The pygmy copperhead (Austrelaps labialis) is an Australian venomous elapid snake species It is from the Austrelaps genus along with two other species of copperhead, the Highland and Lowland copperhead snakes.
Adult pygmy copperhead snakes grow to an average of making it the smallest of Australian copperheads. It preys on small reptiles and frogs. Their bite is considered possibly lethal but they are unlikely to attack unless stepped on or purposely provoked. This name was also briefly given to the White-lipped Snake in 1873 by Jan and associate Ferdinando Sordelli.
It was formerly included in Austrelaps superbus This publication renames the pygmy copperhead to Austrelaps labialis, with Austrelaps superbus remaining the name for the highland copperhead.
Snake-catcher Raymond Hoser has disputed the separation of species in Austrelaps, claiming the main separation is related only to environmentally influenced changes. His paper has however been challenged by the wider community.
The common naming of the snake refers to the colouration of the scales on top of its body and those surrounding the snake's snout and eyes, and "pygmy" refers to the species being smaller than the highland and lowland counterparts. Other common names include the pigmy copperhead, dwarf copperhead,
It is not closely related to the American copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix (Viperidae).
Description
The pygmy copperhead is the smallest of Australian copperhead snakes. It is expected for the males to grow to a larger size than the females, but the pygmy copperhead's ratio is more marked than most other snake species. On average, the adult male snake reaches in length, with larger specimens reaching long.
On both sexes, the dorsal scales come in shades of brown to grey, with a notable darker stripe along the spine. near streams, in swamps, marshland and open sclerophyll woodlands and forests. The cold temperatures in these areas are notably too low for many other reptilian species. Combat between males signifies sexual maturity in snakes, but it has not been observed in pygmy copperheads, despite the lowland and highland species exhibiting at two years of age. There also appears to be a skewed sex ratio towards males.