THE REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - ELAPIDS

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION
Covering Australian Snakes, Lizards, Crocodiles, Turtles, and Amphibians

PLEASE SHARE THIS PAGE

HOME

COLUBRID SNAKES - Colubridae Homalopsidae Mud Snakes

PYTHON SNAKES - Pythonidae

ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits

FILE SNAKES - Acrochordidae

BLIND SNAKES - Worm Snakes - Typhlopidae Ramphotyphlops

Selection of Australian Frogs

TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines

DRAGON LIZARDS Agamas Agamidae

GECKO LIZARDS Gekkonidae

LEGLESS LIZARDS Pygopodidae Pygopods

MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

Skinks of Australia

CROCODILES Crocodylia Crocodilia Saltwater freshwater estuarine

REPTILES OF THE WORLD SPECIES LISTS


COMMON DEATH ADDER
Acanthophis antarcticus

Dangerously Venomous

Most adults grow to about 60 to 90 cm (2-3 ft)

A large Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) photographed at the Gorge Wildlife Park, South Australia
A large Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) photographed at the Gorge Wildlife Park, South Australia

COMMON DEATH ADDER Acanthophis antarcticus distribution map
Approximate distribution of the Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) - note that the only record of a Death Adder in the Canberra region is unreliable


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) from Eyre Peninsula, SA.


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) photo taken at Dog Fence Beach SA.



Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) photo taken at Dog Fence Beach SA.


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)showing the sheath covering a fang as it swallows a meal


COMMON DEATH ADDER
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)


Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)
Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus)

 

I photographed this Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) crossing the road on York Peninsula, South Australia
I photographed this Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) crossing the road on York Peninsula, South Australia

Venomous snakes do not always inject venom when biting, those bites are called dry bites, however due to the extremely high toxicity of the venom of this species, it is vital that first aid is performed immediately (constrictive bandage etc.) and the patient is taken as fast as possible to hospital. Lack of symptoms may not mean that the victim has not been envenomated.

Correct and immediate first aid and treatment for this species and other dangerous snakes increases the chance of survival.

Although people are commonly bitten by dangerous snakes in Australia, the actual number of deaths is actually very low, due to antivenines and medical procedures.

SIMILAR SPECIES

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(EXTERNAL LINK)

DISTRIBUTION

Kimberley Death Adder

Acanthophis cryptamydros

(Kimberly region) WA

Barkly Death Adder

Acanthophis hawkei

NT, Qld? (Barkly Tablelands)

* New Guinea Smooth-scaled Death Adder

Acanthophis laevis

Qld (Dauan Island, Torres Strait)
Papua New Guinea, Indonesia (Irian Jaya, Seram, Tanimbar)

North-eastern Death Adder

Acanthophis praelongus

Qld. (NOT FOUND IN NT)

Desert Death Adder

Acanthophis pyrrhus

NT, Qld, SA, WA

Top End Death Adder Rough-scaled Death Adder or Papuan Death Adder

Acanthophis rugosus

NT, Qld?, New Guinea

Pilbara Death Adder

Acanthophis wellsei (was Acanthophis wellsi)

WA




LINKS OF INTEREST

Snake bites
Healthdirect

Acanthophis antarcticus (SHAW, 1802)
The Reptile Database

Australo-Papuan Death Adders
The University of Melbourne

Click here for more Information about Australian Elapid Snakes

RECOMMENDED AMAZON BOOKS
(Affiliate commission earned)

Australian Snakes In Captivity (A Guide to) Working with Snakes: A comprehensive information and training manual for professional Australasian snake consultants Kindle Edition

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases


OTHER LINKS

Find a Random Species of Australian Reptile

Visit the Australian Herpetology Website


TWEET THIS PAGE






Elapids

ElapidsSNAKES OF THE WORLD

Elapids
of
The World

Elapids
of
Australia

Snakes
of
The World

AUSTRALIAN ELAPID SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY



Elapids of South Australia

ELAPID SNAKES OF NSW

Qld ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

NT ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

WA ELAPID SNAKES - Elapidae Cobras Coral Snakes

ELAPID SNAKES OF VICTORIA

Elapids of ACT

ELAPIDS OF TASMANIA

Elapids
of South
Australia

Elapids
of
NSW

Elapids
of
Qld

Elapids
of
NT

Elapids
of
WA

Elapids
of
Victoria

Elapids
of
ACT

Elapids
of
Tasmania

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
 REPTILES OF NSW REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY REPTILES OF Western Australia Reptiles of the ACT(Canberra)

Reptiles of South Australia

Reptiles
of
Victoria

Reptiles
of
NSW

Reptiles
of
Qld

Reptiles
of
NT

Reptiles
of
WA

Reptiles
of the
ACT

Reptiles of Tasmania

MORE REPTILE SPECIES LISTS

Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
of Cocos Keeling Islands

Reptiles of Norfolk Island


Reptiles of Australia

Selection of Australian Frogs

Reptiles of the World

Amphibians of the World

Reptiles
of
Australia

Frogs
of
Australia

Reptiles
of
The World

Amphibians of the
World




About John Fowler | John Hollister (deceased 2023) | Report Faulty Link | Report an Error

Contact John Fowler Author of the Australian Herpetology Website

Copyright 2026 John Fowler, Rachel Barnes and John Hollister. All rights reserved. Reproduction or reuse of information or materials from this web site is strictly prohibited and against international law.
(NOTE: No permission is needed to link to this web page)

Related Site: Australian Herpetology Website

Note Content provided by other contributors cannot be used without their permission.


This site is supported by Temu, Depositphotos, Pi, CryptoTab Browser, and Coinbase

ANY CONTRIBUTION APPRECIATED

Updated October 28, 2026

*
#
&
@