Cacophis krefftii is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Etymology The specific name, krefftii, is in honor of German-born Australian naturalist Gerard Krefft.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Cacophis krefftii, p. 146).
Common names Common names for C. krefftii include dwarf crowned snake, southern dwarf crowned snake, and Krefft's dwarf snake.
Description C. krefftii may attain a total length (including tail) of . Dorsally, it is dark gray, with a yellow nuchal collar. Ventrally it is yellow, with some black at the edges of the ventral scales.Wilson S, Swan G (2023). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Sixth Edition. Sydney: Reed New Holland Publishers. 688 pp. . (Cacophis krefftii, pp. 588–589).
Geographic range The geographic range of C. krefftii extends from the Central Coast of New South Wales to South East Queensland.
Habitat The preferred natural habitat of C. krefftii is forest.
Behavior C. krefftii is terrestrial and nocturnal. When threatened it may raise the anterior part of its body, in the manner of a cobra.
Diet C. krefftii preys upon sleeping diurnal skinks.
Reproduction C. krefftii is oviparous.
References
Further reading Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ) .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (Pseudelaps krefftii, p. 318). Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. . Günther A (1863). "Third Account of new Species of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Third Series 12: 348–365. (Cacophis krefftii, new species, p. 361). Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .