Neha Patil (Editor)

Demansia

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Class
  
Reptilia

Family
  
Elapidae

Phylum
  
Chordata

Order
  
Scaled reptiles

Subphylum
  
Vertebrata

Suborder
  
Serpentes

Scientific name
  
Demansia

Rank
  
Genus

Demansia wwwarodcomauarodpicturessquamataelapidaede

Similar
  
Demansia psammophis, Demansia vestigiata, Cacophis, Furina, Hoplocephalus

Demansia is a genus of venomous snakes of the family Elapidae; members of the genus are commonly known as whip snakes.

Contents

Johnny s solo project endless demansia


Description

All species of the genus Demansia are gray, brown, gray-green, or beige, save for Demansia psammophis (yellow-faced whip snake), which may be cream-coloured. Whip snakes are long and slender. They have large eyes and relatively small heads that are only slightly wider than their bodies. All species in the genus Demansia are venomous.

Geographic range

Whip snakes are found in Australia, Papua New Guinea in the area around Port Moresby, and nearby islands.

Diet

Whip snakes eat mainly lizards. Whip snakes are diurnal (active in the day), and use their keen eyesight to hunt. The prey dies quickly from the effects of the snake's venom.

Venom

The effects of whip snakes' venom on humans are relatively mild compared to that of many other Elapid snakes, but they are known to have a very painful bite. Envenomation by a large individual can be dangerous, and medical attention should be sought. One known fatality has been attributed to a Whip Snake, that of Ron Siggins in 2007.

Species

The following 14 species are recognized as being valid.

  • Demansia angusticeps (Macleay, 1888)
  • Demansia calodera Storr, 1978
  • Demansia flagellatio Wells & Wellington, 1985
  • Demansia olivacea (Gray, 1842)
  • Demansia papuensis (Macleay, 1877)
  • Demansia psammophis (Schlegel, 1837)
  • Demansia quaesitor Shea, 2007
  • Demansia reticulata (Gray, 1842)
  • Demansia rimicola Scanlon, 2007
  • Demansia rufescens Storr, 1978
  • Demansia shinei Shea, 2007
  • Demansia simplex Storr, 1978
  • Demansia torquata (Günther, 1862)
  • Demansia vestigata (De Vis, 1884)
  • Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Demansia.

    Etymology

    The specific name, shinei, is in honor of Australian herpetologist Richard Shine.

    References

    Demansia Wikipedia