n.
The Australian land snakes belongprincipally to the four families, Typhlopidae, Boidae, Colubridae, and Elapidae. The proportion ofvenomous to non-venomous species increases from north to south,the five species known in Tasmania being all venomous. Thesmallest forms, such as the «blind» or «worm» snakes, are onlya few inches in length, while the largest Python may reach alength of perhaps eighteen feet.
Various popular names have been given to different speciesin different colonies, the same name being unfortunately notinfrequently applied to quite distinct species. The morecommon forms are as follows: – – Black Snake.
Name applied in Australia to Pseudechis porphyriacus,Shaw, which is more common in the warmer parts, andcomparatively rare in the south of Victoria, and not foundin Tasmania. In the latter the name is sometimes given todark-coloured varieties of Hoplocephalus curtus,and in Victoria to those of H. superbus. Thecharacteristic colour is black or black-brown above and reddishbeneath, but it can be at once distinguished from specimens ofH. superbus, which not infrequently have this colour, by thepresence of a double series of plates at the hinder end, anda single series at the anterior end of the tail, whereas inthe other species named there is only a single row along thewhole length of the tail underneath.
1799. D. Collins, `Account of New South Wales' (edition1802), vol. ii. p. 189 [Bass Diary at the Derwent, Tasmania]:
«The most formidable among the reptiles was the black snakewith venomous fangs.»
[This refers to some species of Hoplocephalus, and not to the Australian Black Snake, which does not occur in Tasmania.]
♣ Black and white ringed Snake.
Name applied to Vermicella annulata, Gray, thecharacteristic colouration of which consists of a series ofalternating dark and light rings. It is found especially inthe dry, warmer parts of the interior.
♣ Brown Snake.
Name given to three species of the genus Diemenia – – (1)the Common Brown Snake, D. superciliosa, Fischer; (2)the small-scaled Brown Snake, D. microlepidota, McCoy;and (3) the shield-fronted Brown Snake, D. aspidorhyncha,McCoy. All are venomous, and the commonest is the first, whichis usually known as the Brown Snake.
1890. A. H. S. Lucas, `Handbook of the AustralasianAssociation for the Advancement of Science,' Melbourne, p. 71:
«The most abundant of these are the tiger snake, Hoplocephalus curtus, the most widespread, active,and dangerous of them all: the brown snake, Diemeniasuperciliosa, pretty generally distributed.»
♣ Carpet Snake.
Name applied in Australia to Python variegata, Gray,a non-venomous snake reaching a length of ten feet. The namehas reference to the carpet-like pattern on the scales.The animal crushes its prey to death, and can hang frombranches by means of its prehensile tail. In Tasmania,the name is unfortunately applied to a venomous snake, Hoplocephalus curtus, Schlegel.
1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' c. i. p. 16:
«Brown brought a carpet snake and a brown snake with yellowbelly.»
1878. F. McCoy, `Prodromus of the Zoology ofVictoria,' Decade ii. pl. 13:
«The pattern has some resemblance to some of the commoner sortsof Kidderminster carpets, as suggested by the popular name ofCarpet Snake . . . the name . . . is, unfortunately, appliedto the poisonous Tiger Snake in Tasmania, producing someconfusion.»
1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals, p. 294:
«One of the snakes most common is the Australian python( Morelia variegata), the largest snake found inAustralia, which here in Northern Queensland may evenattain a length of more than twenty feet.»
♣ Copper-head Snake.
Name applied in Australia to Hoplocephalus superbus,Gunth., a venomous snake which is very common in Tasmania,where it is often called the Diamond Snake (q.v.).In Victoria, it is often confused with the Black Snake;unlike the latter, it is more common in the south thanin the north. It derives its popular name from the colourof the head.
1885. F. McCoy, `Prodromus of the Natural History ofVictoria,' Decade i. pl. 2:
«In Tasmania the name Diamond snake is unfortunately given tothis species, for that name properly belongs to a perfectlyharmless snake of New South Wales, so that the numerousexperiments made in Tasmania to test the value of somepretended antidotes, were supposed in London to have been madewith the true Diamond snake, instead of, as was the case, withthis very poisonous kind. . . . I have adopted the popularname `copperhead' for this snake from a well-known vendor of asupposed antidote for snake-bites.»
1896. `The Melburnian,' Aug. 28, p. 54:
«Those heather lands round Caulfield and Oakleigh where thecopperhead snake basks, coiled on the warm silver sand.»
♣ Death-adder; also called Deaf-adder.
An Australian snake, Acanthophis antarctica. It isusually found in hot sandy districts, and is supposed to be themost venomous of the Australian snakes. Large specimens reacha length of upwards of three feet, the body having a diameterof about two inches: at the end of the tail is a short spinepopularly known as the animal's «sting.»
1878. F. McCoy, `Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria,'Decade ii. pl. 12:
«The popular name seems to be indifferently Death Adder or DeafAdder. The harmless horny spine at the end of the tail is itsmost dangerous weapon, in the popular belief.»
