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Australian Snakes
Death Adder
The death adder is one of the most venomous (poisonous) of the Australian snakes. There are three species of death adder in Australia. They look very similar and one or other species are found over most of mainland Australia.
The death adder has a triangular head. Its body is stubby and thick and ends in a very thin tail.
Death adders grow to about 50-60 cms. They do not retreat if humans approach.
You should never go near a Death adder. Death adders are greyish or brown, with darker stripes across their body. The tip of the tail is usually black in southern Australia and white in the north. They have unusually long poison fangs for snakes of their size.
The eggs develop inside the body of the female death adder after she has mated with a male. This means she gives birth to live young.
Death adder's food is insect-eating native birds and animals. The snake hides in leaf litter or loose sand. It wiggles its thin tail like a grub to attract prey. This means death adders cannot easily survive major changes to their habitat.
The number of death adders has reduced greatly since white settlement, because of loss of habitat and therefore food supply. Introduced animals such as foxes and cats eat them. Another introduced animal, the cane toad, eats young death adders. Adult death adders die when they swallow the poisonous cane toads.
Related weblinks -
• Learn more about Death Adders -
http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~venomsup/dangeroussnakesofsa/deathadders.html
• And more here - http://www.avru.unimelb.edu.au/avruweb/Adder.htm