Australia. Guide to Australia

Deadly snakes (Acanthophis) (Barbed snake) - Genus of Australian snakes are venomous, which are among the most poisonous snakes on the planet.

There are 3 main types of deadly snakes (Two more are controversial, so-as not fully understood):

* Acanthophis antarcticus или гадюкообразная смертельная змея.
* Acanthophis praelongus new-guinea, or a deadly snake.
* Acanthophis pyrrhus или огненная смертельная змея.

Acanthophis antarcticus or gadyukoobraznaya deadly snake is widely distributed on the coastal islands, but not found in the central deserts and the coldest parts of the south-east Australia, This is Victoria, New South Wales and the island of Tasmania. Смертельная змея Acanthophis antarcticus занимает 10 place in the world of poisonous snakes among the terrestrial.

Acanthophis praelongus обитает в тропической части northern Australia.

Acanthophis pyrrhus lives in arid parts of Australia, This is Western Australia, South Northern Territory and in the northern part of the South Australia.

Deadly snakes belong to the family of asps, but deadly snakes unusually wide for asp head with a pronounced triangular neck constriction and vertical pupils. The nostrils are at the side and opens in the middle of a large panel. Body fat snake,50-90 cm in length, females are slightly larger than males. Greatly narrowed the tail ends in a horny spine.

Coloring is variable deadly snakes and varies from gray to brown depending on the color of soil and vegetation in the habitat of snakes. Unlike most Australian snakes, deadly snakes do not take deterrent posture, when to approach them, and lie motionless, relying on their protective coloration.

The diet of deadly snakes, amphibians constitute, Birds, small mammals and lizards,. They hunt from the ambush, wherein, curled in the shape of a horseshoe, the body hidden in the grass and fallen leaves and used as bait for the extraction of its tail, which is slow and writhing twists. When approaching potential prey, attracted by the lure, a snake attacks and grabs her; rate of roll is, that the animal is usually no time to even touch the writhing tail.

Deadly snakes are viviparous - in a litter on average, about 8 pups, maturity of these snakes occur at 2-3 years of life.

Deadly snakes are ground, mostly nocturnal and very secretive.
Most bites occur, when these snakes come, but meeting with them during the day are quite rare. Deadly snakes venom is extremely toxic - one of the snakes get enough of the poison, to kill 2,285 mice.

When a deadly snake bite injects venom of 70-100 mg (LD50 for mice, 0.4-0.5 mg / kg). The poison has almost exclusively neurotoxic effects in 1,5 times stronger than cobra venom.

Unlike most of the bites of asps Australian poisoning symptoms develop slowly, reaching a maximum 24-48 hours after the bite. However, to develop a special serum from the bites of these snakes died in half of reported cases.

The number of deadly snakes inflict domestic and feral animals, and thousands of snakes are killed each year under the wheels of vehicles. Heavy damage to populations of deadly snakes in Australia has caused the spread of toads yeah (Bufo Marinus). Snakes, feeding on these toads, dying, because they have no protection from their poisonous skin glands. Besides, juveniles are often eaten by these snakes frogs. However,,deadly snakes are quite common in Australia and not among the protected species.