The Family Elapidae contain some of the best-known, or notorious, venomous snakes, including the cobras, the kraits, the coral snakes and the mambas. They differ from the Viperidae in that their front venom fangs are immovable and cannot be folded back as in the latter family. Most resemble moderately large colubrids, with a few burrowing or arboreal species. Traditionally elapid venom is usually neurotoxic.
Cobras have a fascination of their own for many people. Click here if this group of snakes interests you.
| Genus | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Subfamily Bungarinae | ||||
| Aspidelaps | Coral and Shield-Nosed Snakes | Southern Africa | 2 species: few casualties recorded but potentially dangerous. | |
| Boulengerina | Water Cobras | W, C & E Africa | 2 species. Both live near or on water and live mainly on fish. By nature they are not confrontational. Click here for a picture. DANGEROUS | |
| Bungarus | Kraits | C & SE Asia, inc. Indian subcontinent & S China | 12 species. Most kraits are fairly passive but a large number of bites are occurred either by barefoot locals treading on them as they lay on paths or by careless handling in markets. DANGEROUS | |
| Dendroaspis | Mambas | Sub-Saharan Africa | 4 species, including the Green Mamba (D. angusticeps) and Black Mamba (D. polylepis). The latter is greatly feared not only for its toxicity but also for its aggression if cornered. Mambas tend to dwell in dense undergrowth, making them all the more dangerous: they are also among the swiftest of snakes. DANGEROUS | |
| Elapsoidea | Garter Snakes | Africa | 8 species. Not to be confused with the harmless Garter Snakes (Thamnophis) of N America. Most prey on other reptiles but amphibians and small mammals are also taken. All are venomous, but the southern African species at least do not appear to be dangerously so: nevertheless caution is advised. | |
| Hemachatus | Rinkhals | Southern Africa | 1 species, the Rinkhals or spitting cobra. Apart from the toxicity of its venom, the Rinkhals is dangerous both for its spitting venom (which can lead to temporary or permanent blindness) and its ability to play dead before suddenly striking at a would-be predator or handler. DANGEROUS | |
| Naja | Cobras | Africa and Asia | 19 species. These are the true cobras of legend: note however that the King Cobra is not included in this genus. Some cobras at least have the reputation of being fairly intelligent, which makes them all the more riskier as snakes to keep in captivity. DANGEROUS | |
| Ophiophagus | King Cobra | India, SE Asia and China | 18' | 1 species. The Latin name means "snake eater", and the King Cobra does prey entirely on other snakes. It is the largest venomous snake in the world. Although not common, it is widely distributed. DANGEROUS |
| Paranaja | Burrowing Cobra | W/C Africa | 2' | 1 species. This is a burrowing snake which seizes its prey underground: the fangs are proportionately long for the size of the snake. No cases of snakebite have been recorded, at least in writing. (Thanks to the German site www.gifte.de for the above information). |
| Pseudohaje | Tree Cobras | W, C & E Africa | Up to 6' | 2 species. DANGEROUS |
| Walterinnesia | Desert Blacksnake/Cobra | Middle East from Egypt to Saudi Arabia | 3'+ | 1 species. This is a rare snake about which little is known, partly due to it being nocturnal and a desert dweller. Although it apparently usually strikes with a closed mouth, ie more as a defensive bluff, envenomation can cause painful effects on humans. (Thanks to the German site www.gifte.de for this information). |
| Subfamily Elapinae | ||||
| Calliophis | Oriental Coral Snakes | India, SE Asia, China, Philippines & Japan | Up to 3' | 9 species. These are nocturnal forest dwellers that rarely make human contact and are not particularly aggressive: nevertheless the venom is potentially dangerous. |
| Micruroides | Western Coral Snake | USA & Mexico | 20" | 1 species. DANGEROUS |
| Micrurus | Eastern Coral Snake | The Americas | Up to 3' (some 4½') | 63 species. Very widely distributed. Usually show a colour arrangement of red, black and yellow. Despite their small size their venom is very potent. DANGEROUS |
| Maticora | Long-Glanded Coral Snakes | SE Asia, Indonesia and Philippines | Up to 4½' | 2 species, both ophiophagic (snake-eaters). Some authorities consider these to be part of the Calliophis genus. At least potentially dangerous. |
| Parapistocalumnus | Many-Banded Snake | Bougainville Island & Solomon Islands | 20" | 1 species. No other information available. |
| Subfamily Notechinae | ||||
| Acanthophis | Death Adders | Australia | 16-40" | 2-3 species. Mattison notes that these snakes resemble vipers rather than the traditional elapid form. All are DANGEROUS |
| Aspidomorphus | Collared Adder | Indonesia and Papua New Guinea | 3 species | |
| Austrelaps | Australian Copperhead | Australia | 85" | 1 species: some of the various forms may yet be classified as full species (Cogger). DANGEROUS |
| Brachyurophis | ? | 2 species, including the Green Mamba (D. viridis) and Black Mamba (D. polylepis). The latter is greatly feared not only for its toxicity but also for its aggression if cornered. Mambas tend to dwell in dense undergrowth. | ||
