Mulga snake
| Pseudechis australis | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Pseudechis |
| Species: | P. australis |
| Binomial name | |
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Pseudechis australis (Gray, 1842) |
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| Range of king brown (in red) | |
Pseudechis australis, commonly known as the king brown snake or mulga snake, or Pilbara cobra, is a species of venomous snake found in Australia. It is one of the longest venomous snakes in the world, the largest in Australia and is the second longest in Australia (surpassed only by the coastal taipan). Despite one of its common names, "king brown", it is a species in the genus Pseudechis, known as the black snake genus.
The species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1842, who placed it in the genus Naja (cobras). The species was long regarded as monotypic, but several new taxa have recently been described from within P. australis. Two new species and a new genus have been described within this complex by Raymond Hoser: Pailsus pailsei, from near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia and Pailsus rossignolii, found in Irian Jaya. Hoser later also resurrected Pailsus weigeli (originally described as Cannia weigeli by Wells and Wellington 1987). These descriptions were initially received with skepticism due to the low level of evidence provided in the original descriptions. Later genetic analyses supported the validity of some of Hoser's species, but his genus Pailsus was shown to be a synonym of Pseudechis, and more work is needed to understand species limits among the smaller species of the group. The most recent published study suggested the existence of four smaller species associated with P. australis from northern Australia and New Guinea.
Mulga snakes are large, venomous snakes growing up to 2.5 to 3.0 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft) in length in the largest specimens, although 1.5 m (4.9 ft) is a more typical length for an average adult. It is exceeded in length among venomous snakes only by the Asiatic king cobra, some species of African mambas, genus Lachesis (bushmasters) of the American neotropics, and the Australian taipan. A good-sized adult mulga snake of 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) length can weigh 3 to 6 kg (6.6 to 13.2 lb) and mulga snakes are often heavier than the co-occurring taipans. The colour of the snakes differs from area to area within their range; mulga snakes can be a light brown colour in the desert to a dark, brown-blackish colour in the cooler regions of Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. Mulga snakes are robust, with a wide head and smooth snout.
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Wikipedia