Pseudonaja nuchalis GÜNTHER, 1858
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Pseudonaja nuchalis
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| Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Northern Brown Snake, Gwardar |
| Synonym | Pseudonaja nuchalis GÜNTHER 1858: 227 Pseudelaps bancrofti DE VIS 1911: 25 Demansia nuchalis — FRY 1914: 195 Diemenia nuchalis — STERNFELD 1925: 226 Demansia acutirostris MITCHELL 1951 Pseudonaja nuchalis — COGGER 1983: 233 Pseudonaja nuchalis — WELCH 1994: 105 Pseudonaja imperitor WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 Pseudonaja jukesi WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 Pseudonaja vanderstraateni WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 Pseudonaja nuchalis — COGGER 2000: 672 Pseudonaja acutirostris — WELLS 2002 Pseudonaja imperitor — WELLS 2002 Pseudonaja nuchalis — WELLS 2002 Pseudonaja nuchalis — WILSON & SWAN 2010 Pseudonaja nuchalis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 605 Pseudonaja nuchalis — MIRTSCHIN et al. 2017 |
| Distribution | Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia) Type locality: Port Essington |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: BMNH 1946.1.20.41 (Port Essington). Designation by Wells & Wellington (1985). Holotype: NMV D12352, from unstated locality; Vic. by implication, restricted to junction of Murray and Darling Rivera by Coventry (1970) [Diemenia aspidorhyncha] Holotype: QM J190, from Carl Creek, Norman River, Qld. [Brachysoma sutherlandi] Holotype: QM J187, from Stannary Hills, Qld. [Pseudelaps bancrofti] Holotype: QM J1508, from Cane Grass Station, via Charleville, Qld. [Diemenia carinata] Holotype: SAMA R3133, from island in Lake Eyre, 28° 26'S, 137° 24'E~. S. A. [Demansia acutirostris] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis in SKINNER 2009. |
| Comment | Type species: Pseudonaja nuchalis GÜNTHER 1858 is the type species of the genus Pseudonaja GÜNTHER 1858. Synonymy: Kaiser et al. 2013 considered the generic names Dugitophis Wells 2002, Notopseudonaja Wells 2002, Placidaserpens Wells 2002 invalid and rejected their use instead of Pseudonaja. The name Pseudonaja nuchalis is currently applied to a complex group of populations which almost certainly comprise a number of distinct species. The species described by WELLS & WELLINGTON (1985, 2002) are likely synonyms of P. nuchalis. However, clarification of their specific status requires more detailed analysis. For P. gowi no particular type specimen has been defined. The availability of its name under the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is questionable (W. WÜSTER, pers. comm.). Diemenia aspidorhyncha MCCOY 1879 and Pseudonaja mengdeni WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 have been removed from the synonymy of P. nuchalis by SKINNER 2009. Other synonymy and types after COGGER 1983. Distribution: not in NSW. Most NSW populations formerly ascribed to nuchalis are P. aspidorhyncha, with a small number of records of P. mengdeni (G. Shea, pers. comm., 5 March 2021). Venomous! |
| Etymology | The genus was named after Greek pseudos (= false) + genus Naja, presumably simply from the broad similarity of the type species (P. nuchalis) to that genus (‘typical’ cobras). |
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