Vermicella Explained

Vermicella is a genus of venomous snakes of the family Elapidae, commonly known as bandy-bandies or hoop snakes. The best known species is the bandy-bandy (V. annulata).

Species

Six species are recognized as being valid.^[1] In mid 2018 a new species of bandy-bandy was discovered in Australia, visually nearly identical to Vermicella annulata. The species named Vermicella parscauda is considerably more venomous, with a toxin that is comparable to that of the red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).

• Vermicella annulata – bandy-bandy

1. One species of Vermicella is the Bandy-Bandy commonly found in Australia. This snake is highly venomous and relatively small sizing between 50 and 100 cm. Bandy-Bandy's use there banded black and white pattern to repel predators by moving rapidly causing a flicker visual allusion.

• Vermicella intermedia – intermediate bandy-bandy
• Vermicella multifasciata – northern bandy-bandy
• Vermicella snelli – Pilbara bandy-bandy
• Vermicella vermiformis – Centralian bandy-bandy
• Vermicella parscauda – Weipa bandy-bandy.^[2]

Nota bene

A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Vermicella.

Further reading

• Gray JE (1858). In: Günther A (1858). Catalogue of the Colubrine Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xvi + 281 pp. (Vermicella, new genus, p. 236).

Notes and References

1. . www.reptile-database.org.
2. Web site: Species New to Science: [Herpetology • 2018] Vermicella parscauda • A New Species of Bandy-bandy (Vermicella: Serpentes: Elapidae) from the Weipa Region, Cape York, Australia]. pskhun. 2018-07-16. Species New to Science. 2018-07-16.