THE REPTILES OF AUSTRALIA - ELAPIDS

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

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A LISTING OF AUSTRALIAN ELAPID SNAKES
Distribution Key

SERPENTES(SNAKES)
Family Elapidae (Elapid Snakes)

The Elapid family are front fanged snakes and this family includes the Australian dangerous land snakes as well as the Cobras found overseas.
There are also many small species and many of those have weak venoms and are not dangerous to humans.
NOTE THAT DEATH ADDERS LOOK LIKE AN ADDER/VIPER HOWEVER THEY ARE ELAPIDS

Sea Snakes are often been placed in their own family, however now many experts consider them to be in the Elapid family
CLICK HERE FOR SEA SNAKES

* Indicates a new or recently updated page.

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)	SCIENTIFIC NAME (EXTERNAL LINK)	DISTRIBUTION
Common Death Adder	Acanthophis antarcticus	NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, WA
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
Common Robust Burrowing Snake	Antaioserpens albiceps (split from Antaioserpens warro)	North-eastern Qld
Southern Robust Burrowing Snake	Antaioserpens (was Simoselaps) warro	Charleville region Qld
Pigmy Copperhead	Austrelaps labialis	SA
Highlands Copperhead	Austrelaps ramsayi	NSW, ACT, Vic
Lowlands Copperhead	Austrelaps superbus	NSW, SA, Tas, Vic
North-western Shovel-nosed Snake	Brachyurophis (was Simoselaps) approximans	WA
Australian Coral Snake	Brachyurophis (was Simoselaps) australis	NSW, Qld, SA, Vic
Cape York Shovel-nosed Snake	Brachyurophis campbelli (split from Brachyurophis semifasciatus)	Cape York QLD
South-western Narrow-banded Shovel-nosed Snake	Brachyurophis fasciolatus fasciatus	WA
Inland Narrow-banded Shovel-nosed Snake	Brachyurophis fasciolatus fasciolatus	NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA
Unbanded Shovel-nosed Snake	Brachyurophis (was Simoselaps) incinctus	NT, Qld
Arnhem Shovel-nosed Snake	Brachyurophis morrisi	NT
Northern Shovel Nosed Snake	Brachyurophis (was Simoselaps) roperi (split from Brachyurophis semifasciatus)	NT, WA
Half-girdled Snake or Southern shovel-nosed snake	Brachyurophis semifasciatus (was Simoselaps semifasciata)	NT, SA, WA
Cape York Shovel-nosed Snake	Brachyurophis semifasciatus woodjonesii (split from Brachyurophis semifasciatus) now known as Brachyurophis campbelli	Qld
Northern Dwarf Crowned Snake	Cacophis churchilli	Qld
White-Crowned Snake	Cacophis harriettae	NSW, Qld
Dwarf Crowned Snake	Cacophis krefftii	NSW, Qld
Golden Crowned Snake	Cacophis squamulosus	NSW, Qld
Carpentaria or Carpentaria Whip Snake	Cryptophis (was Rhinoplocephalus) boschmai	Qld
Pink Snake	Cryptophis (was Rhinoplocephalus) incredibilis	Qld
Eastern Small-eyed Snake	Cryptophis (was Rhinoplocephalus) nigrescens	NSW, ACT, ACT, Qld, Vic
Black-striped Snake	Cryptophis (was Rhinoplocephalus) nigrostriatus	Qld
Northern (Western) Small-eyed Snake	Cryptophis (was Rhinoplocephalus) pallidiceps	NT, WA
Narrow-headed Whipsnake	Demansia angusticeps	NT, WA
Black-necked Whipsnake	Demansia calodera	WA
Copper-tailed or Desert Whipsnake	Demansia cyanochasma previously known as Demansia reticulata cupreiceps	SA, NT, WA, Qld
Carpentaria Whipsnake	Demansia flagellatio	North-eastern Qld
Olive Whipsnake or Marble-headed Whipsnake	Demansia olivacea	WA, NT, Qld?
Greater Black (Papuan)Whip Snake	Demansia papuensis	NT, Qld, WA (not found in New Guinea)
