Vermicella snelli STORR, 1968
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Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | |
Synonym | Vermicella annulata snelli STORR 1968: 82 Vermicella annulata snelli — COGGER 1983: 239 Vermicella snelli — COGGER 2000: 696 Vermicella snelli — WILSON & SWAN 2010 Vermicella snelli — WALLACH et al. 2014: 786 |
Distribution | Australia (N Western Australia) Type locality: Mundiwindi, 23° 51'S, 120° 09'E, W. A. |
Reproduction | oviparous |
Types | Holotype: WAM R19203 |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Vermicella snelli can be differentiated from V. multifasciata and V. intermedia by condition of the internasal scales (present in V. snelli) and from V. annulata, V. intermedia, and V. multifasciata by ventral scale number (higher in V. snelli). V. snelli has wider black and white bands than V. intermedia and V. multifasciata. V. snelli has a thinner relative body width than V. annulata, V. intermedia, and V. vermiformis. See Figs 4-6 for interspecific comparisons in these characters (Keogh & Smith 1996). Variation: Of the 11 V . snefti specimens, less than half (36%) have body and tail bands completely encircling the body, whereas the other specimens display a mottled black and white pattern on the ventral surface. Ventral scale number and subcaudal number are sexually dimorphic. Females have more ventral scales ( P < 0.05), and fewer subcaudal scales than do males ( P < 0.05)- see Table I. The geographic range is small and there are no obvious patterns of geographic variation (Keogh & Smith 1996). |
Comment | Venomous! |
Etymology | Named after the collector of the types, C. Snell. |
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