Home - Taxonomy - Geography - Biodiversity - Literature - Purchase RepFocus Recent updates 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 Demansia Biodiversity of the family Elapidae [terrestrial species] Genus Demansia Sahul Whip Snakes Sahul-Peitschengiftnattern Sahul-piskegiftsnoge 1842 Demansia Gray (type species: Lycodon reticulatus Gray 1842) 1863 Diemenia Günther [not Diemenia Spinola 1850 (Insecta); emendation of Demansia Gray 1842; correct etymology from "Van Diemen Land"] 1878 Elapocephalus Macleay (type species: Elapocephalus ornaticeps Macleay 1878) Contents: 15 species, of which 14 (93.3%) are endemic. Endemism: 0% 100% Distribution: Australia, New Guinea. Reported from: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island, Torres Strait Islands], South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia), Indonesia (Western New Guinea), Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea). Demansia angusticeps Narrow-headed Whip Snake Schmalkopf-Peitschengiftnatter Smalhovedet Piskegiftsnog 1888 Diemenia angusticeps Macleay Demansia angusticeps Wells & Wellington 1985 Remarks: Previously regarded as a synonym of olivacea (e.g., Golay & al. 1993; Shea & Sadlier 1999). Revalidated by Shea & Scanlon (2007). Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia). Demansia calodera Black-necked Whip Snake, Western Collared Whip Snake Schwarznacken-Peitschengiftnatter Sorthalset Piskegiftsnog 1978 Demansia olivacea calodera Storr Demansia calodera Wells & Wellington 1985 Remarks: Originally described as a subspecies of olivacea. Raised to species status by Shea & Scanlon (2007), although some authors had already treated it as such (e.g., Wells & Wellington 1985; Wilson & Knowles 1988; Hutchinson 1990; David & Ineich 1999; Aplin & Smith 2001; Storr, Smith & Johnstone 2002). Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia). Demansia cyanochasma Bluish Whip Snake, (Desert Whip Snake) Bläuliche Peitschengiftnatter Blålig Piskegiftsnog 2023 Demansia cyanochasma Nankivell, Maryan, Bush & Hutchinson Remarks: Includes populations previously assigned to reticulata or cupreiceps (now regarded as a synonym of reticulata). Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia). Demansia flagellatio Long-tailed Whip Snake, Ornate Whip Snake Langschwanz-Peitschengiftnatter Langhalet Piskegiftsnog 1985 Demansia flagellatio Wells & Wellington Remarks: Previously regarded as a synonym of torquata (e.g., Shea & Sadlier 1999). Revalidated by Shea & Scanlon (2007). Distribution: Australia (Queensland). Demansia olivacea Olive Whip Snake, Marble-headed Whip Snake Oliv-Peitschengiftnatter Olivenbrun Piskegiftsnog 1842 Lycodon olivaceus Gray Demansia olivacea Günther 1858 Diemenia olivacea Krefft 1869 1878 Elapocephalus ornaticeps Macleay (Shea & Sadlier 1999) Elapocranium ornaticeps Macleay 1884 Diemenia ornaticeps Boulenger 1896 Demansia ornaticeps Underwood 1979 Remarks: Previously included calodera and rufescens (e.g., Cogger, Cameron & Cogger 1983). Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia). Demansia papuensis Greater Black Whip Snake, (Papuan Black Whip Snake - see remarks) Papuanische Peitschengiftnatter Papuansk Piskegiftsnog 1877 Diemenia papuensis Macleay Demansia olivacea papuensis Slater 1968 Demansia papuensis Storr 1978 1978 Demansia papuensis melaena Storr (Shea 1998) Demansia melaena Wells & Wellington 1985 Remarks: In spite of its name, papuensis is not found in New Guinea (Shea 1998). New Guinean records refer to vestigiata (David & Ineich 1999). Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Torres Strait Islands], Western Australia). Demansia psammophis Yellow-faced Whip Snake Gelbkopf-Peitschengiftnatter Gulmasket Piskegiftsnog 1837 Elaps psammophis Schlegel Demansia psammophis Günther 1858 Pseudelaps psammophis Girard 1858 Diemenia psammophis Krefft 1865 1854 Pseudelaps psammophidium Duméril, Bibron & Duméril (Golay & al. 1993) Remarks: Previously included reticulata and the populations now assigned to cyanochasma (Nankivell, Maryan, Bush & Hutchinson 2023). Although reported from New Guinea (e.g., Rooij 1917), the species does not occur there (O'Shea 1996). Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island], South Australia, Victoria). Demansia psammophis © Rune Midtgaard Demansia quaesitor Sombre Whip Snake, Inornate Whip Snake Dunkle Peitschengiftnatter Mørk Piskegiftsnog 2007 Demansia quaesitor Shea in Shea & Scanlon Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia). Demansia reticulata Reticulated Whip Snake, (Desert Whip Snake) Netz-Peitschengiftnatter, (Wüsten-Peitschengiftnatter) Netpiskegiftsnog, (Ørken-piskegiftsnog) 1842 Lycodon reticulatus Gray Diemenia reticulata Krefft 1869 Demansia reticulata Storr 1978 Demansia psammophis reticulata Storr, Smith & Johnstone 1986 1978 Demansia reticulata cupreiceps Storr (syn. Nankivell, Maryan, Bush & Hutchinson 2023) Demansia psammophis cupreiceps Aplin & Smith 2001 Demansia cupreiceps Wells & Wellington 1985 Remarks: Now restricted to Western Australia (Nankivell, Maryan, Bush & Hutchinson 2023). Previously regarded as a subspecies of psammophis (e.g., Storr, Smith & Johnstone 1986). Regarded as a separate species herein, following most recent works (e.g., Hutchinson 1990, 2010; David & Ineich 1999; Cogger 2014; Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014; Nankivell, Maryan, Bush & Hutchinson 2023). Records of cupreiceps from Northern Territory and South Australia are now assigned to cyanochasma. Introduced to: Australia (South Australia: Kangaroo Island). Distribution: Australia (Western Australia). Demansia rimicola Channel Country Whip Snake, Blacksoil Whip Snake, Mitchell Grass Downs Whip Snake, Soil-crack Whip Snake Channel-Country-Peitschengiftnatter Channel Country-piskegiftsnog 2007 Demansia rimicola Scanlon in Shea & Scanlon Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia). Demansia rufescens Rufous Whip Snake Rötliche Peitschengiftnatter Rødlig Piskegiftsnog 1978 Demansia olivacea rufescens Storr Demansia rufescens Wells & Wellington 1985 Remarks: Originally described as a subspecies of olivacea. Raised to species status by Shea & Scanlon (2007), although others (e.g., Storr, Smith & Johnstone 1986; Hutchinson 1990; Davis & Ineich 1999) had already regarded it as separate species. Distribution: Australia (Western Australia). Demansia shinei Frewena Whip Snake, (Shine's Whip Snake) Frewena-Peitschengiftnatter Frewena-piskegiftsnog 2007 Demansia shinei Shea in Shea & Scanlon Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia). Demansia simplex Grey Whip Snake Graue Peitschengiftnatter Grå Piskegiftsnog 1978 Demansia simplex Storr Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Western Australia). Demansia torquata Queensland Collared Whip Snake, (Collared Whip Snake) Queensland-Peitschengiftnatter Halsbånd-piskegiftsnog 1862 Diemansia torquata Günther Diemenia torquata Krefft 1869 Demansia torquata Worrell 1963 Remarks: Previously included flagellatio. Distribution: Australia (Queensland). Demansia vestigiata Lesser Black Whip Snake, Black Whip Snake Schwarze Peitschengiftnatter Sort Piskegiftsnog 1884 Hoplocephalus vestigiatus De Vis Demansia vestigiata Hutchinson 1990 1884 Diemenia atra Macleay (Shea 1998) Demansia atra Cogger 1975 1898 Diemenia maculiceps Boettger (Shea 1998) Remarks: Synonymies were previously reversed, with vestigiata being regarded as a synonym of atra (e.g., Cogger, Cameron & Cogger 1983). See Shea (1998). Distribution: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island, Torres Strait Islands], Western Australia), Indonesia (Western New Guinea), Papua New Guinea (Eastern New Guinea).