Demansia calodera STORR, 1978
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Demansia calodera
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| Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Black-necked Whipsnake |
| Synonym | Demansia olivacea calodera STORR 1978 Demansia calodera — WILSON & KNOWLES 1988 Demansia calodera — WELCH 1994: 53 Demansia olivacea calodera — COGGER 2000: 640 Demansia calodera — SHEA & SCANLON 2007 Demansia calodera — WALLACH et al. 2014: 213 |
| Distribution | W Australia from northwest Cape south to Tamala [fide WELCH 1994]; Australia (coast and hinterland of Western Australia from North West Cape to Shark Bay region [fide COGGER 2000]). Type locality: Tamala, 26° 42'S, 113'42'E, W. A. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: WAM R54992; Collected by Messrs G. Harold and M. Peterson; Collection Date: August 29, 1976. Paratypes: (n=28) North-west Division (W.A.): Vlaming Head (22510-11); 3 km N of Yardie HS (55888); Yardie Creek (51027); Ningaloo (32027-8); Cardabia (16966); Marilla (4751, 5322); Wandagee (14055); Quobba Point (17320-1); Carnarvon (22830); Callagiddy (45650); Bernier I. (11241, 13283); Dirk Hartog I. (42378, 44237,44546); Tamala (6530, 54991); Monkey Mia (54831); Peron HS (54817-8); Denham (22433) and 25 km S (54587); Eagle Bluff (22432, 55098). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis. A small Demansia (SVL up to 517 mm) with a dark, pale-edged collar, the pale edges undulating and themselves edged in black, moderately narrow pale postocular bar separating dark teardrop from head dorsum, and a pale venter lacking dark markings on anterior ventrals. (Storr 1978) Description: Snout-vent length (mm): 136-476 (N 29, mean 358.2). Length of tail (% SVL): 23.8-34.2 (N 23, mean 30.2). Ventrals 174-193 (N 25, mean 181.2). Subcaudals 65-87 (N 24, mean 75.2). Ventrals plus subcaudals 241-272 (N 22, mean 257.0). Upper surface olive grey or olive brown, dorsals usually spotted basally with black, and snout occasionally spotted with blackish brown. Blackish brown transrostral line extending back through nostril to narrow blackish brown circumorbital ring whose tail extends to or towards angle of mouth; dark markings broadly edged with creamy white. Bottom of rostral and greater part of first three labials dark greyish brown. Temporal blotch dark greyish brown. Nuchal bar black, dark grey or dark brown, narrowing as it descends side of neck, edged with white or brownish white. Occasionally indication of longitudinal streak on each side of chin; rest of lower surface creamy white. (Storr 1978) |
| Comment | Distribution: not in S Papua New Guinea (Allen Allison, pers. comm., 20 Feb 2017). Venomous! |
| Etymology | The name is derived from the Greek calos = beautiful and deire = neck), alluding to the strong neck pattern (Storr et al., 1986). |
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