THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF POISONOUS SNAKES 



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Colour yellow-brown or reddish, with more or less distinct dark 

 cross-bands ; black spots or 

 small dark bars on the lips ; 

 belly yellowish-white ; end of 

 tail yellow or l)lack, covered 

 with spiny scales. 



Total length, 850 milli- 

 metres ; tail 150. 



Habitat : Moluccas, New 

 Guinea, Australia. 



Fig. G1. — Acantliopliis antarctkus (The 

 Death Adder). 



(n) Elapognathus. 



Maxillary bones extending forwards as far as the palatines, 

 with a pair of moderately large grooved poison-fangs ; no other 

 maxillary teeth ; mandibular teeth subequal. Eyes moderate, with 

 round pupils ; nasal shield entire. Body cylindrical ; scales smooth, 

 in 15 rows ; ventrals rounded ; tail moderate ; subcaudals in a 

 single row. 



E. minor. — Colour dark olive, with a black occipital blotch in 

 the young ; belly yellow or greenish-grey. 



Total length, 400 millimetres ; tail 95. 



Habitat : South-west Australia. 



(o) Rhynchelaps. 



Maxillary bones extending forwards as far as the palatines, 

 w^ith a pair of moderately large grooved poison-fangs, and two 

 small teeth near the posterior extremity of the bone ; anterior 

 mandibular teeth the longest. Head small, not distinct from the 

 neck ; eyes small, with vertically elliptic pupils ; nostril in a single 

 nasal shield. Body short, cylindrical ; scales smooth, in 15 — 17 

 rows. Tail very short ; subcaudals in 2 rows. 



(1) R. bertholdi.— Scales in 15 rows; 112— 1"26 ventrals. 



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