| Cacophis | Crowned Snakes | Australia (NSW & Queensland) | 10-30" | 3-4 species. Most if not all considered not dangerous to humans. |
| Cryptophis | Southern Africa | 1 species, the Rinkhals or spitting cobra. Apart from the toxicity of its venom, the Rinkhals is dangerous both for its spitting venom (which can lead to temporary or permanent blindness) and its ability to play dead before suddenly striking at a would-be predator or handler. | ||
| Demansia | Whip Snakes | Australia plus 1 in New Guinea | 20-52" | 6 species. Small, fast, whip-like diurnal snakes. Only large specimens of some of the species (D. atra and D. psammophis) are potentially dangerous (Cogger). Most if not all feed on small lizards, mainly skinks. |
| Denisonia | Western Coral Snake | E Australia | 20-24" | 2 species. Nocturnal snakes that are not large: D. maculata may be potentially dangerous (Cogger). |
| Drysdalia | Australian Crowned Snakes | S Australia | 16" | 4 species. Small slender snakes, most if not all not dangerous to man. |
| Echiopis | Sub-Saharan Africa | 16-24" | 2 species. Despite small size, E. curta at least is dangerous to man. | |
| Elapognathus | Little Brown Snake | SW Australia | 16" | 1 species with an extremely small range. A small and rare snake not considered dangerous to man. |
| Furina | Naped Snakes | Australia (mainly NE) & New Guinea | 16-28" | 5 species. Small to moderate size, most if not all not dangerous to humans. |
| Hemiaspis | E Australia | 1-2' | 2 species. Small to moderate size, not considered dangerous (although painful) to humans. | |
| Hoplocephalus | Broad-Headed Snakes | E Australia | 1½-3' | 3 species: bites painful but not dangerous. |
| Loveridgelaps | Orange-Banded Snake | Solomon Islands | 1 species | |
| Micropechis | Pacific Coral Snake | Papua New Guinea and Indonesia | 1 species | |
| Neelaps | Western Black-Naped and Western Black-Striped Snakes | W Australia | 2 species, N. bimaculata and N. calonotus (Western Black-Naped Snake and Western Black-Striped Snake). These species were not listed in Cogger nor given any clarification in the EMBL reptile database, and I am grateful to Brian Bush for his identification guide. | |
| Notechis | Tiger Snakes | S Australia & Tasmania, also New Guinea | 3-4½' | 2 species. DANGEROUS |
| Ogmodon | Fiji Cobra | Fiji | 1 species, O. vitianus, present only on the island of Viti Levu. Mattison notes that the presence of this snake in such a remote area is hard to explain. | |
| Oxyuranus | Taipans | N & E Australia | 6-7½' | 2 species. DANGEROUS |
| Pailsus | Australia (N Queensland) | 1 species: EMBL database listing suggests it is synonymous with Pseudechis australis (see below). | ||
| Pseudechis | Black Snakes | Australia | 4½-6' | 5 species. Cogger has pointed out that the common name is somewhat misleading as the most widely spread of these snakes is actually the Mulga or King Brown Snake, P. australis. All are considered DANGEROUS. |
| Pseudonaja | Brown Snakes | Australia and New Guinea | 20-54" | 6-7 species, although Cogger notes that the genus is need of revision. According to Mattison, these snakes also constrict their prey as well as envenomating it. Most of the species are DANGEROUS. |
| Rhinoplocephalus | Australia (coastal regions) and New Guinea | 16-32" | 6 species. Considered harmless to man. | |
| Salomonelaps | Solomon Island Brown Snake | Solomon Islands | A large complex of snakes | |
| Simoselaps | Australian Coral Snakes | Australia | Up to 2' | 12 species. These are burrowing snakes only seen on the surface at night (Cogger). All are considered harmless to both man and domestic animals. |
| Suta | Western Coral Snake | Australia and New Guinea | 16-30" | 9 species, of which only Suta suta (the largest in the genus) is considered dangerous. |
| Toxicocalamus | Venomous Island Snakes | Indonesia and Papua New Guinea | 1-3' | 9 species. No other information available. |
| Tropidechis | Rough-Scaled Snake | E Australia (coastal regions) | 30-40" | 1 species, found in two small and separated ranges. DANGEROUS |
| Unechis | Little Whip Snake | Bougainville Island & Solomon Islands | 2 species (?): considered by many, including apparently Cogger, to be members of the Suta genus. | |
| Vermicella | Bandy-Bandys | N & E Australia | 24-40" | 2 species (although only one is recognised by some authorities). Both are banded in black and white. |
Snakes of the World, Chris Mattison, Blandford. Very concise and useful guide to the general biology, natural history and classification of snakes, including an overview of virtually all the world's species.
Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th Edition, Harold Cogger. Complete encyclopedia of the herpetofauna of Australia and its outlaying islands, including descriptions of scalation and habitat, etc. Very well illustrated.
Venomous Snakes of the World, Mark O'Shea, New Holland, 2008 edition. Useful overall guide to venomous snakes, few anatomical details but venom is briefly described for each species.
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