Cacophis
| Cacophis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cacophis squamulosus, golden-crowned snake | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Subfamily: | Hydrophiinae |
| Genus: | Cacophis Günther, 1863 |
| Species | |
|
Four, see text. | |
Cacophis a genus of mildly venomous snakes, commonly known as crowned snakes, in the family Elapidae. The genus is endemic to Australia.
Geographic range
Species of Cacophis are distributed along eastern Australia.
Venom
The four species in the genus Cacophis are all venomous, but not dangerous to people.
Habitat
Snakes of the genus Cacophis inhabit a variety of forest types, from woodland to rainforest.
Behavior & diet
Cacophis species are generally nocturnal and feed on lizards and reptile eggs.
Description
All species of Cacophis have a distinct "crown" pattern on the head, which gives them their common names.
Species
The following four species are recognized as being valid.[1]
- Cacophis churchilli Wells & Wellington, 1985 – northern dwarf crowned snake
- Cacophis harriettae Krefft, 1869 – white-crowned snake
- Cacophis krefftii Günther, 1863 – dwarf crowned snake
- Cacophis squamulosus (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – golden-crowned snake
Nota bene: In the above list, a binomial authority in parentheses indicate that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cacophis.
References
- ↑ "Cacophis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
External links
Further reading
- Günther A (1863). "Third Account of new Species of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Third Series 12: 348-365 + Plates V & VI. (Cacophis, new genus, p. 361).
- Swan G (1995). A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Australia. Sydney: New Holland. 144 pp. ISBN 1-85368-585-2.