basketcase is talking about the Pilbara death adder.
Many people want to know if the blackheaded forms produce only blackheaded forms or reds morphs as well.
Here is a quick run down on this species.
Pilbara death adder Acanthophis wellsi
The Pilbara death adder is a small slender adder very similar to the desert death adder Acanthophis pyrrhus. A wellsi can be differentiated by having 17 mid body scales and having undivided prefrontal scales. There is however an isolated population of A wellsi at Cape range peninsula near Exmouth that do have divided prefrontals. The body scales on A wellsi are not as keeled as A pyrrhus. When viewed laterally there is a difference in head shape with A pyrrhus being of a more even roundness towards the front of the head. This head shape difference is quite obvious after comparing a few.
Coloration varies but typically they are a reddish body colour with about 40 faint bands of ether light red, yellow brown, and occasionally in rare melanistic individuals black.
The melanistic forms usually show this pigmentation on their upper head scales and can look quite stunning.
There have been individuals found on the edge of their known range that have had strange scale counts or peculiarities. It is though that these are actually hybrids of both pyrrhus and wellsi.
The wellsi habitat is typically areas of stony based desert areas scattered with spinifex from which they shelter.
Their diet consists of small lizards, frogs, and a particular favorite food item is the fat tailed gecko Diplodactylus conspicillatus.
This is a death adder not commonly kept out side of W.A and I suspect that it will be a few more years yet before these adders are bred in sufficient numbers to become commonly available.
