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NOTES ON THE SNAKES OF TASMANIA. 



By Clive E. Lokd. 



Tasmanian Museum. 



[Received 2nd September, 1918. Read 14th October, 1918.1 



While the several species of snakes met with in Tas- 

 mania ha.ve received careful study in some respects, in 

 conjunction with their mainland congeners, the informa- 

 tion is to a certain extent scattered in numerous works. 

 The mis-use of vernacular terms has led to considerable 

 confusion, and the object of these notes is to make more 

 widely known the correct nomenclature and characteristics 

 of the species. 



There arei only three terrestrial species recorded from 

 Tasmania. I have heard reports on several occasions of 

 another supposed species, but have never yet had a speci- 

 men produced. This reported species is spoken of as being 

 about three to four feet long, and very slender, like a 

 whip snake. 



The valid species are (1) Denisonia su2yerba (Copper- 

 headed or Superb Snake) ; (2) Denisonia coronoides (White- 

 lipped Whip Snake); (3) Notechis scutatus (Tiger Snake). 

 In addition to these three there is a species of ringed sea 

 snake (Platui-its laticaudatus), which is occasionally met 

 with on the Tasmanian coasts. Denisonia flagellum, 

 (Little Whip Snake) has also been reported Q) from Tas- 

 inania, but this is undoubtedly an error. The wording 

 of the sentence describing the whip snakes in "The Ani- 

 mals of Australia" (Lucas and Le Souef) is also slightly 

 misleading, but the intention is that D. flagellum is com- 

 mon in Victoria. Mr. Le Souef informs me that he 

 knows of no record of this species froan Tasmania. 



Brachysoma himaculata (now Ftirina himaculata), 

 Verreaux's Snake, and B. calonotus (now F. calonota). 

 Spotted Snake, were at one time considered to be found in 

 Tasmania. The error apparently arose through Dumeril and 

 Bihron recording them (1854) as occurring in Tasmania, hav- 

 ing been discovered herein 1844 by M. Verreaux. No other 

 specimen of either species has since been procured in the 

 island, and it is safe to assume that the original record 

 is in error as regards locality. They were recorded in 

 the British Museum Catalogue of 1858 as occurring in 

 Tasmania, but in the 1896 Catalogue their habitat is given 

 as West Australia. 



(1) British Assocn. Ad. Science, Tas. Handbook, 1914. 



