Simoselaps
| Simoselaps | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Simoselaps Jan, 1859 |
Simoselaps or Australian coral snakes is a genus composed of 15 species of venomous elapid snakes.
Geographic range
They are found throughout Australia.
Description
These are small snakes. They have smooth and polished scales, shovel-shaped snouts, and are brightly marked with bands or annuli.
Habitat and behavior
They are found mainly in arid regions. They are burrowing snakes which move beneath the surface through loose sand or soil. At night they come to the surface to feed on small lizards and reptile eggs.
Reproduction
All species are oviparous and lay clutches of three to five eggs.
Simoselaps fasciolatus
Species
| Species | Authority | Subsp. | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. anomalus | (Sternfeld, 1919) | None | Northern Desert Banded Snake | Australia (Northern Territory, South and Western Australia) |
| S. approximans | (Glauert, 1954) | None | North-western Shovel-nosed Snake | Western Australia |
| S. australis | (Krefft, 1864) | None | Australian Coral Snake | South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria |
| S. bertholdi | (Jan, 1864) | None | Desert Banded Snake | Australia |
| S. bimaculatus | (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) | None | Black-naped Burrowing Snake | South and Western Australia |
| S. bimaculatus | (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) | None | Black-naped Burrowing Snake | South and Western Australia |
| S. calonotus | (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) | None | Black-striped Burrowing Snake | Western Australia |
| S. fasciolatus | (Günther, 1872) | 2 | Narrow-banded Shovel-nosed Snake | South and Western Australia, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Queensland |
| S. incinctus | (Storr, 1968) | None | Unbanded Shovel-nosed Snake | Australia: Northern Territory and Queensland |
| S. littoralis | (Storr, 1968) | None | West-Coast Banded Snake | Western Australia |
| S. minimus | (Worrell, 1960) | None | Dampierland Burrowing Snake | Western Australia |
| S. morrisi | Horner, 1998 | None | Dampierland Burrowing Snake | Australia:Northern Territory |
| S. roperi | (Kinghorn, 1931) | None | Northern Shovel-nosed Snake | Western Australia, Kimberley Region and Northern Territory |
| S. semifasciatus | (Günther, 1863) | 3 | Southern Shovel-nosed Snake, Half-girdled Snake | Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland |
| S. warro | (De Vis, 1884) | None | Robust Burrowing Snake | Australia: Queensland |
References
- Cogger, H.G. (2000). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
- Storr G.M. (1978). Taxonomic notes on the reptiles of the Shark Bay region, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, 6 (3): 303-318
- Horner, P. (1998). Simoselaps morrisi sp. nov. (Elapidae), a new species of snake of the Northern Territory. The Beagle, 14: 63-70.