The strap-snouted brown snake (''Pseudonaja aspidorhyncha'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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 ...

. The species is native to

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 ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

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 ...

, and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. ''P. aspidorhyncha'' is part of a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

that also includes '' P. mengdeni'' and '' P. nuchalis''; all were formerly included in the latter species.

Taxonomy

Frederick McCoy Sir Frederick McCoy (1817 – 13 May 1899), was an Irish palaeontologist, zoologist, and museum administrator, active in Australia. He is noted for founding the Botanic Garden of the University of Melbourne in 1856. Early life McCoy was the s ...

described the species in 1879 as the shield-fronted brown snake, distinguishing it from the eastern brown snake (''P. textilis'') by its narrow head, truncated snout and large rostral plate over the back of its head, He noted its similarity to the western brown snake (''P. nuchalis''). Heber Longman described ''Diemenia carinata'' in 1915 from a specimen from Cane Grass Station near Charleville in southwestern Queensland. it was known locally as "tiger snake". Francis J. Mitchell of the South Australian Museum described ''Demansia acutirostris'' from an island in Lake Eyre, noting its depressed snout distinguishing it from other brown snakes. Australian herpetologist Richard W. Wells divided ''P. nuchalis'' into eight species, recognising ''P. aspidorhyncha'', ''P. carinata'' and ''P acutirostris'' as distinct. These additional species have not been recognized by other authors, and Wells has been strongly criticized for lack of rigour in his research. For many years, the taxon was regarded as a southern population of a broadly defined ''P. nuchalis'' despite the diverse nature of populations included within. The scientific name was resurrected in 2009 as genetic and morphological data confirmed it as a distinct lineage, and it was the oldest binomial name that had been applied to the taxon - hence it had priority.

Description

Generally up to 1.5 metres long, the strap-snouted brown snake is a long thin snake, with no demarcation between its head and neck. The snout has a distinctive chisel shape. It has light- to medium brown upperparts.

Scalation

The number and arrangement of scales on a snake's body are a key element of identification to species level. The eastern brown snake has 17 rows of

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 ...

at midbody, 207 to 226 ventral scales, 47 to 63 divided

subcaudal scales In snakes, the subcaudal scales are the enlarged plates on the underside of the tail. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Comstock Publishing Associates, a Division of Cornell University Press. (7t ...

, and a divided

anal scale In snakes, the anal scale or anal plate is the scale just in front of and covering the cloacal opening. This scale can be either single ("anal entire") or paired ("anal divided"). When paired, the division is oblique.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G ...

. Its mouth is lined with six (rarely five)

supralabial In reptiles, the supralabial scales, also called upper-labials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the upper jaw. They do not include the median scaleWright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates ( ...

scales above and seven (rarely eight)

sublabial scale In reptiles, the sublabial scales, also called lower-labials or infralabials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the lower jaw. They do not include the median scaleWright AH, Wright AA. 1957. ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publis ...

s below. Its nasal scale is undivided. Its eyes have two

postocular scales In scaled reptiles, the ocular scales are those forming the margin of the eye.Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publishing Associates (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. . The name originates from the term which is Latin f ...

Distribution and habitat

The strap-snouted brown snake is found across central-southern Australia from Hermidale in New South Wales to Penong in South Australia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3409780 Pseudonaja Snakes of Australia Reptiles described in 1879