The northern death adder (''Acanthophis praelongus'') is a species of
venomous snake in the family
Elapidae.
The northern death adder lives in Australia and Papua New Guinea. It hunts birds, amphibians, and small mammals both by day and night. Though it resembles a viper, it belongs to a group of snakes that includes cobras and mambas.
Venom
The venom of the northern death adder is highly potent against the human organism. It contains pre- and postsynaptic
neurotoxin
Neurotoxins are toxins that are destructive to nerve tissue (causing neurotoxicity). Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insultsSpencer 2000 that can adversely affect function in both developing and mature ner ...
s, possibly
myotoxins and
anticoagulant
Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where the ...
s as well. An envenoming by this snake is very dangerous, and all bites should be treated as medical emergencies. Main effects include local pain and flaccid
paralysis
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...
, death can be caused by
respiratory failure. In the case of systemic effects of envenoming key treatment is based on
antivenom applications ('Polyvalent Snake Antivenom (Australia - New Guinea)'
CSL Limited, 'Death Adder Antivenom', CSL Limited).
Habitat
Northern death adders can be found in a wide range of habitats, including mangroves,
tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrubland.
[Encyclopedia of Life]
"A. praelongus"
(2018-08-05)
References
Acanthophis
Reptiles of Western Australia
Reptiles of Indonesia
Reptiles of Papua New Guinea
Taxa named by Edward Pierson Ramsay
Reptiles described in 1877
Snakes of Australia
Snakes of New Guinea
{{Elapidae-stub