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Demansia quaesitor SHEA, 2007

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Higher TaxaElapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common Names 
SynonymDemansia quaesitor SHEA 2007
Demansia quaesitor — WILSON & SWAN 2010
Demansia quaesitor — WALLACH et al. 2014: 214 
DistributionAustralia (Northern Territory)

Type locality: “Hodgson Downs”, Mt Langdon, NT  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: NTM R16836, collected by J. Woinarski on 29.v.1991. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A small (maximum SVL 565 mm) Demansia with head blue-grey to orange-brown, paler than body, dark transrostral streak (when distinct) reaching orbit, dark postocular teardrop marking extending across top of fifth supralabial and middle of sixth supralabial, directed towards and often reaching ventral extremity of a narrow dark collar on nape, and dark facial and nape markings not or only weakly and diffusely pale-edged. 
CommentSynonymy: Material of this species has previously been referred to D. olivacea (Storr, 1978; McKenzie et al., 1995; Stammer in Horton 1976; Storr et al., 1986; Cogger, 1994).

Habitat: terrestrial

Venomous! 
EtymologyNamed after the Latin noun quaesitor: a judge of the criminal court, alluding to the generally sombre appearance of the species, which lacks pale markings to the dark collar, and has a pale head; a secondary meaning (a searcher or seeker) alludes to the foraging ecology of the genus. 
References
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger,H.G. 1994. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 5th ed. Reed Books/Cornell University Press, 788 pp.
  • McKenzie, N.L., L. Fontanini, N.V. Lindus & M.R. Williams 1995. Biological inventory of Koolan Island, Western Australia 2. Zoologica notes. Rec. West. Austr. Mus. 17: 249–266. - get paper here
  • Shea, G.M. & Scanlon 2007. Revision of the small tropical whipsnakes previously referred to Demansia olivacea (Gray, 1842) and Demansia torquata (Guenther, 1862) (Squamata: Elapidae). Rec. Austral. Mus. 59 (2-3): 117-142 - get paper here
  • Storr G M 1978. Whip snakes (Demansia, Elapidae) of Western Australia. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 6 (3): 287-301 - get paper here
  • Storr, G. M.; Smith, L. A. & Johnstone, R. E. 1986. Snakes of Western Australia. Western Australia Museum, Perth, ix + 187 pp.
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2010. A complete guide to reptiles of Australia, 3rd ed. Chatswood: New Holland, 558 pp.
 
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