Acanthophis hawkei

The Barkly Tableland death adder, Acanthophis hawkei is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The exact distribution of the species is unclear, but suitable habitat for the plains death adder consists of flat, treeless, cracking-soil riverine floodplains. Based on the presence of suitable habitat, the potential geographic range for this species extends from Western Queensland, across the north of the Northern Territory to north-east Western Australia. Disjunct populations of the plains death adder are known to occur in the Mitchell Grass Downs of western Queensland, the Barkly Tableland on the Northern Territory/Queensland border and east of Darwin in the Northern Territory. The snake is named after former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke.