Denisonia is a genus of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae. The genus is endemic to Australia, and contains two recognized species.

Denisonia
Denisonia maculata, ornamental snake
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Subfamily: Hydrophiinae
Genus: Denisonia
Krefft, 1869

Species

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The following two species are recognized as being valid.[1]

Etymology

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The generic name, Denisonia, is in honor of William Thomas Denison, mid 19th century governor of parts of Australia. The specific name, devisi, is in honor of English herpetologist Charles Walter De Vis.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Genus Denisonia at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  2. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Genus Denisonia, p. 69; species Denisonia devisi, p. 71).
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Further reading

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  • Krefft G (1869). The Snakes of Australia; An Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of All the Known Species. Sydney: Thomas Richards, Government Printer. xxv + 100 pp. + Plates I-XII. (Denisonia, new genus, pp. 82–83 + Plate XI, figure 4).
  • Waite ER, Longman HA (1920). "Descriptions of Little-known Australian Snakes". Records of the South Australian Museum 1 (3): 173-180 + Plate XXVII. (Denisonia maculata var. devisi, new name, pp. 178–179, Text figure 36 + Plate XXVII, figure 2).
  • Wilson, Steve (2003). Reptiles of the Southern Brigalow Belt. Australia: World Wildlife Fund. pp. 33–34.