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Elapidae
Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids , from , variant of "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 '' Emydocephalus''. Many members of this family exhibit a threat display of rearing upwards while spreading out a neck flap. Elapids are endemic to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, with terrestrial forms in Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas and marine forms in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Members of the family have a wide range of sizes, from the white-lipped snake to the king cobra. Most species have neurotoxic venom that is channeled by their hollow fangs, and some may contain other toxic components in varying proportions. The family includes 55 genera with around 360 species and over 170 subspecies. Description Terrestrial elapids look similar to the Colubridae; almost all have long, slender bodies with smooth scales, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naja
''Naja'' is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras (or "true cobras"). Various species occur throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are often called "cobras", such as the king cobra and the rinkhals, but they are not "true cobras", in that they do not belong to the genus ''Naja''. Until recently, the genus ''Naja'' had 20 to 22 species, but it has undergone several Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic revisions in recent years, so sources vary greatly. Wide support exists, though, for a 2009 revision that synonymised the genera ''Boulengerina'' and ''Paranaja multifasciata, Paranaja'' with ''Naja''. According to that revision, the genus ''Naja'' now includes 38 species. Etymology The origin of the Genus, generic name, ''Naja'', is from the Sanskrit ''nāga'' (with a hard "g") meaning "snake". Some hold that the Sanskrit word is Cognate (etymology), cognate with English "snake", Germanic: ''*snēk-a-'', Pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Cobra
The king cobra (''Ophiophagus hannah'') is a species complex of snakes Endemism, endemic to Asia. With an average of and a record length of , it is the world's longest venomous snake and among the heaviest. Under the genus ''Ophiophagus'', it is not phylogenetics, phylogenetically a Naja, true cobra despite its common name and some resemblance. Spanning from the Indian Subcontinent through Southeastern Asia to Southern China, the king cobra is widely distributed albeit not commonly seen. Individuals have Polymorphism (biology), diversified colouration across its habitats, from black with white strips to unbroken brownish grey, although after taxonomic re-evaluation, it is no longer the monotypic, sole member of its genus but is now a species complex; these differences in pattern and other aspects may cause the genus to be split into at least four species, spread across its large Species distribution, geographic range. It chiefly Ophiophagy, hunts other snakes, including Can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydrophiinae
Hydrophiinae is a subfamily of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae. It contains most sea snakes and many genera of venomous land snakes found in Australasia, such as the taipans (''Oxyuranus''), tiger snakes (''Notechis''), brown snakes (''Pseudonaja'') and death adders (''Acanthophis''). Taxonomy Phylogeny and classification Historically, subfamily Hydrophiinae included all " sea snakes" and was commonly used to refer to both the true sea snakes (tribe Hydrophiini) and the sea kraits ('' Laticauda''). However, large-scale molecular phylogenetic analyses and studies integrating phenotypic data (including morphological, ecological, and cytogenetic characteristics) with molecular data support the hypothesis that '' Laticauda'' is the sister group to all other hydrophiines. This clade containing all hydrophiines except '' Laticauda'' is sometimes referred to as Oxyuraninae. Given its basal position, ''Laticauda'' is sometimes placed in a separate subfamily, Laticau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snake
Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints than their lizard ancestors and relatives, enabling them to swallow prey much larger than their heads ( cranial kinesis). To accommodate their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side, and most only have one functional lung. Some species retain a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca. Lizards have independently evolved elongate bodies without limbs or with greatly reduced limbs at least twenty-five times via convergent evolution, leading to many lineages of legless lizards. These resemble snakes, but several common groups of legless lizards have eyelids and external ears, which snakes lack, althoug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inland Taipan
The inland taipan (''Oxyuranus microlepidotus''), also Common name, commonly known as the western taipan, small-scaled snake, or fierce snake,White, Julian (November 1991)''Oxyuranus microlepidotus'' "Neurotoxic paralysis usually takes 2-4 hours to become clinically detectable. Coagulopathy however may become well established within 30 minutes of a bite" International Programme on Chemical Safety. Retrieved 8 November 2013. is a species of extremely venomous snake in the Family (biology), family Elapidae. The species is Endemism, endemic to semiarid regions of central east Australia.Cecilie Beatson (29 November 2011)Animal Species: Inland TaipanAustralian Museum. Retrieved 14 October 2013. Aboriginal Australians living in Karnic languages, those regions named it ''dandarabilla''.Queensland SnakesHistory & Discovery (archived) Queensland Museum. Retrieved 15 November 2013. It was Species description, formally described by Frederick McCoy in 1879 and William John Macleay in 1882, bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coral Snake
Coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be divided into two distinct groups, the Old World coral snakes and New World coral snakes. There are 27 species of Old World coral snakes, in three genera ('' Calliophis'', '' Hemibungarus'', and '' Sinomicrurus''), and 83 recognized species of New World coral snakes, in two genera ('' Micruroides'' and '' Micrurus''). Genetic studies have found that the most basal lineages have origins in Asia, suggesting that the group originated in the Old World. While new world species of both genera are venomous, their bites are seldom lethal; only two confirmed fatalities have been documented in the past 100 years from the genus ''Micrurus''. Meanwhile, snakes of the genus ''Micruroides'' have never caused a medically significant bite. North American coloration patterns Experts now recognize that certain coloration patterns and common mnemonics—such as the phrase “Red against yellow, deadly fellow; red against black, friendly J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinomicrurus Macclellandi
