Drysdalia mastersii

Drysdalia mastersii
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Drysdalia
Species:	D. mastersii
Binomial name
Drysdalia mastersii (Krefft, 1866)
Synonyms[2]
Hoplocephalus mastersiiKrefft, 1866 Notechis mastersii(Kreft, 1866) Denisonia coronoidesBoulenger, 1896 (partim)

Drysdalia mastersii, also known commonly as Masters's snake or Masters' snake, is a species of venomous snake in the familyElapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.

Etymology

The specific epithetmastersii is in honour of Australian entomologist George Masters who collected specimens for Gerard Krefft.^{[3]: 171 [4]}

Description

Drysdalia mastersii grows to an average total length (tail included) of about 40 cm (16 in). The upper body is light brown to dark grey, with a pale band over the nape and a white stripe extending from the upper lip to the neck.^[4]

Geographic distribution

The geographic distribution of Drysdalia mastersii extends eastwards from near Esperance in Western Australia into coastal and subcoastal South Australia, as well as into south-eastern South Australia and western Victoria. The type locality is the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of Drysdalia mastersii are heathland, grassland, and mallee on sandy and limestone soils.^[4]

Diet

Drysdalia mastersiipreys predominately upon lizards.^[4]

Reproduction

Drysdalia mastersii is viviparous, with an average litter size of three.^[4]

References

1. Cogger, H.; Ellis, R.; Shea, G. (2017). "Drysdalia mastersii ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T177527A83453128. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T177527A83453128.en. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
2. Species Drysdalia mastersii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
3. Beolens, B.; Watkins, M.; Grayson, M. (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. xiii + 296. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5.
4. "Masters' snake". Australian Reptile Online Database. Stewart Macdonald. Retrieved 30 May 2021.

Further reading

• Cogger, H.G. (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-10035-0. xxx + 1,033 pp.
• Krefft, G. (1866). "Descriptions of Three Species of Snakes of the Genus Hoplocephalus". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1866: 370–371. (Hoplocephalus mastersii, new species).
• Wilson, S.; Swan, G. (2023). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Sixth Edition. Sydney: Reed New Holland Publishers. ISBN 978-1-92554-671-2. 688 pp. (Drysdalia mastersi, pp. 608–609).
• Worrell, E. (1961). "Herpetological Name Changes". Western Australian Naturalist. 8 (1): 1827. (Drysdalia mastersii, new combination, p. 25).

External links

• "Drysdalia mastersii (Krefft, 1866) — Masters' Snake". Atlas of Living Australia.