The northern death adder (''Acanthophis praelongus'') 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

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 ...

. The northern death adder lives in Australia and Papua New Guinea. It hunts birds, amphibians, and small mammals both by day and night. Though it resembles a viper, it belongs to a group of snakes that includes cobras and mambas.

Venom

The venom of the northern death adder is highly potent against the human organism. It contains pre- and postsynaptic

neurotoxin Neurotoxins are toxins that are destructive to nervous tissue, nerve tissue (causing neurotoxicity). Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insult (medical), insultsSpencer 2000 that can adversely affect function ...

s, possibly

myotoxin Myotoxins are small, basic peptides found in snake venoms (e.g. rattlesnakes) and lizard venoms (e.g. Mexican beaded lizard). This involves a non-enzymatic mechanism that leads to severe muscle necrosis. These peptides act very quickly, causing i ...

s and

anticoagulant An anticoagulant, commonly known as a blood thinner, is a chemical substance that prevents or reduces the coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some occur naturally in blood-eating animals, such as leeches and mosquitoes, which ...

s as well. An envenoming by this snake is very dangerous, and all bites should be treated as medical emergencies. Main effects include local pain and flaccid

paralysis Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of Motor skill, motor function in one or more Skeletal muscle, muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory d ...

, death can be caused by

respiratory failure Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a r ...

. In the case of systemic effects of envenoming key treatment is based on

antivenom Antivenom, also known as antivenin, venom antiserum, and antivenom immunoglobulin, is a specific treatment for envenomation. It is composed of antibodies and used to treat certain venomous bites and stings. Antivenoms are recommended only if ...

applications ('Polyvalent Snake Antivenom (Australia - New Guinea)'

CSL Limited CSL Limited is an Australian multinational specialty biotechnology company that researches, develops, manufactures, and markets products to treat and prevent serious human medical conditions. CSL's product areas include blood plasma derivative ...

, 'Death Adder Antivenom', CSL Limited).

Habitat

Northern death adders can be found in a wide range of habitats, including mangroves,

tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in la ...

, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrubland.Encyclopedia of Life
"A. praelongus"
(2018-08-05)

References

Acanthophis Reptiles of Western Australia Reptiles of Indonesia Reptiles of Papua New Guinea Taxa named by Edward Pierson Ramsay Reptiles described in 1877 Snakes of Australia Snakes of New Guinea {{Elapidae-stub