NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Lake Cronin Snake
Paroplocephalus atriceps (Storr, 1980)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Paroplocephalus is a genus of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species Paroplocephalus atriceps, the Lake Cronin snake. The species is endemic to western Australia.
A poorly known species, its diet includes lizards. It is active during the night and day, and is possibly arboreal. The largest specimen is recorded as 60 cm (24 in) in total length (including tail), 48 cm (19 in) from snout to vent. The head is dull black, the eyes large, and the lower lip white-barred. The body is brown to dark brown dorsally, a lighter reddish brown beneath, and has non-shiny scales.
A common name derives from the type locality, Lake Cronin, an inland body of water in Western Australia. It is endemic to the wheatbelt region, the few specimens being recorded at this locality and another 145 kilometres (90 miles) east at Peak Eleanora.
Wikipedia contributors, Paroplocephalus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:10:36.062706+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Paroplocephalus atriceps (Storr, 1980)
- Name authority
- (Storr, 1980)
- Common name
- Lake Cronin Snake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Elapidae
- Genus
- Paroplocephalus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyElapidae
- subfamilyHydrophiinae
- genusParoplocephalus
- speciesParoplocephalus atriceps (Storr, 1980)
Close classified relatives
No other member of this genus is present in the selected snapshot.
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Brachyaspis atriceps Storr, 1980 Storr, 1980 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Paroplocephalus&species=atriceps Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4DS5H. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.