Death Adder

 

Characteristics

The Death Adder has a stocky body with an arrow shaped head. The tail tip is thin and ends with a short spine. The back can be shades of grey, with reddish brown and is usually marked with lighter bands. The belly is greyish to cream and it grows up to 75cm.

 

 

Behaviour

It will ambush prey by resting coiled and motionless, while half buried in sand or soil. It twitches its tail to mimic the movement of a worm. The Death Adder is nocturnal and diurnal, though its night behaviour depends on temperature. Males reach sexual maturity at 24 months and females at 42 months. Death Adders mate in spring. Females only reproduce every second year. The female give birth to live young which are typically born in autumn.  The number of young in a litter is usually between10 -20, but as few as two and as many as 42 have been recorded.

 

 

Diet

The diet of the Death Adder is primarily small mammals and birds.  It also eats small reptiles and frogs.

 

 

Predators

The Death Adder has competition from introduced predators such as foxes and cats which have added to their decline.

 

 

Distribution and Abundance

The common Death Adder occurs over much of eastern and coastal southern Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Its sister species, the Desest Adder, may also be found in the Northern Territory.

 

 

Habitat

The Death Adder is found in places like wet and dry forests, woodlands and coastal heaths.

 

 

Impacts on humans

This is a dangerously venomous snake.  It is responsible for a lot of human deaths. If bitten apply first aid and seek urgent medical attention.

 

Impacts on snake

Death Adders have been affected by fires destroy their habitat and food source, cane toads poisoning them, and loss of habitat through coastal development and clearing of vegetation. Other threats are road kill, removal of woody debris and rocks that provide refuge, and habitat degration by feral pigs.