Acanthophis hawkei Wells & Wellington, 1985

Ellis, Ryan J., Kaiser, Hinrich, Maddock, Simon T., Doughty, Paul & Wüster, Wolfgang, 2021, An evaluation of the nomina for death adders (Acanthophis Daudin, 1803) proposed by Wells & Wellington (1985), and confirmation of A. cryptamydros Maddock et al., 2015 as the valid name for the Kimberley death adder, Zootaxa 4995 (1), pp. 161-172 : 168

Availability of Acanthophis hawkei Wells & Wellington, 1985

Wells & Wellington (1985) named A. hawkei from the Barkly Tableland of the Northern Territory. The name has generally been considered available (Aplin 1999; Aplin & Donnellan 1999) and has been widely used for the blacksoil plains death adders of the northern NT in the subsequent literature (e.g., Wüster et al. 2005; Eipper 2012; Cogger 2014, 2018; Wallach et al. 2014; Wilson & Swan 2017, 2020; Boundy et al. 2020). The description of the taxon reads as follows, reproduced here as in the original, including errors in spelling and punctuation ( Wells & Wellington 1985: 43):

“ Acanthophis hawkei sp.nov.

Holotype: An adult specimen in the Northern Territory Museum, Darwin R3677 . Collected 1.5 miles south west of Brunette Downs Station Homestead , Barkly Tablelands, Northern Territory by Hans van Dyk on 20 April, 1977.

Diagnosis: A large member of the Acanthophis antarcticus complex, believed confined to the blacksoil plains of the Barkly Tablelands, Northern Territory. This species is the largest of the genus Acanthophis , reaching a maximum total length of 1.2m. It is an abundant snake, particularly in the Anthony’s Lagoon area, N.T., during favourable weather. This most spectacular of the death adders feeds on small mammals and has large quantities of highly toxic venom that may have application for medical research. It was first discovered by Dr Ross K. Pengilley, a scientist carrying out wildlife survey work in the region, whilst employed by the Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory. Specimens were sent to the Northern Territory Museum in Darwin where they have remained largely unstudied. It is understood that an amateur herpetologist in Darwin has bred this species in captivity but as yet nothing has been published on this exciting event. Juveniles of this species are distinctly yellowish orange with grey and black flecking in contrast to its near relative A. lancasteri sp.nov. which tends to be more uniform brown with lighter transverse banding. Wells and Peterson, (1985 in press) provide an illustration of this species and its relatives, as well as ecological and morphological data. Etymology: Named for the Prime Minister of Australia, The Rt. Hon. Robert J. Hawke, in recognition of his part in saving the Tasmanian Wilderness.”

The species description includes a comparison of character states between this taxon and A. lancasteri that accompanies the description of A. hawkei . As a consequence of the sentence contrasting juvenile colouration, this diagnosis fulfils the conditions of Article 13.1.1. for A. hawkei ( Fig. 1C ), thereby making the naming Code -compliant and the name itself available. It does not simultaneously make A. lancasteri available, because the text in the A. hawkei account does not accompany the naming of A. lancasteri and was explicitly excluded from a role in naming that species by Wells & Wellington’s reference to Storr (1981) (see above).

Figures

FIGURE 1. The four death adder species, genus Acanthophis, whose valid nomina we discuss herein. (A) A. cryptamydros Maddock et al., 2015 from the Mueller Ranges, ca. 110 km southwest of Halls Creek, Western Australia. (B) A. pyrrhus Boulenger, 1898 from 40 km south of Port Hedland, Western Australia. (C) A. hawkei Wells & Wellington, 1985 from the Barkly Tableland, Northern Territory, Australia. (D) A. antarcticus (Shaw & Nodder, 1802) from Canning Dam, near Ashendon, Western Australia. Photos by Ray Lloyd (A, B, D) and Tom Parkin (C).