper labial scales. Widespread throughout Australia with possible exception of Vic (no recent records), extending n. to NG and eastern Indonesia. Slow-moving sedentary snakes, convergent in appearance and behaviour with vipers of other continents. They lie motionless and partly concealed under leaf litter and low vegetation, with the slender segmented tail resting near the snout. At the approach of a small vertebrate the tail is wriggled convulsively in mimicry of a worm or caterpillar, luring the prey within range of the lightning-fast strike. Livebearing, producing up to 33 young. while death adders constitute a distinctive group, differences between them remain unclear. Available names for some additional ssp. may yet prove valid. One sp. is among Australia's most lethal snakes. but it is prudent to regard all as DANGEROUS.

Acanthophis antarcticus
Very stout, with smooth to slightly rugose head shields and smooth to very weakly keeled dorsal body scales in 21 midbody rows (rarely 23). Variable, with most populations including reddish brown and grey individuals, each marked with irregular bands between nape and tail, and dark and pale bars on lips. Segmented tail-tip cream or black. Individuals from Barkly Tableland, NT are largest. Habitats range from RF to shrublands and heaths. Declining in many areas, probably due to habitat destruction and altered fire regimes. Fangs are long and capable of administering lage quantities of powerfully neurotoxic venom. DANGEROUSLY VENOMOUS.

Necessities:

Vivarium	Infrared red heat lamp
Substrate	Water bowl
Thermostat

Southern Death Adder Gallery

« Back to Species List