''Denisonia'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
venomous snake
Venomous snakes are Species (biology), species of the Suborder (biology), suborder Snake, Serpentes that are capable of producing Snake venom, venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The v ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Elapidae
Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids ; grc, ἔλλοψ ''éllops'' "sea-fish") is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus Emydoceph ...
. The genus is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and contains two recognized
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
.
Species
The following two species are recognized as being valid.
*''
Denisonia devisi
The mud adder (''Denisonia devisi''), also known commonly as De Vis' banded snake or Devis's banded snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to certain regions of eastern Australia, including Sou ...
'' – De Vis's banded snake, De Vis' banded snake, mud adder
*''
Denisonia maculata
The ornamental snake (''Denisonia maculata'') is a small elapid snake found in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, Australia. Ornamental snakes grow to about 40 centimetres in length and appear to be primarily frog
A frog is any member of a div ...
'' – ornamental snake
Etymology
The
generic name, ''Denisonia'', is in honor of
William Thomas Denison
Sir William Thomas Denison (3 May 1804 – 19 January 1871) was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen's Land from 1847 to 1855, Governor of New South Wales from 1855 to 1861, and Governor of Madras from 1861 to 1866.
According to Percival Se ...
, mid 19th century governor of parts of Australia. The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''devisi'', is in honor of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
herpetologist
Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...
Charles Walter De Vis
Charles Walter de Vis (Birmingham, England, 9 May 1829 – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 30 April 1915), .
[ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Genus ''Denisonia'', p. 69; species ''Denisonia devisi'', p. 71).]
References
External links
Genus ''Denisonia'' Krefft, 1869 Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Government.
Further reading
*
Krefft G (1869). ''The Snakes of Australia; An Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of All the Known Species.'' Sydney: Thomas Richards, Government Printer. xxv + 100 pp. + Plates I-XII. (''Denisonia'', new genus, pp. 82–83 + Plate XI, figure 4).
*
Waite ER,
Longman HA (1920). "Descriptions of Little-known Australian Snakes". ''Records of the South Australian Museum'' 1 (3): 173-180 + Plate XXVII. (''Denisonia maculata'' var. ''devisi'', new name, pp. 178–179, Text figure 36 + Plate XXVII, figure 2).
*
Wilson, Steve (2003). ''Reptiles of the Southern Brigalow Belt''. Australia: World Wildlife Fund. pp. 33–34.
Snake genera
Taxa named by Gerard Krefft
Snakes of Australia
{{Alethinophidia-stub