New Guinea death otter
| New Guinea death otter | ||||||||||||
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New Guinea death adder ( Acanthophis laevis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Acanthophis laevis | ||||||||||||
| Macleay , 1878 |
The New Guinea death adder ( Acanthophis laevis ) is a species of snake belonging to the poisonous snake family (Elapidae).
Taxonomy
The first scientific description of the species took place in 1878 by the Australian zoologist William John Macleay . At times, the New Guinea death otter was listed as a subspecies of the common death otter ( Acanthophis antarcticus ) under the name Acanthophis antarcticus laevis . There are no known subspecies of Acanthophis laevis .
features
The total length is up to 70 cm. The head is flat, short, wide and clearly set off from the neck. The pupil of the eye is slit vertically when exposed to light. The New Guinea death otter has 7 shields of the upper lip ( scutum supralabiale ), 21 to 23 rows of smooth back scales around the middle of the body, 113 to 136 abdominal shields ( scutum ventrale ) and an undivided anal shield ( scutum anale ). Compared to Acanthophis antarctica , Acanthophis laevi is characterized by a more prominent supraocular shield (over-eye shield) and whitish to cream-colored upper and lower lip shields, each with a distinctive, mostly elongated, blue-black spot. The ventral side is white and increasingly black spots towards the edge.
Way of life
The New Guinea death otter reproduces through ovoviviparous species , the females give birth to live young snakes. The extent of the litter is unknown. The preferred prey are frogs and lizards . In the natural habitats in the rainforest, the snake's activity peaks at the end of the rainy season.
toxicology
Acanthophis laevis as snake venom has grooved, fixed fangs at the front upper jaw (proteroglyphe tooth position), with the aid of which in venom glands produced snake venom (Ophiotoxin) in the bite wound is secreted. The New Guinea death otter is one of the most dangerous venomous snakes in New Guinea and regularly causes serious bite accidents. However, deaths are rare. The poison has postsynaptic effective neurotoxins . The polyvalent antivenin "Death adder Antivenom", produced by CSL Limited, is available for treating the venom bite .
Occurrence
The distribution area extends in Southeast Asia over Papua New Guinea , Western New Guinea , Seram Island and the Tanimbar Islands . The populated habitats are rainforests with extensive undergrowth. The average temperatures are between 24 and 26 ° C. In addition to the natural habitats, gardens, cultivated tree land and plantations are also inhabited.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Acanthophis laevis in The Reptile Database ; accessed on April 22, 2012.
- ^ WHC Clinical Toxinology Resources: Acanthophis laevis
literature
- Ludwig Trutnau: poisonous snakes. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-7371-9 .
- Mark O'Shea: Venomous snakes. All species in the world in their habitats. Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-440-10619-5 .