The Pilbara death adder (Acanthophis wellsi), also known commonly as Wells' death adder, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is one of the eight members of the genus Acanthophis, a genus which is found throughout northwestern and southwestern Australia and some parts of southern Papua New Guinea.[2] The species Acanthophis wellsi is endemic to Western Australia.
The Pilbara death adder was described by Raymond Hoser in 1998.[3] The specific name, wellsi, is in honor of Australian herpetologist Richard Walter Wells.[4]
Dorsally, A. wellsi is usually brick red, with narrow, close-spaced gray crossbands. Individuals called "melanistic" have a black head, and the crossbands, which are wider, are yellowish brown, edged with black.[5]
Acanthophis wellsi is found in the Hamersley Range and the Chichester Range in the Pilbara region in northern Western Australia.[2]
The preferred natural habitats of A. wellsi are grassland, shrubland, and rocky areas.[1]
Acanthophis wellsi is viviparous.[2]
The Pilbara death adder (Acanthophis wellsi), also known commonly as Wells' death adder, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is one of the eight members of the genus Acanthophis, a genus which is found throughout northwestern and southwestern Australia and some parts of southern Papua New Guinea. The species Acanthophis wellsi is endemic to Western Australia.
