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Maxillary bones prolonged as far as the palatines, with a pair of large grooved poison-fangs, followed by 3–5 small solid teeth; anterior mandibular teeth greatly developed. Head fairly distinct from the body; eyes small, with round or vertically elliptic pupils; nasal shield entire or divided. Body cylindrical; scales smooth, in 15–19 rows; tail moderate or short; subcaudals in a single row, except in one species.

According to the British Museum Catalogue, the genus Denisonia includes twenty-one species, the principal characters of which are as follows:—

Fig. 52.—Denisonia superba (The Copperhead).

(1) D. superba (The Copperhead. Fig. 52).—Scales in 15–17 rows; nasal shield entire, in contact with the præocular; ventral scales 145–160; subcaudals 41–50.

Colour brownish to dark olive on the back, often yellow or salmon-red on the sides; belly yellowish or greyish-olive.

Total length, 1,010 millimetres; tail 160.

Habitat: New South Wales, Southern Australia, Tasmania.

(2) D. coronata.—Scales in 15 rows; 138–151 ventrals; 38–51 subcaudals.

Fig. 53.—Denisonia coronoides.

Colour olive, with a black streak on each side of the head; belly yellowish or pale olive.

Total length, 480 millimetres; tail 95.

Habitat: Western Australia and New South Wales.

(3) D. coronoides (fig. 53).—Scales in 15 rows; 136–151 ventrals; 39–57 subcaudals.

Colour brown, lips yellow; belly salmon-red to dark olive-grey; end of tail salmon-red.

Total length, 440 millimetres; tail 80.

Habitat: Southern Australia and Tasmania.

(4) D. muelleri.—Scales in 17 rows; 118 ventrals; 38 subcaudals.

Colour grey-brown; lips and chin with yellow spots; belly grey.

Total length, 292 millimetres; tail 52.

Habitat: Queensland.

(5) D. frenata.—Scales in 19 rows; 167 ventrals; 35 subcaudals.

Colour olive-brown; upper lip yellow; belly white.

Total length, 390 millimetres; tail 54.

Habitat: Lake Elphinstone, Queensland.

(6) D. ramsayi (fig. 54).—Scales in 15 rows; 164 ventrals; 51 subcaudals.

Fig. 54.—Denisonia ramsayi.

Colour dark olive-green above, yellow beneath; subcaudals nearly black.

Total length, 265 millimetres; tail 50.

Habitat: New South Wales.

(7) D. signata (fig. 55).—Scales in 17 rows; 153–170 ventrals; 41–56 subcaudals.

Fig. 55.—Denisonia signata.

Colour dark olive or black, head brown; belly dark grey or black.

Total length, 640 millimetres; tail 120.

Habitat: Queensland, New South Wales.

(8) D. daemelii.—Scales in 17 rows; 147–168 ventrals; 33–45 subcaudals.

Colour olive, head darker; belly yellowish-white.

Total length, 380 millimetres; tail 60.

Habitat: Queensland.

(9) D. suta.—Scales in 19 rows; 157–164 ventrals; 25–30 subcaudals.

Colour pale olive-brown, head dark brown, nape black; upper lip and belly yellow.

Total length, 200 millimetres; tail 23.

Habitat: Southern Australia.

(10) D. frontalis.—Scales in 19 rows; 154 ventrals; 30 subcaudals.

Colour light brown, with a vertebral black line; belly pearly-white, with a median bronze-coloured band.

Total length, 400 millimetres; tail 50.

Habitat: New South Wales.

(11) D. flagellum.—Scales in 17 rows; 132–138 ventrals; 25–27 subcaudals.

Colour pale brown; vertex, occiput, and nape black; upper lip and belly white.

Total length, 380 millimetres; tail 40.

Habitat: Victoria.

(12) D. maculata. (fig. 56).—Scales in 17 rows; 121–136 ventrals; 20–30 subcaudals.

Fig. 56.—Denisonia maculata.

Colour dark grey-brown, or brown; a large dark olive-green or brown blotch on the head, with two or three unequal light grey spots; belly white.

Total length, 400 millimetres; tail 55.

Habitat: Queensland.

(13) D. punctata.—Scales in 15 rows; 160 ventrals; 25 subcaudals.

Colour pale brown; head and nape orange; upper lip and belly yellow.

Total length, 350 millimetres; tail 36.

Habitat: North-Western Australia.

(14) D. gouldii (fig. 57).—Scales in 15 rows; 140–170 ventrals; 22–23 subcaudals.

Fig. 57.—Denisonia gouldii.

Colour brownish-yellow; nape black; head covered with a broad greenish-blue blotch, extending from the nose to the neck; upper lip and belly yellow.

Total length, 435 millimetres; tail 50.

Habitat: Western and Southern Australia.

(15) D. nigrescens.—Scales in 15 rows; 170–200 ventrals; 30–46 subcaudals.

Colour dark olive; head black; belly yellow.

Total length, 545 millimetres; tail 75.

Habitat: New South Wales and Queensland.

(16) D. nigrostriata.—Scales in 15 rows; 180–184 ventrals; 50–64 subcaudals.

Colour yellow, streaked with black; head dark brown; upper lip and belly yellowish-white.

Total length, 380 millimetres; tail 52.

Habitat: Queensland.

(17) D. carpentariæ.—Scales in 15 rows; 166–183 ventrals; 31–43 subcaudals.

Colour brown; upper lip and belly yellowish-white.

Total length, 285 millimetres; tail 47.

Habitat: Northern Queensland.

(18) D. pallidiceps.—Scales in 15 rows; 170–178 ventrals; 37–38 subcaudals.

Colour dark olive-brown; head somewhat paler; belly yellowish. Total length, 590 millimetres; tail 80.

Habitat: Northern Australia.

(19) D. melanura.—Scales in 15 or 17 rows; 165–171 ventrals; 38–48 subcaudals.

Colour dark brown; head and sides usually reddish; belly yellow; tail black.

Total length, 1,000 millimetres; tail 140.

Habitat: Solomon Islands.

(20) D. par.—Scales in 16 rows; 164–166 ventrals; 40–49 subcaudals.

Colour reddish-brown, in broad bands with white intervals; head blackish-brown; belly white; tail with red rings.

Total length, 750 millimetres; tail 110.

Habitat: Faro and Howla Islands, Bougainville Straits, Solomon Islands.

(21) D. woodfordii.—Scales in 17 rows; 166–172 ventrals; 41–45 subcaudal pairs.

Colour brownish-white, with a reticulate pattern; head dark brown; belly white.

Total length, 670 millimetres; tail 100.

Habitat: New Georgia, Solomon Islands.