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Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: December 29th, 2023.


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 (Western Australia).


Demansia cyanochasma

Bluish Whip Snake, (Desert Whip Snake)

Bläuliche Peitschengiftnatter

Blålig Piskegiftsnog

2023 Demansia cyanochasma Nankivell, Maryan, Bush & Hutchinson

Remarks: (awaiting revision)
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 (see remarks under that species). Although reported from New Guinea (e.g., Rooij 1917), psammophis does not occur there (O'Shea 1996).
Distribution: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland [incl. Fraser Island], South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia).


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
Demansia psammophis cupreiceps Aplin & Smith 2001
Demansia cupreiceps Wells & Wellington 1985

Remarks: (awaiting revision) 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). Cogger (2014) treated cupreiceps as a subspecies of psammophis, thus restricting reticulata to Western Australia. Herein, cupreiceps is regarded as a subspecies of reticulata, following Storr, Smith & Johnstone (2002) and Wallach, Williams & Boundy (2014), thus giving the species a much wider distribution, including Northern Territory and South Australia.
Introduced to: Australia (South Australia: Kangaroo Island).
Distribution: Australia (South 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).