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Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: May 26th, 2024.


Taxonomy of the family Elapidae [terrestrial species]
Bibliography of the genus Acanthophis
Biodiversity of the family Elapidae [terrestrial species]








Genus
Acanthophis

Death Adders, Deaf Adders

Todesottern

Dødsorme

1803 Acanthurus Daudin [not Acanthurus Forsskål 1775 (Pisces)] (type species: Acanthophis cerastinus Daudin 1803)
1803 Acanthophis Daudin [substitute name for Acanthurus Daudin 1803]
1815 Acanthophis Leach [not Acanthophis Daudin 1803] (type species: Acanthophis brownii Leach 1815)
1820 Ophryas Merrem (type species: Ophryas acanthophis Merrem 1820)
Contents: 9 species, of which 8 (88.9%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0% 100%
Remarks: Previously all death adder populations were included in antarcticus (e.g., Boulenger 1896; Worrell 1963). Subsequently, praelongus and pyrrhus were revalidated as separate species, and new species have been described. Most recently, also rugosus and laevis were revalidated for New Guinean and some northern Australian populations, although they are likely to be split into further species in the future, pending a taxonomic review of these populations. Also the taxonomic status of eastern Indonesian island populations (Aru Islands, Ceram, Haruku, Kai Islands, Mafoor, Obi, Saparua, Schouten Islands, Tanimbar Islands, Yapen) remain unclear, although ceramensis is regarded as a valid species herein, following Wallach, Williams & Boundy (2014).
Distribution: E. Malay Archipelago, Australia.
Reported from: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island, Torres Strait Islands], South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia), Indonesia (Ambon, Aru Islands, Biak, Bisa, Haruku, Kai Islands, Numfoor, Obi, Saparua, Seram, Supiori, Tanimbar Islands [incl. Yamdena], Western New Guinea, Yapen), Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea).

Acanthophis antarcticus

Southern Death Adder, Common Death Adder

Südliche Todesotter, Gewöhnliche Todesotter

Sydlig Dødsorm, Almindelig Dødsorm

1802 Boa antarctica Shaw & Nodder
Acanthophis antarctica Gray 1842
1802 Boa palpebrosa Shaw (Golay & al. 1993)
1803 Acanthophis cerastinus Daudin (Golay & al. 1993)
1814 Acanthophis ambigua Leach (Golay & al. 1993)
1814 Acanthophis brownii Leach (Golay & al. 1993)
1819 Acanthophis cerastes Say (Golay & al. 1993)
1820 Ophryas acanthophis Merrem (Golay & al. 1993)
1851 Vipera sorda Salvado (Golay & al. 1993)
1989 Acanthophis barkley Mollier, Chwetzoff, Frachon & Ménez (Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014)
2002 Acanthophis antarcticus cliffrosswellingtoni Hoser (Kaiser, Crother, Kelly, Luiselli, O'Shea, Ota, Passos, Schleip & Wüster 2013)

Remarks: Indonesian and New Guinean records refer to other species of this genus. See remarks under genus. Not included for Victoria by Cogger (2014), although listed for the state by several other authors.
Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island], South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia).


Acanthophis antarcticus
© Rune Midtgaard

Acanthophis ceramensis

Seram Death Adder

Seram-Todesotter

Seram-dødsorm

1863 Acanthophis cerastinus ceramensis Günther
Acanthophis ceramensis Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014

Distribution: Indonesia (Ambon, Haruku, Seram, Tanimbar Islands [incl. Yamdena]).


Acanthophis cryptamydros

Kimberley Death Adder

Kimberley-Todesotter

Kimberley-dødsorm

2015 Acanthophis cryptamydros Maddock, Ellis, Doughty, Smith & Wüster

Remarks: Referred to as lancasteri by Wilson & Swan (2017), although this name has largely been treated as a nomen nudum (e.g., Aplin & Smith 2001) and not used in the literature since its description, and the validity of the name has been debated (Ellis 2017).
Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia).