Yellow-Faced Whipsnake	Demansia psammophis	NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic, (Excluding snakes previously known as Demansia psammophis reticulata)
Sombre Whipsnake	Demansia quaesitor	WA, NT, Qld
Reticulated (or Desert) Whipsnake	Demansia reticulata (was Demansia reticulata reticulata)	Western half of WA (Distribution changed 2023)
*Crack-dwelling Whipsnake	Demansia rimicola	NT, WA, Qld NSW, SA
Rufous Whipsnake	Demansia rufescens	WA
Shine's Whipsnake	Demansia shinei	NT, WA
Grey Whipsnake	Demansia simplex	NT, WA
Collared Whip Snake	Demansia torquata	Qld
*Lesser Black Whip Snake or Black Whip Snake	Demansia vestigiata (was Demansia atra)	NT, Qld, WA
* De Vis Banded Snake	Denisonia devisi	NSW, Qld, Vic, SA
Ornamental Snake	Denisonia maculata	Qld
White-Lipped Snake	Drysdalia coronoides	NSW, ACT, SA, Tas, Vic
Masters' Snake	Drysdalia mastersii	SA, Vic, WA
Mustard Bellied Snake	Drysdalia rhodogaster	NSW, ACT
Bardick	Echiopsis curta	NSW, SA, Vic, WA
Western Crowned Snake	Elapognathus coronatus (was Drysdalia coronata)	WA
Little Brown Snake or Short-nosed Snake	Elapognathus minor	WA
Yellow-naped Snake	Furina (was Glyphodon) barnardi	Qld
Red-naped Snake	Furina diadema	NSW, Qld, SA, Vic
Dunmall's Snake	Furina (or Glyphodon) dunmalli	Qld
Orange-naped Snake	Furina ornata	NT, Qld, SA, WA
Brown-headed Snake	Furina (was Glyphodon) tristis	Qld, Papua New Guinea
Grey Snake	Hemiaspis damelii	NSW, Qld
Marsh Snake or Black-bellied Swamp Snake	Hemiaspis signata	NSW, Qld
Pale-headed Snake	Hoplocephalus bitorquatus	NSW, Qld
Broad-headed Snake	Hoplocephalus bungaroides	NSW
Stephens' Banded Snake	Hoplocephalus stephensii	NSW, Qld
Western Black-naped Snake	Neelaps bimaculatus (was Simoselaps bimaculata)	SA, WA
Western Black-striped Snake	Neelaps (was Simoselaps) calonotus	WA
Krefft's Black Tiger Snake (Status uncertain)	Now called Notechis scutatus ater (was Notechis ater ater) (Status uncertain)	SA
Tasmanian Tiger Snake (Status uncertain)	Now called Notechis scutatus humphreysi (was Notechis ater humphreysi) (Status uncertain)	Tas
Peninsula Black Tiger Snake (Status uncertain)	Now called Notechis scutatus niger (was Notechis ater niger) (Status uncertain)	SA
Chappell Island Tiger Snake (Status uncertain)	Now called Notechis scutatus serventyi (was Notechis ater serventyi) (Status uncertain)	Tas (Offshore Islands)
Western Tiger Snake	Now called Notechis scutatus occidentalis	WA
Eastern or Mainland Tiger Snake	Now called Notechis scutatus scutatus	NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic, Tas
Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake	Oxyuranus microlepidotus	NSW, Qld, SA, Vic(?) NT?
Coastal Taipan	Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus	NSW, NT, Qld, WA
Western Desert or Central Ranges Taipan	Oxyuranus temporalis	WA, NT (no records From SA but likely to occur)
Bush's Spectacled Hooded Snake	(invalid was Parasuta spectabilis bushi) now Suta gouldii	Esperance region, WA (Possibly extinct)
Nullarbor Spectacled Hooded Snake	(invalid was Parasuta spectabilis nullarbor) now Suta gouldii	(Nullarbor Plain) SA, WA
Lake Cronin Snake	Paroplocephalus (was Echiopsis) atriceps	WA
King Brown or Mulga Snake	Pseudechis australis	NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA
*Butler's Snake or Spotted Mulga Snake	Pseudechis butleri	WA
Collett's Snake	Pseudechis colletti	Qld
Blue-bellied or Spotted Black Snake	Pseudechis guttatus	NSW, Qld
Eastern Pygmy Mulga Snake (False King Brown Snake)	Pseudechis pailsei	Qld, NT
Papuan Black Snake	Pseudechis papuanus	Qld (Saibai Island)