''Sinomicrurus macclellandi'', commonly known as MacClelland's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to southern and eastern Asia. There are three recognized subspecies. Etymology The specific name, ''macclellandi'', is in honor of John McClelland, a physician and naturalist, who worked for the East India Company. Description ''Sinomicrurus macclellandi'' is a small snake, about in total length (tail included), and has a thin body. Dorsally, it is reddish-brown, with thin, black cross bars, and its belly is creamy white. The head is small, round and black in color, with a broad, creamy white transverse band, and black outlines at the middle of the head. The dorsal scales on the body are smooth, and they are arranged, at midbody, in 13 parallel longitudinal rows. Geographic range ''Sinomicrurus macclellandi'' is found in northern and northeastern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, northern Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, centra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emydocephalus
''Emydocephalus'' is a genus of sea snakes, also known as turtle-headed sea snakes, in the family Elapidae. The genus is one of a small group of the viviparous sea snakes (Hydrophiinae: Hydrophiini) with ''Aipysurus''. Unlike most sea snakes, the species that make up ''Emydocephalus'' lack teeth on their dentary and palatine bones. They also lack venom, making them the only non-venomous elapids. The dentary and palantine bones bear only a row of papillae. ''Emydocephalus'' does, however, bear fangs and many small pterygoid teeth. This reduced dentition is due to their diet consisting almost entirely of fish eggs. Due to their prey being small and immobile, they exhibit a foraging strategy different than most snakes, where they forage more frequently but consume smaller quantities. Etymology The generic name, ''Emydocephalus'', is from the Greek words ὲμύς (emys) meaning "turtle", and κεφαλή (kephale) meaning "head". Geographic range Species of the genus ''Emydocepha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elapsoidea
''Elapsoidea'' is a genus of venomous snakes, commonly known as African garter snakes, in the family Elapidae. Despite their common names, they are unrelated to the harmless North American garter snakes of the genus ''Thamnophis''. Species The following ten species are recognized as being valid. *'' Elapsoidea boulengeri'' Boettger, 1895 – Boulenger's garter snake Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii +296 pp. . (''Elapsoidea boulengeri'', p. 34; ''E. broadleyi'', p. 39; ''E. guentherii'', p. 110; ''E. laticincta'', p. 282; ''E. loveridgei'', p. 161; ''E. sundevallii'', p. 258). – Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe *'' Elapsoidea broadleyi'' Jakobsen, 1997 – Broadley's garter snake – Somalia *'' Elapsoidea chelazziorum'' Lanza, 1979 – Somali garter snake – Somalia *'' Elapsoidea guentherii'' Bocage, 1866 – Günther's garter snake – Angola, Came ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Mamba
The black mamba (''Dendroaspis polylepis'') is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. It is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. First formally species description, described by Albert Günther in 1864, it is the second-longest venomous snake after the king cobra; mature specimens generally exceed and commonly grow to . Specimens of have been reported. It varies in colour from grey to dark brown. Juvenile black mambas tend to be more pale in colour than adults, and darken with age. Despite the common name, the black mamba is not black; the colour name describes rather the inside of its mouth, which it displays when feeling threatened. The species is both terrestrial animal, terrestrial (ground-living) and arboreal (tree-living); it inhabits savannah, woodland, rocky slopes and in some regions, dense forest. It is Diurnality, diurnal and is known to prey on birds and small mammals. Over suitable surfaces, it can move at speeds up to for short ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mamba
Mambas are fast-moving, highly venomous snakes of the genus ''Dendroaspis'' (which literally means "tree asp") in the family Elapidae. Four extant species are recognised currently; three of those four species are essentially arboreal and green in colour, whereas the black mamba, ''Dendroaspis polylepis'', is largely terrestrial and generally brown or grey in colour. All are native to various regions in sub-Saharan Africa and all are feared throughout their ranges, especially the black mamba. In Africa there are many legends and stories about mambas. also at/ref> Behaviour The three green species of mambas are arboreal, whereas the black mamba is largely terrestrial. All four species are active diurnal hunters, preying on birds, lizards, and small mammals. At nightfall some species, especially the terrestrial black mamba, shelter in a lair. A mamba may retain the same lair for years. Resembling a cobra, the threat display of a mamba includes rearing, opening the mouth an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bungarus
''Bungarus'' (commonly known as kraits ) is a genus of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae. The genus is native to Asia. Often found on the floor of tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Southern China, they are medium-sized, highly venomous snakes with a total length (including tail) typically not exceeding . These are nocturnal ophiophagious predators which prey primarily on other snakes at night, occasionally taking lizards, amphibians and rodents. Most species are with banded patterns acting as a warning sign to their predators. Despite being considered as generally docile and timid, kraits are capable of delivering highly potent neurotoxic venom which is medically significant with potential lethality to humans. The genus currently holds 18 species and 5 subspecies. Distribution Kraits are found in tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia and Indochina, ranging in the west from Iran, east through the Indian subcontinent (including Bangladesh, Nepal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
