''Denisonia'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
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 or ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Elapidae
Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids ; grc, ἔλλοψ ''éllops'' "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 Emydoce ...
. The genus is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found els ...
to
Australia, and contains two recognized
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
.
Species
The following two species are recognized as being valid.
*''
Denisonia devisi'' – De Vis's banded snake, De Vis' banded snake, mud adder
*''
Denisonia maculata'' – ornamental snake
Etymology
The
generic name, ''Denisonia'', is in honor of
William Thomas Denison, mid 19th century governor of parts of Australia. The
specific name, ''devisi'', is in honor of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national id ...
herpetologist
Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning " reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and r ...
Charles Walter De Vis
Charles Walter de Vis (Birmingham, England, 9 May 1829 – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 30 April 1915), .
[ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Genus ''Denisonia'', p. 69; species ''Denisonia devisi'', p. 71).]
References
External links
Genus ''Denisonia'' Krefft, 1869 Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Government.
Further reading
*
Krefft G (1869). ''The Snakes of Australia; An Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of All the Known Species.'' Sydney: Thomas Richards, Government Printer. xxv + 100 pp. + Plates I-XII. (''Denisonia'', new genus, pp. 82–83 + Plate XI, figure 4).
*
Waite ER,
Longman HA (1920). "Descriptions of Little-known Australian Snakes". ''Records of the South Australian Museum'' 1 (3): 173-180 + Plate XXVII. (''Denisonia maculata'' var. ''devisi'', new name, pp. 178–179, Text figure 36 + Plate XXVII, figure 2).
*
Wilson, Steve (2003). ''Reptiles of the Southern Brigalow Belt''. Australia: World Wildlife Fund. pp. 33–34.
Snake genera
Taxa named by Gerard Krefft
Snakes of Australia
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