''Echiopsis curta'' is a
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
,
elapid
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 Emydoce ...
species of snake, also commonly known from the
Aboriginal name as the bardick.
It is a short, highly venomous snake with variable color which is mainly
nocturnal, reaching a maximum length of 57 cm.
It 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 else ...
to
Australia, most commonly found in three distinct
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
s through southern Australia. They are considered venomous to humans, however there is very little information.
Their population is decreasing due to habitat degradation and destruction but considered
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
on the
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...
.
There is some dispute whether ''Echiopsis'' ''atriceps'' is also a species within the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
as only five known specimens have been found but have been assigned to four different genera.
Description
The bardick grows up to maximum of 57 cm (1 ft 10.44 in) in length with a thick set stumpy body with a short tail.
Its smooth scales vary in color from pale to dark grey, brown and reddish, darker along the head and back, this lightens along the sides, with white to cream belly. Lips are spotted with white.
The bardick has short hollow fixed fangs which is uses to deliver toxic venom to its prey.
Distribution and habitat
''Echiopsis curta'' has three distinct populations in
semi-arid
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...
areas in the south of Australia, south-west
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, the Eyre peninsula of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
and another in western
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
It inhabits
heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...
,
scrubland and open forest in the west and favors
mallee and
''Triodia'' grassland country in the eastern population.
They like to live under leaf litter, fallen trees and debris. The major threat to bardick numbers is due to loss of habitat from clearing.
Diet
It is an ambush style predator which is mostly nocturnal in habit and a diet consisting of mainly lizards (52%), frogs (31%) and mammals (13%), plus some birds and insects.
Eastern populations eat less amphibians than western populations. Studies conducted on diet showed prey types contained multiple species of each type.
Lifespan and reproduction
Bardicks are
ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...
, with litters ranging between 3 and 14 and averaging 7 young. These are born up to 15 cm in length. Mating occurs in late spring, gestation over summer and birthing in late summer and autumn. Males reach sexual maturity at 29 cm
snout-vent length (SVL) at between 17 and 19 months of age.
Females reach reproductive age at 28 cm SVL at approximately 32 months of age. Body size is strongly correlated to reproductive fitness.
This species shows one of the largest litter volumes, a single specimen at 41 cm SVL had 13 full size embryos extending 34 cms internally, to 7cms from the snout.
Venom
Research into venom of ''E. curta'' is extremely limited. There is some suggestion of similarities to the
common death adder
The common death adder (''Acanthophis antarcticus'') is a species of death adder native to Australia. It is one of the most venomous land snakes in Australia and globally. While it remains widespread (unlike related species), it is facing increa ...
(''Acanthophis antarcticus''), due to a snake venom detection kit false positive on a dog, outside the geographical range of that species.
Bites on humans are rare, with one case requiring hospitalization due to complications which were abated with the administration of common death adder
antivenom
Antivenom, also known as antivenin, venom antiserum, and antivenom immunoglobulin, is a specific treatment for envenomation. It is composed of antibodies and used to treat certain venomous bites and stings. Antivenoms are recommended only if th ...
Venom has been shown to include neurotoxins and is highly neurotoxic to avian tissues, comparable to
tiger snake,
copperhead
Copperhead may refer to:
Snakes
* ''Agkistrodon contortrix'', or copperhead, a venomous pit viper species found in parts of North America
* '' Austrelaps'', or Australian copperhead, a genus of venomous elapids found in southern Australia and Ta ...
and
inland taipan. However, it has not shown neurotoxic effects even though significant envenoming has occurred.
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q210082, from2=Q2708958
Reptiles of Western Australia
Vulnerable fauna of Australia
Reptiles described in 1843
Snakes of Australia
Elapidae
Monotypic snake genera
Taxa named by Leopold Fitzinger