Common Death Adder
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© Stephen Mahony
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Acanthophis
- Species
- antarcticus
- Family
- Elapidae
- Suborder
- Serpentes
- Order
- Squamata
- Subclass
- Lepidosauria
- Class
- Reptilia
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 40-100 cm
There are several species of death adders in Australia but the Common Death Adder is the only one found in the Sydney region.
What do Common Death Adders look like?
Identification
The Common Death Adder is easily recognised by its triangular-shaped head, short stout body and thin tail.
© CC BY-NC 4.0
Where do Common Death Adders live?
Habitat
The Common Death Adder lives in forests and woodlands, grasslands and heath.
Distribution
Common Death Adders are found in Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
What do Common Death Adders eat?
Feeding and diet
The Common Death Adder feeds on frogs, lizards and birds and, unlike most Australian venomous snakes that actively search for prey, this snake sits in one place and waits for prey to come to it. Covering itself with leaves makes it inconspicuous and it lies coiled in ambush, twitching its yellowish grub-like tail close to its head as a lure. When an animal approaches to investigate the movement, the death adder quickly strikes, injecting its venom and then waiting for the victim to die before eating it.
Life history cycle
The Common Death Adder may give birth to up to 24 live young.
Are Common Death Adders dangerous?
Danger to humans
Death adders have relatively large fangs and toxic venom and, before the introduction of antivenom, about 60% of bites to humans were fatal.
Specimen in our collection
View microCT scans of a Common death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) from the Australian Museum Herpetology Collection (specimen AM R.174304). Learn more about microCT scanning and how it is used by the Australian Museum Research Institute.
