Reptiles · Squamata · Elapidae

Common Death Adder

Acanthophis antarcticus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Acanthophis antarcticus, the common death adder, is a snake of the family Elapidae, native to Australia. It is one of the most venomous land snakes in Australia and in the world. Although its distribution remains widespread, it faces a growing threat from the ongoing invasion of the cane toad across Australia.

Weight

384 g on average

Size

70 cm – 1 m

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Grassland

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Fun facts

It fishes with its tail: the tip is slender and contrastingly coloured, and it wriggles it like a worm while the rest of the body stays buried in the leaf litter, drawing frogs, lizards and birds within reach.
It has the fastest strike of any Australian snake: it can bite and return to its starting position in little more than a tenth of a second.
It is the only dangerous Australian snake that does not flee: it stays motionless, trusting to its camouflage, which means people tread on it without seeing it and accounts for a share of the accidents.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Sclerophyll woodland, heathland and scrub with leaf litter in eastern and southern Australia
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 4 months of gestation
Litter / clutch size: 15 live young

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthophis_antarcticus