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Hoplocephalus bitorquatus (JAN, 1859)

IUCN Red List - Hoplocephalus bitorquatus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaElapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Pale-headed Snake 
SynonymAlecto bitorquata JAN 1859: 128
Hoplocephalus sulcans DE VIS 1884: 138
Hoplocephalus waitii OGILBY 1894: 261
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — BOULENGER 1896: 349
Denisonia angulata DE VIS 1905: 51
Denisonia revelata DE VIS 1911: 22
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — COGGER 1983: 227
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — WELCH 1994: 65
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — COGGER 2000: 657
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — WILSON & SWAN 2010
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 336
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — MIRTSCHIN et al. 2017
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus — EIPPER & EIPPER 2024: 154 
DistributionAustralia (New South Wales, Queensland)

Type locality: Australia (type info erroneously cites Sydney, N. S. W. as type locality.  
Reproductionovoviviparous 
TypesHolotype: SMF 20533 (= 9349a in Boettger, 1893; Mertens, 1922)
Syntypes: lost (presumed), from Mitchell district, Qld. [Hoplocephalus sulcans]
Holotype: AM 6590, from unknown locality [Hoplocephalus waitii].
Holotype: QM J194, from Qld. [Denisonia angulata].
Holotype: QM J2957, from Stannary Hills, Qld. [Denisonia revelata]. 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 1373 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentVenomous!

Synonymy after COGGER 1983.

Habitat: fully arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). 
EtymologyPresumably named after the Latin bis (two) plus torquatus (collared), relating to the head pattern. (G. Shea, pers. comm., 9 Feb 2024) 
References
  • Brischoux F, Pizzatto L, Shine R. 2010. Insights into the adaptive significance of vertical pupil shape in snakes. J Evol Biol. 23(9): 1878-85. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H. G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 7th ed. CSIRO Publishing, xxx + 1033 pp. - get paper here
  • Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
  • Covacevich, J. 1968. The Snakes of Brisbane. Brisbane: Queensland Museum 27 pp.
  • De Vis, C. W. 1884. Descriptions of a new snake with a synopsis of the genus Hoplocephalus. Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 1: 138-140 - get paper here
  • De Vis, C. W. 1911. Description of snakes apparently new. Ann. Qd Mus. 10: 22-25
  • de Vis, Charles Walter de 1905. A new genus of lizard. Ann. Queensland Museum (Brisbane) 6: 46-52
  • de Vis, Charles Walter de 1905. A new genus of lizard. On Typhlops torresianus. Ann. Queensland Museum (Brisbane) 6: 48 - get paper here
  • Eipper T & Eipper S 2024. SNAKES OF AUSTRALIA. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 368 pp. - get paper here
  • Harrington, Sean M; Jordyn M de Haan, Lindsey Shapiro, Sara Ruane 2018. Habits and characteristics of arboreal snakes worldwide: arboreality constrains body size but does not affect lineage diversification. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 125 (1): 61–71 - get paper here
  • Jan, G. 1859. Plan d'une iconographie descriptive des ophidiens et description sommaire de nouvelles espèces de serpents. Rev. Mag. Zool., Paris (2) (11-12): 122-130 - get paper here
  • Mirtschin, P., Rasmussen, A.R. & Weinstein, S.A. 2017. Australia’s Dangerous snakes. CSIRO Publishing, 424 pp. - get paper here
  • Murphy, Michael J. and Jessica K. Murphy 2015. Survey of the reptiles and amphibians of Merriwindi State Conservation Area in the Pilliga forest of northern inland New South Wales. Australian Zoologist: 37 (4): 517-528 - get paper here
  • Ogilby, J. D. 1894. Description of a new Australian snake. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 9: 261-262 - get paper here
  • Shelton, M. B., & Goldingay, R. L. 2021. Comparative survey techniques for a cryptic Australian snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus). Australian Journal of Zoology - get paper here
  • Storniolo, F., Mangiacotti, M., Scali, S., Zuffi, M. A. L., & Sacchi, R. 2025. A comparative phylogenetic approach for the evolution of melanism in elapid snakes supports the Bogert's rule. Journal of Zoology 326: 289-297 - get paper here
  • Swan, G.; Sadlier, R.; Shea, G. 2017. A field guide to reptiles of New South Wales. Reed New Holland, 328 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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