Gould's hooded snake (Suta gouldii), also known commonly as the black-headed snake and Gould's black-headed snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Western Australia.
Etymology
The specific name, gouldii, is in honor of English ornithologist John Gould.
Description
Adults of S. gouldii have an average snout-to-vent length (SVL) of , and the length of the tail is on average 13.3% SVL. The maximum recorded SVL is .
Habitat
The preferred natural habitats of S. gouldii are forest, shrubland, grassland, and rocky areas.
Reproduction
S. gouldii is ovoviviparous.
Venom
Although S. gouldii is venomous, its bite is considered to be of lesser medical significance. A life-threatening envenomation is unlikely, but a debilitating injury is possible.
References
Further reading
- Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. .
- Gray JE (1841). "Description of some new Species and four new Genera of Reptiles from Western Australia, discovered by John Gould, Esq." Annals and Magazine of Natural History, [First Series ] 7: 86âÂÂ91. (Elaps gouldii, new species, p. 91).
- , , , (2020). "What's under the hood? Phylogeny and taxonomy of the snake genera Parasuta Worrell and Suta Worrell (Squamata:Elapidae), with a description of a new species from the Pilbara, Western Australia". Zootaxa 4778 (1): 1âÂÂ47.
- , (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .