Suta monachus (STORR, 1964)
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Suta monachus
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| Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Monk Snake, Hooded Snake |
| Synonym | Denisonia monachus STORR 1964: 89 Suta monachus MCDOWELL 1970 Unechis monachus COGGER 1975 Unechis monachus — COGGER 1983: 238 Rhinoplocephalus monachus STORR 1984 Suta monachus — HUTCHINSON 1990 Suta monachus — WELCH 1994: 109 Suta monachus — COGGER 2000: 690 Parasuta monachus — GREER 2006 (online) Parasuta monachus — WILSON & SWAN 2010: 492 Parasuta monachus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 534 Suta monachus — MARYAN et al. 2020: 21 |
| Distribution | Australia (S Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia) Type locality: Kalgoorlie, 30'43'S, 121° 27'E, W. A. |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous. |
| Types | Holotype: WAM R20606 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A medium-sized, moderately slender species of Suta (total length to 460 mm this study, males mean 341 mm, females 326 mm) with: 15 midbody scale rows; 154‒174 ventrals; 23‒32 subcaudals; 160‒184 vertebrals; head slightly distinct from the neck; typically one rarely two secondary temporals, occasionally with one primary temporal; variable body colouration of rich reddish brown to bright red or pale orange; body scales often without dark pigment or with indistinct black base or blotch concealed by overlapping posterior edge of preceding scale and occasionally extending back as very fine edge on anterior facets or faint peppering; complete black hood on the head extending back on to first 1‒4, mostly 3 vertebrals on the nape; typically without pale markings in front of the eyes; very minimal pale indents behind the eyes, mostly to midpoint level of the lower primary temporals (Maryan et al. 2020: 22). |
| Comment | Venomous! Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). Habitat. Suta monachus occupies a variety of semiarid to arid vegetation associations growing on light to heavy, often stony soils, including Acacia- dominated woodlands, particularly Mulga Acacia aneura F. Muell and shrublands, Triodia-dominated sandplains and dunes, particularly in eastern parts of range, and rocky areas such as granite outcrops and ironstone ridges (Wilson & Knowles 1988; Ehmann 1992; Bush et al. 2007; Cogger 2014; Wilson & Swan 2017). In these vegetation associations, specimens of S. monachus particularly during cooler weather, can be raked from deep leaf litter, spoil-heaps, piles of dead vegetation, particularly Triodia clumps, found in abandoned ter- mitaria, insect including Mulga Ant Polyrhachis Smith nests and lizard burrows, Triodia clumps and earth cracks and under logs, stumps, rocks and rubbish, especially pieces of old iron and fragmented concrete at derelict mines or other structures. Additionally, when seasonal activity is optimum, S. monachus can be funnel or pit-trapped in buckets and nocturnally observed while driving or head-torching on roads, tracks and open ground. On occasions when nocturnal activity is productive, up to 5‒7 individuals of both S. monachus and S. fasciata can be observed on a sealed road in a single night (B. Budrey & B. Bush, pers. obs.) (Maryan et al. 2020: 27). Distribution: see map in Maryan et al. 2020: 26 (Fig. 12). Not in NSW |
| Etymology | From the Latin monachus (a monk) in reference to the dark hood. (G. Shea, pers. comm., 9 Feb 2024) |
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