Cacophis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cacophis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cacophis squamulosus, golden-crowned snake | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Subfamily: | Hydrophiinae |
| Genus: | Cacophis Günther, 1863 |
| Species | |
|
Four, see text. | |
Cacophis is a genus of venomous snakes, commonly known as crowned snakes, in the family Elapidae. The genus is endemic to Australia.
All species of Cacophis have a distinct "crown" pattern on the head, which gives them their common names. They are venomous, but not dangerous to people.
Species
The following four species are recognized as being valid.[1]
- Cacophis churchilli Wells & Wellington, 1985 – northern dwarf crowned snake – northeastern Queensland
- Cacophis harriettae Krefft, 1869 – white-crowned snake – eastern Queensland, northeastern New South Wales
- Cacophis krefftii Günther, 1863 – dwarf crowned snake – southeastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales
- Cacophis squamulosus (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – golden-crowned snake – eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory
Nota bene: In the above list, a binomial authority in parentheses indicate that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cacophis.
