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Twig snakes are among the few rear-fanged colubrids whose bite is highly venomous and potentially fatal. [4] The venom is hemotoxic, and although its effects are very slow, and bites are rare, no antivenom has been developed and several fatalities (such as Robert Mertens) have occurred.
The scales have light-colored keels and sometimes yellow tips that form a series of 30 or more light crossbands or chevrons. On the tail, there are 10 to 19 chevrons: not always clearly defined, but usually present. The ventral edge of the dorsum has light spots in pairs. An interstitial black color is visible only when the skin is stretched.
The snakes do not have a true venom gland, but they do have an analogous structure called the Duvernoy's gland derived from the same tissue. [4] Most subspecies are rear-fanged with the last maxillary teeth on both sides of the upper jaw being longer and channeled; [ 4 ] the notable exception is D. p. edwardsii , which is fangless. [ 7 ]
The eastern indigo snake was first described by John Edwards Holbrook in 1842. For many years the genus Drymarchon was considered monotypic with one species, Drymarchon corais, with 12 subspecies, until the early 1990s when Drymarchon corais couperi was elevated to full species status according to the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, in their official names list.
Despite the fact that many Australian snakes have unusually potent venom, wide access to antivenom, which is available for all dangerous species, [38] has made deaths exceedingly rare. It is believed that up to 1,500 definite or suspected snakebites occur in Australia each year, of which about 200 are serious enough to warrant antivenom therapy.
Members of this genus are considered to be among the most venomous snakes in the world based on their murine LD 50, an indicator of the toxicity on mice. The inland taipan is considered to be the most venomous snake in the world and the coastal taipan, which is arguably the largest Australian venomous snake, is the third-most venomous snake in ...
There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid. [5] Its color variations include the Texas rat snake. [3] Along with other snakes of the eastern United States, like the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) and the eastern racer (Coluber constrictor), it is called “black snake”. Black rat snake
[3] [5] The females are larger than the males, which is unusual for this group of snakes. [6] Usually, 21 rows of keeled dorsal scales occur midbody. [3] [7] Males have 141 or fewer ventral scales; females have 144 or fewer. [3] It is sometimes referred to as the horned rattlesnake because of the raised supraocular scales above its eyes.