The desert whip snake (''Demansia cyanochasma'') is a species of

venomous snake ''Venomous snakes'' are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Elapidae Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids , from , variant of "sea-fish") 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 ...

, identified as a new species in 2023. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Australia. Its venom is mild and not deadly for humans.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''cyanochasma'' means "blue gap", modified from the Greek words ''kyanós'' (κυανός), meaning "blue", and ''khásma'' (χάσμα), meaning "gap", referring to the distinctive blue-colored anterior body which separates the copper-colored head from the copper-colored posterior body.

Description

''D. cyanochasma'' is characterized by its total length (including tail) of and slender physique, which gives it a comparatively small head and short

fang A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fangs, ...

s. Unlike other species of whip snakes of the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Demansia ''Demansia'' is a genus of venomous snakes of the Family (biology), family Elapidae. Members of the genus are commonly known as whip snakes or whipsnakes, as are members of several other Genus, genera. Description All species of the genus ''De ...

'', this species stands out with its bluish-grey

body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anim ...

accompanied by a copper head and

tail The tail is the elongated section at the rear end of a bilaterian animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage extending backwards from the midline of the torso. In vertebrate animals that evolution, evolved to los ...

. Additionally, it displays less black on its

dorsal scales In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales. Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publis ...

compared to its closest relative.

Geographic distribution and habitat

The geographic range of ''D. cyanochasma'' extends from the

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

Eastern Goldfields The Eastern Goldfields is part of the Western Australian Goldfields in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, covering the present and former gold-mining area east of Perth. Extent and name origin The region encompasses the to ...

to southwest

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, through Central Australia,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

and the eastern parts of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

. Whip snakes of the genus ''Demansia'', including the desert whip snake, are commonly found in the

Outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than Australian bush, the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastli ...

region, and there is no significant concern regarding the risk of extinction for this species.

Behaviour

The species ''D. cyanochasma'' is known for its timid nature and has a tendency to flee at the first sign of danger. The desert whip snake is primarily diurnal, meaning it is most active during the day. Adults engage in annual

reproduction Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. There are two forms of reproduction: Asexual reproduction, asexual and Sexual ...

, typically occurring between mid to late spring and early summer.

Predation and venom

''D. cyanochasma'' particularly preys on small and fast desert lizards, as it acts as a pursuit predator. The

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

of the desert whip snake is primarily adapted to target smaller animals; so the zootoxin doesn't pose a significant danger to humans. However, a bite from this snake can result in pain and swelling in humans. It is capable of

biting Biting is an action involving a set of teeth closing down on an object. It is a common zoological behavior, being found in toothed animals such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and arthropods. Biting is also an action humans participate ...

when provoked or handled, but there have been no notable instances of life-threatening

snake bites A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may oc ...

. However, it is still advisable to exercise caution when coming across this species.

Discovery

In the past, the desert whip snake has been misidentified as the yellow-faced whip snake (''D. psammophis'') and the reticulated whip snake (''D. reticulata'') due to its common characteristics, but researchers have studied tissue specimens and discovered distinct characteristics by genetic evidence that differentiates it from its close relatives. The distinctiveness of ''D. cyanochasma'' was not immediately confirmed due to the challenges involved in collecting samples from remote locations, despite its widespread geographic range across the desert regions of Australia. The species has been differentiated from other species through genetic research carried out by James Nankivell, a geneticist from the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

and

South Australian Museum The South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and research institution in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856 and owned by the Government of South Australia. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultur ...

honorary researcher Mark Hutchinson, in collaboration with

herpetologists Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (incl ...

Brad Maryan Brad may refer to: * Brad (given name), a masculine given name Places * Brad, Hunedoara, a city in Hunedoara County, Romania * Brad, a village in Berești-Bistrița Commune, Bacău County, Romania * Brad, a village in Filipeni, Bacău, Romania * ...

and Brian Bush from the

Western Australian Museum The Western Australian Museum is a statutory body, statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, established under the ''Museum Act 1969''. The museum has six main sites. The state museum, WA Museum Boola Bardip, is located i ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q120752950 Demansia Snakes of Australia Endemic fauna of Australia Reptiles described in 2023 Reptiles of Western Australia Reptiles of Queensland Reptiles of South Australia