♣ Diamond-Snake.
Name applied in New South Wales and Queensland to Pythonspilotes, Lacep., a non-venomous snake reaching a largesize. In Tasmania the same name is given to Hoplocephalussuperbus, Gray, a venomous snake more properly called the Copperhead Snake.
1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 78:
«Charley killed a diamond snake, larger than any he had everseen before.»
1850. J. B. Clutterbuck, `Port Phillip,' c. iii. p. 43:
«The diamond snake is that most dreaded by the natives.»
1869. G. Krefft, `The Snakes of Australia,' p. 29:
«Diamond snakes are found in almost every kind of country thatoffers them sufficient shelter.»
1895. G. Metcalfe, `Australian Zoology,' p. 27:
«As a rule, diamond snakes have almost every scale of the bodymarked with a yellow spot in the centre. . . . The abdominalplates are yellow, and more or less blotched with black, andmany species . . . have a number of diamond-shaped yellowspots upon the body, formed by a few of the lighter scales,and hence their name has probably arisen.»
♣ Green Tree-Snake.
Name given, owing to its colour, to the commonest Australiantree-snake, Dendrophis punctulata, Gray. It is anon-venomous form, feeding on frogs, young birds, and eggs,and rarely exceeds the length of six feet.
1869. G. Krefft, `The Snakes of Australia,' p. 24:
«Young and half grown Tree Snakes are olive-green above andlight brown below . . . when angry, the body of this serpentexpands in a vertical direction, whilst all venomous snakesflatten their necks horizontally. The green Tree snake, in astate of excitement is strongly suggestive of one of thepopular toys of childhood.»
♣ Little Whip-Snake.
Name applied to a small venomous species of snake, Hoplocephalus flagellum, McCoy. Common inparts of Victoria, but not exceeding a foot in length.
1859. H. Kingsley, `Geoffrey Hamlyn,' vol. ii. c. xxvii.p. 190:
«He wished it had been a whip-snake instead of a magpie.»
1887. R. M. Praed, `Longleat of Kooralbyn,' c. xx. p. 199:
«A whip-snake . . . reared itself upon its lithe body, andmade a dart at Barrington's arm.»
1890. Lyth, `Golden South,' c. iii. p. 24:
«I saw a large `whip-snake' lying on the path.»
♣ Tiger-Snake.
Name applied in Australia and Tasmania to Hoplocephaluscurtus, Schlegel, but this species is often also known inthe latter as the Carpet Snake (q.v.). The popular nameis derived from the cross-banded colouring along the body, andalso from its activity. It varies much in colour from a darkolive green to a light yellowish brown, the darker cross bandsbeing sometimes almost indistinguishable. It may reach alength of four feet, and is viviparous, producing about thirtyyoung ones in January or February.
1875. `The Spectator' (Melbourne), Aug. 21, p. 190, col. 1:
«On Tuesday a tiger-snake was seen opposite the door of the Sandridge police court.»
1885. F. McCoy, `Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria,' Decadei. pl. 3:
«This species, which goes under the colonial name in Victoriaof Tiger snake, from its tawny cross banded colouring andferocity, is well known to frequently inflict bites rapidlyfatal to men and dogs. . . . In Tasmania this is popularlycalled `Carpet snake,' a name which properly belongs to theharmless snake so called on the mainland.»
♣ Two-hooded Furina-Snake.
Name applied to a small, venomous snake, Furinabicuculata, McCoy.
1879. F. McCoy, `Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria,' Decadeiii. pl. 32:
«Furina bicuculata (McCoy). The Two-hooded Furina-snake. . . .This rare and beautiful little snake is a clear example of thegenus Furina.»
♣ White-lipped-Snake.
Name given to a small venomous species of whip-snake, Hoplocephalus coronoides, Gunth., found in Tasmania andVictoria, and reaching a length of about eighteen inches.
1890. A. H. S. Lucas, `Handbook of the AustralasianAssociation for the Advancement of Science,' Melbourne, p. 71:
«Whip snakes, H. flagellum and H. coronoides.»
♣ Worm-Snake.
Name given to various species of the genus Typhlops,comprising small, non-venomous, smooth, round-bodied snakes,which burrow in warm sandy soil, and feed upon insects such asants. The eyes are covered over by translucent plates, and thetail scarcely tapering at all, and sometimes having two blackspots, gives the animal the appearance of having a head at eachend. The commoner forms are the Blackish Worm-Snake( Typhlops nigrescens, Gray), and Schlegel'sWorm-Snake ( T. polygrammicus, Schlegel).
1881. F. McCoy, `Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria,'Decade vi. pl. 103:
«The `Blackish Worm snake' is not uncommon in the northernwarmer parts of the colony. . . . These worm snakes areperfectly harmless, although, like the Slow-Worms and theirallies in other countries, they are popularly supposed to bevery poisonous.»