Ingram's brown snake (''Pseudonaja ingrami'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

venomous snake Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 Emydoce ...

. The species 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 els ...

to Australia.

Taxonomy

Belgian-British zoologist

George Albert Boulenger George Albert Boulenger (19 October 1858 – 23 November 1937) was a Belgian-British zoologist who described and gave scientific names to over 2,000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Boulenger was also an active botan ...

described the species in 1908 as ''Diemenia ingrami'', from a specimen collected on Alexandria Station in the Northern Territory. The specific name, ''ingrami'', is in honour of

Collingwood Ingram Collingwood "Cherry" Ingram (30 October 1880 – 19 May 1981), was a British ornithologist, plant collector and gardener, who was an authority on Japanese flowering cherries. Personal life Collingwood Ingram was a son of Sir William Ingram and Ma ...

, who was an English ornithologist and horticulturist. The brown snakes were moved to the genus ''

Pseudonaja ''Pseudonaja'' is a genus of highly venomous elapid snakes native to Australia. Species of this genus are known commonly as brown snakes and are considered to be some of the most dangerous snakes in the world; even young snakes are capable ...

'' by Australian naturalist

Eric Worrell Eric Arthur Frederic Worrell ( MBE), (27 October 1924 – 13 July 1987) was an Australian naturalist, herpetologist and writer whose collection of snake venom was essential in the production of snake anti-venom in Australia. History Eric wa ...

in the early 1960s on the basis of skull morphology, and reinforced by American herpetologist Samuel Booker McDowell in 1967 on the basis of the muscles of the venom glands. This classification has been followed by subsequent authors. Genetic analysis indicates that Ingram's brown snake is a diverged from the ancestor of all other brown snakes except the more basal

ringed brown snake The ringed brown snake (''Pseudonaja modesta'') is a species of venomous elapid snake native to a broad swathe of inland Australia, from western New South Wales and Queensland to Western Australia. Albert Günther described it as ''Cacophis mod ...

(''P. modesta'') and

speckled brown snake The speckled brown snake or spotted brown snake (''Pseudonaja guttata'') is a species of venomous elapid snake native to northeastern Australia. Taxonomy English zoologist Hampton Wildman Parker described the speckled brown snake as ''Demansi ...

(''P. guttata'').

Description

Ingram's brown snake grows to long. It has a grey-brown to dark brown head and nape, black-brown to golden brown upper parts. It has 17 rows of

dorsal scales In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales. Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publis ...

at midbody, 190 to 220 ventral scales, 55 to 70 divided

subcaudal scales In snakes, the subcaudal scales are the enlarged plates on the underside of the tail.Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. . These scales may be either single or divided (pair ...

(occasionally some of the anterior ones are undivided), and a divided

anal scale Anal may refer to: Related to the anus *Related to the anus of animals: ** Anal fin, in fish anatomy ** Anal vein, in insect anatomy ** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy *Related to the human anus: ** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving ...

. Cogger HG (2014). ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition''. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. . (''Pseudonaja ingrami'', p. 925).

Distribution and habitat

''P. ingrami'' is native to a broad swathe of inland Australia, from northwestern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

to northeastern

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 ...

. It lives in tussock grasslands on black soil, retreating into earth crevices.

Feeding

Ingram's brown snake eats small birds and mammals.

Reproduction

''P. ingrami'' 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), a ...

, with clutches ranging between 12 and 18 eggs.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3409785 Pseudonaja Reptiles of Western Australia Reptiles described in 1908 Reptiles of Queensland Snakes of Australia