Hemiaspis damelii
Hemiapsis damelii is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae.[4] The species is endemic to eastern Australia. Common names for this species include grey snake.[1]
| Hemiaspis damelii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Hemiaspis |
| Species: | H. damelii |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemiaspis damelii | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
Etymology
The specific name, damelii, is in honor of German entomologist Edward Dämel, who collected Australian specimens for Museum Godeffroy.[5]
Geographic range
H. damelii is found in southeastern Queensland and north-central New South Wales.[3]
Description
H. damelii is a small snake. Adults may attain a total length of 38 cm (15 in), which includes a tail 6 cm (2.4 in) long. It is olive dorsally, and yellowish white ventrally. In adults the head is darker than the body, and in juveniles the head is black.[2]
Venom
The venom of H. damelii is mild, contains procoagulants, causes local pain and swelling, but is unlikely to cause fatalities in humans.[6]
Reproduction
H. damelii bears live young.[3]
References
- Atlas of Living Australia - Hemiaspis damelii (Günther, 1876) - Grey Snake"."Hemiaspis damelii (Günther, 1876) - Grey Snake". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ) ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Denisonia dæmelii, p. 339 + Plate XVIII, figure 3).
- "Hemiaspis damelii ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- "ITIS standard report - Hemiaspis damelii (Günther, 1876)". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Hemiaspis damelii, p. 64).
- "Hemiaspis damelii ". Clinical Toxinology Resources. The University of Adelaide. www.toxinology.com.
Further reading
- Günther A (1876). "Descriptions of new species of Reptiles from Australia collected by Hr. Dämel for the Godeffroy Museum". Journal des Museum Godeffroy 5: 45-47. (Hoplocephalus damelii, new species, p. 46).