''Neelaps calonotos'', also known
commonly as the black-striped burrowing snake, the black-striped snake, and the western black-striped snake, is a
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 ...
of
venomous burrowing
snake 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 ...
. The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''calonotos'' ("beautiful-backed") refers to the patterning on the upper surface of the body.
Description
''Neelaps calanotos'' rarely grows to a total length (including tail) of more than , and is considered to be Australia's smallest venomous snake. Females are larger than males.
Dorsally, it is reddish-orange, with a narrow black stripe along the back. The belly is whitish. Three black patches cover the snout, top of the head, and the nape.
Reproduction
''Neelaps calonotos'' is
oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
, with an average
clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
size of four (range 2–6).
Behaviour and diet
''Neelaps calonotos'' is
nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, staying in loose sand during the day and
preying
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...
on small animals such as
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s at night.
Geographic range and habitat
''Neelaps calonotos'' occurs in coastal south-western
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 ...
.
It lives in dunes as well as open
woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
s and
shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...
s with sandy soils.
References
Further reading
*
Boulenger GA (1896). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ), Amblycephalidæ, and Viperidæ.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natrural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (''Furina calonota'', p. 407).
*
Cogger HG (2014). ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition''. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
*
Duméril A-M-C,
Bibron G,
Duméril A H-A(1854). ''Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième''
olume 7 ''Deuxième partie''
art 2
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
''Comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux.'' Paris: Roret. xii + pp. 781–1536. (''Furina calonotos'', new species, pp. 1241–1242).
*
Glauert L (1960). ''A Handbook of the Snakes of Western Australia, Second Edition''. Perth: Western Australian Naturalists' Club. 62 pp.
*
Sanders KL,
Lee MSY, Leys R,
Foster R,
Keogh JS (2008). "Molecular phylogeny and divergence dates for Australasian elapids and sea snakes (hydrophiinae): evidence from seven genes for rapid evolutionary radiations". ''Journal of Evolutionary Biology'' 21 (3): 682–695.
*
Wilson S
Wilson may refer to:
People
* Wilson (name)
** List of people with given name Wilson
** List of people with surname Wilson
* Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender
*Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Rod ...
,
Swan G (2013). ''A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition''. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .
calonotus
Snakes of Australia
Endemic fauna of Australia
Reptiles of Western Australia
Taxa named by André Marie Constant Duméril
Taxa named by Gabriel Bibron
Taxa named by Auguste Duméril
Reptiles described in 1854
{{Elapidae-stub