The Mallee black-backed snake (Suta nigriceps), also known commonly as the black-backed snake, the copper snake, and Mitchell's short-tailed snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.[1]
S. nigriceps is found in the Australian states of New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia.[2]
The preferred natural habitats of S. nigriceps are forest, savanna, and shrubland.[1]
The average snout-to-vent length (SVL) of adults of S. nigriceps is 33 cm (13 in), and the length of the tail is about 12% SVL. The maximum recorded SVL is 53 cm (21 in). The top of the head and the nape of the neck are grayish black, and the upper labials are whitish. There is a vertebral stripe or zone, about five scale rows wide, which is also grayish black. The lateral dorsal scales are reddish brown or purplish brown. The venter is whitish.[3]
S. nigriceps is viviparous.[2]
The Mallee black-backed snake (Suta nigriceps), also known commonly as the black-backed snake, the copper snake, and Mitchell's short-tailed snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
