Hemiaspis signata explained

Hemiaspis signata (common names: black-bellied swamp snake^[1] and marsh snake^[2]) is a species of venomous elapid snake endemic to Australia, where it is found along the east coast.^[3]

Recognisable by two distinctive narrow white lines on the face, the colour can range from pale olive to black top with a dark grey to black belly. Adults can grow to 70 cm in length, but most specimens are smaller than this. Their diet consists mainly of skinks and frogs.^[4]

It was first described in 1859 by Giorgio Jan as Alecto signata.^{[5] [6]}

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. (Denisonia signata, pp. 338–339).
• Jan G, Sordelli F. 1873. Iconographie générale des Ophidiens, Quarante-troisième livraison. Paris: Baillière. Index + Plates I-VI. (Alecto signata, Plate VI, figure 5). (in French).

Notes and References

1. Two cases of bites by the black-bellied swamp snake (Hemiaspis signata). March 2002. 11711130 . 40. 3. Toxicon. 317–9 . Isbister . GK . Dawson . AH . Whyte . IM . 10.1016/s0041-0101(01)00221-5.
2. Web site: Whip Snakes and Marsh Snakes Fact Sheet. 2011. Queensland Museum. 20 July 2014.
3. Web site: Hemiaspis signata (Jan, 1859) - Black-bellied Swamp Snake. Atlas of Living Australia. 20 July 2014.
4. Web site: Whip Snakes and Marsh Snakes Fact Sheet. 2011. Queensland Museum. 20 July 2014.
5. Web site: Australian Faunal Directory: Hemiaspis signata (Jan, 1859). 2021-10-07. biodiversity.org.au. en.
6. 122-130 [128]. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13712916.