#commondeathadder

Gorgeous common death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus).

Credit: Klaus Roemer

The Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) is a snake-species that lives in the grasslands, forests, and bushlands of Eastern and Southern Australia, their band-patterned skin providing the perfect disguise for hiding under leaf litter and other debris for long periods of time (twitching their grub-like tail to lure prey), striking when any unsuspecting animals come past.

The Australian snake has several records on its name: not only do they have the longest fangs of any Australian venomous snake, they also have the fastest strike. And although they are highly venomous, the common death adder is not aggressive and rarely a danger to humans.

And although they're not an endangered species (classed as Least Concern), the species is threatened by the presence of cane toads - an invasive species in Australia. The toads often eat young snakes, while the adult snakes who decide to snack on such a toad die as a result of the poisonous toxins in the toad's skin.