Abstract

Demansia olivacea and Demansia torquata, as used by recent authors, are composite. Nine species are recognized based on coloration and morphology, with evidence of sympatry between several pairs of species. Demansia olivacea is restricted to the northern Kimberley and the Top End of the Northern Territory and D. torquata to eastern coastal Queensland. Demansia calodera Storr, 1978 and Demansia rufescens Storr, 1978, originally described as subspecies of D. olivacea, are raised to full species. Demansia angusticeps (Macleay, 1888), previously regarded as a synonym of D. olivacea, is resurrected for populations in the southern Kimberley, and D. flagellatio Wells & Wellington, 1985 is validated as a species restricted to northwest Queensland. Three new species are described.

 
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Bibliographic Data

Short Form
Shea and Scanlon, 2007, Rec. Aust. Mus. 59(2): 117–142
Author
Glenn M. Shea; John D. Scanlon
Year
2007
Title
Revision of the small tropical whipsnakes previously referred to Demansia olivacea (Gray, 1842) and Demansia torquata (Günther, 1862) (Squamata: Elapidae)
Serial Title
Records of the Australian Museum
Volume
59
Issue
2
Start Page
117
End Page
142
DOI
10.3853/j.0067-1975.59.2007.1488
Language
en
Date Published
29 August 2007
Cover Date
29 August 2007
ISSN (print)
0067-1975
CODEN
RAUMAJ
Publisher
The Australian Museum
Place Published
Sydney, Australia
Subjects
REPTILIA; TAXONOMY
Digitized
29 August 2007
Available Online
29 August 2007
Reference Number
1488
EndNote
1488.enw
Title Page
1488.pdf
File size: 46kB
Complete Work
1488_complete.pdf
File size: 1419kB