Acanthophis Daudin, 1803

Maddock, Simon T., Ellis, Ryan J., Doughty, Paul, Smith, Lawrence A. & Wüster, Wolfgang, 2015, A new species of death adder (Acanthophis: Serpentes: Elapidae) from north-western Australia, Zootaxa 4007 (3), pp. 301-326 : 307-308

Acanthophis Daudin, 1803

Type species. Boa antartica (= Acanthophis antarcticus ) Shaw & Nodder, 1802, by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Species assigned to the genus Acanthophis are moderately large, stout terrestrial elapid species most similar to vipers ( Viperidae ) from other continents. Species within the genus have distinctive wide and stout heads anterior to a defined narrowing forebody that rapidly broadens to the widest point towards midbody. Tail slender, distal portion laterally compressed terminating in a tail spine.

Etymology. From the Greek words acanthi meaning ‘spine’ and ophis meaning ‘snake’, in reference to the terminal tail spine present on species within the genus.

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Κey

-015 A. rugοsus

gɼοup

-017 A. we̸̸si

A. pyrrhus

-019 A. cryptamydrοs

sp1 nοv1

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