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CAVS: 2693

Species Pseudechis porphyriacus (Shaw, 1794)

Red-bellied Black Snake

 

Generic Combinations

  • Pseudechis porphyriacus (Shaw, 1794).

 

Introduction

An alternate taxonomy (Hoser 2003) considers this taxon more diverse than treated herein, with additional subspecific content being: Pseudechis porphyriacus eipperi Hoser, 2003; and P. p. rentoni Hoser, 2003. This taxonomy has not gained widespread acceptance.

 

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria


Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.


IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IBRA

ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Flinders (FLI), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Closed forest, diurnal, low open woodland, open forest, predator, swamp, tall forest, terrestrial, tussock grassland, viviparous.

Extra Ecological Information

Primarily anuriphagous.

 

General References

Craig, J. 1978. The birth of red-bellied black snakes — Pseudechis porphyriacus. South Australian Herpetology Group. Newsletter 1978: 7 (reproduction)

Heatwole, H. & Johnson, C.R. 1979. Thermoregulation in the red-bellied black snake, Pseudechis porphyriacus (Serpentes: Elapidae). Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 65: 83-102 (thermoregulation)

Hoser, R. 2003. A re-assessment of the taxonomy of the Red-bellied Black Snakes (Genus Pseudechis) with the descriptions of two new subspecies. Boydii — Journal of the Herpetological Society of Queensland Autumn (May) Issue: 15-18

Lillywhite, H.B. 1980. Behavioral thermoregulation in Australian elapid snakes. Copeia 1980: 452-458 (thermoregulation)

Mackay, R.D. 1955. A revision of the genus Pseudechis. Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 1953–54: 15-23 (taxonomy)

Shine, R. 1977. Habitats, diets, and sympatry in snakes: a study from Australia. Canadian Journal of Zoology 55: 1118-1128 (ecology), <1148> (growth)

Shine, R. 1977. Reproduction in Australian elapid snakes. I. Testicular cycles and mating seasons. Australian Journal of Zoology 25: 647-653 (reproduction)

Shine, R. 1977. Reproduction in Australian elapid snakes. II. Female reproductive cycles. Australian Journal of Zoology 25: 655-666 (reproduction)

Shine, R. 1979. Activity patterns in Australian elapid snakes (Squamata: Serpentes: Elapidae). Herpetologica 35: 1-11 (behaviour)

Shine, R., Grigg, G.C., Shine, T.G. & Harlow, P. 1981. Mating and male combat in Australian blacksnakes, Pseudechis porphyriacus. Journal of Herpetology 15: 101-107 (behaviour)

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
07-Feb-2024 26-Aug-2013 MODIFIED
08-Mar-2011 02-May-2011 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)