Vermicella parscauda explained

The Weipa bandy bandy (Vermicella parscauda) is a species of snake in the family Elapidae, described in 2018.

It is endemic to Australia.[1] [2]

Taxonomy

The species name is from Latin pars (part) and cauda (tail), after the tail length and the formed bands on the tail.

Description

The snake has 55–94 black dorsal bands and mottled or black ventral scales terminating approximately 2/3rds of the body into formed black rings.

Habitat and distribution

It is found in the Weipa area, Cape York, in Queensland. It inhabits monsoon habitat.

Conservation

The species has a confined locality and seems to be rare based on the lack of specimens. This coupled with potential habitat disruption due to mining suggests that this species may be threatened and need conservation.

Notes and References

  1. Derez. Chantelle M.. Arbuckle. Kevin. Ruan. Zhiqiang. Xie. Bing. Huang. Yu. Dibben. Lauren. Shi. Qiong. Vonk. Freek J.. Fry. Bryan G.. 2018-07-16. A new species of bandy-bandy (Vermicella : Serpentes: Elapidae) from the Weipa region, Cape York, Australia. Zootaxa. en. 4446. 1. 1–12. 10.11646/zootaxa.4446.1.1. 30313893 . 52831380 . 1175-5334.
  2. Web site: Vermicella parscauda. The Reptile Database. 2020-04-14.