The smooth-scaled death adder (''Acanthophis laevis'') 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), ...
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 ...
. 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 Southeast Asia and
Oceania
Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...
.
''Acanthophis laevis'' is an ambush predator, lying in wait to capture fast-moving prey like mammals and lizards. Death adders (
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 ...
''Acanthophis'') have a broad diet, mainly consisting of frogs, lizards, and mammals. Females grow larger than males; tail length and head shape also differ between sexes in some species.
Distribution and habitat
''A. laevis'' is found in Indonesia and
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
.
Reproduction
''A. laevis'' is
ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparity, oviparous and live-bearing viviparity, viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develo ...
.
[
]
References
Further reading
* Macleay W (1878). "The Ophidians of the Chevert Expedition". ''The Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales'' 2: 33–41. (''Acanthophis laevis'', new species, pp. 40–41).
* 688 pp. (''Acanthophis laevis'', pp. 576–577).
* Wüster W, Dumbrell AJ, Hay C, Pook CE, Williams DJ, Fry BG (2005). "Snakes across the Strait: trans-Torresian phylogeographic relationships in three genera of Australasian snakes (Serpentes: Elapidae: ''Acanthophis, Oxyuranus'', and ''Pseudechis'')". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 34 (1): 1–14.
Acanthophis
Snakes of New Guinea
Reptiles of Indonesia
Reptiles of Papua New Guinea
Reptiles described in 1878
Taxa named by William John Macleay
{{Elapidae-stub