Shine's whipsnake explained

Shine's whipsnake (Demansia shinei) also known commonly as Shine's Australian whipsnake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae.^[1] The species is endemic to Australia.

Etymology

The specific name, shinei, is in honour of Australian herpetologist Richard "Rick" Shine.^[2]

Geographic range

D. shinei is found in Northern Territory and Western Australia, Australia.^[3]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of D. shinei are desert, rocky areas, grassland, shrubland, and savanna.

Description

Medium-sized for its genus, D. shinei may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 62cm (24inches). Dorsally, it is pale grey-brown. Ventrally, it is lemon yellow. The top of the head is brown, followed by a narrow yellow crossband on the nape, followed by a wider brown crossband.^[4]

Reproduction

D. shinei is oviparous.^[3]

Further reading

• Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
• Shea GM, Scanlon JD (2007). "Revision of the Small Tropical Whipsnakes Previously Referred to Demansia olivacea (Gray, 1842) and Demansia torquata (Günther, 1862) (Squamata: Elapidae)". Records of the Australian Museum 59: 117–142. ("Demansia shinei Shea", new species, pp. 135–136, Figures 18–19).
• Wilson S, Swan G (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Species Demansia shinei Shea & Scanlon, 2007. Australian Biological Resources Study. 19 March 2013. Australian Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Australian Government. 2 September 2018. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
2. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
3. www.reptile-database.org.
4. Shea in Shea & Scanlon (2007).