Cacophis harriettae explained
Cacophis harriettae, also known commonly as Harriett's snake, the white-crowned snake, and the white-naped snake, is a species of mildly venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Etymology
The specific epithet, harriettae, honours natural history illustrator Harriet Scott, who illustrated Gerard Krefft's The Snakes of Australia, including this species.[1]
Description
C. hariettae grows to an average total length (including tail) of, and a maximum total length of . The upper surface of the body is dark grey to black, with broad white bands extending from the snout along the sides of the head to meet at the nape.[2]
Reproduction
C. hariettae is oviparous,[2] with an average clutch size of five (range 2–10).[2]
Diet
C. hariettae preys upon on lizards, and also eats reptile eggs.[2]
Geographic range
The distribution of C. hariettae extends from Mount Abbott, near Proserpine in eastern Queensland, south-eastwards to north-eastern New South Wales.[2]
Habitat
C. harriettae occurs in moist habitats, including rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests as well as suburban gardens.[2]
Further reading
- Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ) .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (Pseudelaps harriettæ, new combination, pp. 318–319).
- Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
- Krefft G (1869). The Snakes of Australia; An Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of All the Known Species. Sydney: Thomas Richards, Government Printer. xxv + 100 pp. + Plates I–XII. (Cacophis harriettae, new species, pp. 76–77 + Plate XI, figure 13).
- Wilson S, Swan G (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .
Notes and References
- [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
- Web site: White-crowned snake. . Australian Reptile Online Database . Stewart Macdonald . 31 May 2021.