Head to head
Desert Death Adder vs Common Death Adder
A desert death adder and a common death adder share the same lure-and-strike ambush hunting style and the same viper-like body shape despite both being true elapids, but each has specialised for a completely different Australian habitat.
| Desert Death Adder | Common Death Adder | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Acanthophis pyrrhus | Acanthophis antarcticus |
| Camouflage substrate | Red desert sand | Forest leaf litter |
| Habitat | Arid sandy interior | Forest and grassland |
| Hunting method | Buried ambush with tail lure | Buried ambush with tail lure |
| Taxonomic family | Elapidae | Elapidae |
| Body shape | Stocky, viper-like | Stocky, viper-like |
| Native range | Central Australia | Eastern and coastal Australia |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Desert Death Adder vs Common Death Adder: common questions
Are the desert death adder and common death adder the same snake?
No, though closely related and similar in body shape and hunting style, the desert death adder and common death adder are distinct species adapted to different habitats, with the desert death adder specialised for loose red sand dune camouflage in central Australia and the common death adder specialised for leaf litter camouflage in forest and woodland habitat.
Are death adders actually vipers?
No, despite their stocky, viper-like body shape and ambush hunting style, both the desert death adder and common death adder are elapids, placing them in the same broader snake family as cobras and coral snakes rather than true vipers, which belong to an entirely separate family.
Do both death adder species hunt the same way?
Yes, both the desert death adder and common death adder use the same lure-and-strike ambush technique, burying themselves in their respective preferred substrate and twitching a thin, worm-like tail tip to attract curious prey close enough for an extremely fast envenomating strike.