Cacophis


Cacophis a genus of mildly venomous snakes, commonly known as crowned snakes, in the family Elapidae. The genus is endemic to Australia.

Geographic range

Species of Cacophis are distributed along eastern Australia.

Venom

The four species in the genus Cacophis are all venomous, but not dangerous to people.

Habitat

Snakes of the genus Cacophis inhabit a variety of forest types, from woodland to rainforest.

Behavior and diet

Cacophis species are generally nocturnal and feed on lizards and reptile eggs.

Description

All species of Cacophis have a distinct "crown" pattern on the head, which gives them their common names.

Species

The following four species are recognized as being valid.
Nota bene: In the above list, a binomial authority in parentheses indicate that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cacophis.