Red-bellied Black Snake	Pseudechis porphyriacus	NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic
Western Pygmy Mulga Snake (False King Brown Snake)	Pseudechis weigeli	WA, NT
Common Dugite	Pseudonaja affinis affinis	WA, SA
Rottnest Island Dugite	Pseudonaja affinis exilis	(Rottnest Island) WA
Recherche Archipelago Dugite	Pseudonaja affinis tanneri	(Boxer Island , Figure of Eight Island )WA
Strap Snouted Brown Snake	Pseudonaja aspidorhyncha	SA, NSW, Qld, NT, Vic
Speckled Brown Snake	Pseudonaja guttata	NT, Qld, SA
Peninsula Brown Snake	Pseudonaja inframacula	SA
Ingram's Brown Snake	Pseudonaja ingrami	NT, Qld
*Western Brown Snake	Pseudonaja mengdeni	SA, WA, NT, Qld, NSW, Vic?
Ringed Brown Snake	Pseudonaja modesta	NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA
*Northern Brown Snake	Pseudonaja nuchalis	NT, Qld, WA
Common or Eastern Brown Snake	Pseudonaja textilis	NSW, ACT, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA?
Square-nosed Snake or Muller's Snake	Rhinoplocephalus bicolor	WA
Nullarbor Hooded Snake (INVALID - SEE Gould's Hooded Snake)	Rhinoplocephalus nullarbor (INVALID - SEE Suta gouldii)	SA, WA
Northern Desert Banded Snake	Simoselaps anomalus	NT, SA, WA
Jan's Desert Banded Snake	Simoselaps bertholdi	NT, SA, WA
Coastal Burrowing Snake or West-Coast Banded Snake	Simoselaps littoralis	WA
Dampierland Burrowing Snake	Simoselaps minimus (was minima)	WA
*Dwyer's Snake (Status uncertain)	Suta (was Parasuta) dwyeri	NSW, ACT, Qld, Vic, NSW, SA
Rosen's Snake	Suta (was Denisonia) fasciata	WA
Little Whip Snake	Suta (was Parasuta) flagellum	NSW, SA, Vic , ACT?
Pilbara Hooded Snake	*Suta gaikhorstorum* (split from Suta [was Parasuta] monachus)	WA (Pilbara region)
*Gould's Hooded Snake	Suta (was Parasuta) gouldii (Now also includes snakes previously known as Parasuta spectabilis nullarbor and Parasuta spectabilis bushi)	WA, SA
*Monk Snake or Hooded Snake	Suta (was Parasuta) monachus See also *Suta gaikhorstorum*	NT, SA, WA
*Mitchell's Short-tailed Snake or Mallee Black-backed Snake (Status uncertain)	Suta (was Parasuta) nigriceps	WA, SA?
Ord Curl Snake	Suta (was Denisonia) ordensis	NT(?), WA
Little Spotted Snake	Suta (was Rhinoplocephalus) punctata	NT, Qld, WA
*Common Spectacled Hooded Snake	Suta spectabilis (was Parasuta spectabilis spectabilis)	NSW, Qld, SA, Vic
Myall or Curl Snake	Suta (was Denisonia) suta	NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA
Rough-scaled Snake	Tropidechis carinatus	NSW, Qld
Bandy Bandy or Eastern Bandy Bandy	Vermicella annulata	NSW, ACT, NT, Qld, SA, Vic
Intermediate Bandy Bandy	Vermicella intermedia	NT, WA (Far north of these states)
Northern Bandy Bandy or Narrow Banded Bandy Bandy	Vermicella multifasciata	NT, WA (Far north of these states)
Weipa Narrow Banded Bandy Bandy	Vermicella parscauda	Qld, (Weipa region, Cape York)
Pilbara Bandy Bandy	Vermicella snelli	WA (Pilbara area)
Centralian Bandy Bandy	Vermicella vermiformis	NT (Central Australia)

Sea Snakes are often placed in their own family,
however many experts now consider them to be in the Elapid family

CLICK HERE FOR SEA SNAKES

DISTRIBUTION KEY
Click on the abbreviation below to see a map of the area

CI = Christmas Island	CKI = Cocos (Keeling) Island	NSW = New South Wales
NT = Northern Territory	Qld = Queensland	SA = South Australia
Tas = Tasmania	Vic = Victoria	WA = Western Australia
NI = Norfolk Island	LHI = Lord Howe Island	ACT = Australian Capital Territory (Canberra region only - excludes Jervis Bay Territory)