Acanthophis hawkei

Barkly Tableland Death Adder, Blacksoil Death Adder

Barkly-Tableland-Todesotter

Barkly-dødsorm

1985 Acanthophis hawkei Wells & Wellington

Remarks: Status uncertain. Previously regarded as a synonym of rugosus (e.g., Wüster, Dumbrell, Hay, Pook, Williams & Fry 2005). Considered a valid species by several authors (e.g., Swanson 2007; Cogger 2014; Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014).
Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland).


Acanthophis laevis

Smooth-scaled Death Adder

Glatschuppen-Todesotter

Glatskællet Dødsorm

1878 Acanthophis laevis Macleay
2002 Acanthophis groenveldi Hoser (Kaiser, Crother, Kelly, Luiselli, O'Shea, Ota, Passos, Schleip & Wüster 2013)
2002 Acanthophis macgregori Hoser (Kaiser, Crother, Kelly, Luiselli, O'Shea, Ota, Passos, Schleip & Wüster 2013)
2002 Acanthophis yuwoni Hoser (Kaiser, Crother, Kelly, Luiselli, O'Shea, Ota, Passos, Schleip & Wüster 2013)

Remarks: Previously regarded as a synonym of antarcticus (e.g., Loveridge 1948; Golay & al. 1993). Now considered a distinct species complex (Wüster, Dumbrell, Hay, Pook, Williams & Fry 2005). Records from Ambon are herein tentatively assigned to ceramensis.
Distribution: Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea).


Acanthophis praelongus

Northeastern Death Adder, (Northern Death Adder)

Nördliche Todesotter

Nordlig Dødsorm

1877 Acanthophis praelongus Ramsay

Remarks: Wüster, Dumbrell, Hay, Pook, Williams & Fry (2005) restricted praelongus to northeastern Queensland. Records from northwestern Queensland, Northern Territory, and the Merauke region of Western New Guinea (Indonesia) refer to rugosus. Also see remarks under genus. Previously regarded as a synonym of antarcticus (e.g., Cogger 1975 [by implication]). Revalidated by Storr (1981).
Distribution: Australia (Queensland [incl. Torres Strait Islands]).


Acanthophis praelongus
© Rune Midtgaard

Acanthophis pyrrhus

Desert Death Adder

Wüsten-Todesotter

Ørkendødsorm

1898 Acanthophis pyrrhus Boulenger
Acanthophis antarcticus pyrrhus Kinghorn 1956

Remarks: Previously regarded as a synonym or subspecies of antarcticus (e.g., Worrell 1963). Revalidated by Cogger (1975).
Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia).


Acanthophis pyrrhus
© Rune Midtgaard

Acanthophis rugosus

Rough-scaled Death Adder, (Papuan Death Adder)

Rauhschuppen-Todesotter

Ruskællet Dødsorm

1948 Acanthophis antarcticus rugosus Loveridge
Acanthophis rugosus Wells & Wellington 1984

Remarks: Previously regarded as a synonym or subspecies of antarcticus (e.g., Loveridge 1948) or praelongus (e.g., Golay & al. 1993). Now considered a species complex (Wüster, Dumbrell, Hay, Pook, Williams & Fry 2005; Maddock, Ellis, Doughty, Smith & Wüster 2015). Some Australian populations previously assigned to rugosus are now regarded as separate species (cryptamydros, hawkei), although the status of both hawkei and the remaining (incl. the Papuan) rugosus populations remain uncertain. Records from Western Australia refer to cryptamydros.
Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland), Indonesia (Western New Guinea).


Acanthophis rugosus
© Rune Midtgaard

Acanthophis wellsi

Pilbara Death Adder

Pilbara-Todesotter

Pilbara-dødsorm

1998 Acanthophis wellsi Aplin & Donnellan
Acanthophis wellsei Hoser 1998 (invalid emendation; see Aplin & Donnellan 1998)

Distribution: Australia (Western Australia).

Acanthophis wellsi
© Rune Midtgaard