Demansia
| Demansia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Yellow-faced Whip snake Demansia psammophis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Demansia Gray, 1842 |
Demansia is a genus of snake of the family Elapidae; members of the genus are commonly known as whip snakes. All species of the genus are on gray, brown, gray-green or beige, save for the Yellow-faced whip snake, which may be cream-coloured. Whip snakes are long and slender. They have large eyes and relatively small heads that are only slightly wider than their bodies. The species is venomous. Whip snakes are found in Australia, Papua New Guinea in the area around Port Moresby, and nearby islands.
Diet
Whip snakes eat mainly lizards. Whip snakes are diurnal (active in the day), and use their keen eyesight to hunt. The prey dies quickly from the effects of the snake's venom.
Venom
The effects of whip snakes' venom on humans are relatively mild compared to that of many other Elapid snakes, but they are known to have a very painful bite. Envenomation by a large individual can be dangerous, and medical attention should be sought. One known fatality has been attributed to the Whip Snake, that of Ron Siggins in 2007.[1]
Species
- Demansia atra
- Demansia calodera
- Demansia olivacea
- Demansia papuensis
- Demansia psammophis
- Demansia rufescens
- Demansia simplex
- Demansia torquata
- Demansia vestigata
- Demansia textilis
- Demansia shinei
Original publication
- Gray, J. E. 1842. Description of some hitherto unrecorded species of Australian reptiles and batrachians. Zoological Miscellany 51—57 (London: Treuttel, Würtz & Co)