Wonambi

Taxobox
name = "Wonambi"
fossil_range = Miocene-Pleistocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = †Madtsoiidae
genus = "†Wonambi"
genus_authority =
type_species = "Wonambi naracoortensis"
type_species_authority = Smith, 1976
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Wonambi barriei" Scanlon, 2000
"Wonambi naracoortensis"

"Wonambi" is a genus currently consisting of two species of very large snakes. These species are not pythons, like Australia's other large constrictors of the genus "Morelia", but a member of a now extinct family Madtsoiidae. This genus was a part of the extinct megafauna of Australia.

Diversity

The type species is "Wonambi naracoortensis", a five to six metre long snake, the only other known species is "Wonambi barriei". [cite web | url = http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v403/n6768/fig_tab/403416a0_F2.html | title = The Pleistocene serpent Wonambi and the early evolution of snakes. FIGURE 2. Selected elements of Wonambi exhibiting phylogenetically important characters. | accessdate = | author = John D. Scanlon | authorlink = | coauthors = Michael S. Y. Lee | date = | year = 2000 | month = January | work = Nature (journal) 403, 416-420 | publisher = | quote = ]

Description

"Wonambi" seem to have been non-venomous ambush predators. Rather than using venom, the animal would kill its prey by constriction. The head of the animal was small, restricting the size of its prey.

Taxonomy and naming

"Wonambi naracoortensis" was first described from fossils collected at Naracoorte, South Australia, the first extinct snake to be found in Australia.

It was given the name Wonambi from the description, by the local Aboriginal people, of a serpent of the Dreamtime. This serpent, a mythological being commonly referred to by both Aboriginal people and Europeans as the Rainbow Serpent, were often held responsible for the creation of major features of the landscape. The Wagyl of the Western Australian Noongar people is thought to correlate to the South Australian people's Wonambi.

The family of this species, Madtsoiidae, became extinct in other parts of the world around 55 million years ago, but new species continued to evolve in Australia. These species are the last known to have existed, becoming extinct in the last 50 000 years.

Ecology

"Wonambi naracoortensis" lived during the Pleistocene Ice Age period, in natural sun-traps beside local waterholes, where they would ambush kangaroo, wallaby and other prey coming to the water to drink. For this reason, children were forbidden in Aboriginal culture to play at such places, and only allowed to visit when accompanied by an adult. Mapping such locations in Western Australia, has been found to be closely associated with areas the Noongar people regard as Waugal sacred sites.

Tim Flannery claims that this animal, along with other Australian megafauna, became extinct as a result of activities of the Australian Aborigines (for example firestick farming). [Flannery, Tim (1994). "The Future Eaters: An Ecological History of the Australasian Lands and People", ISBN 0-8021-3943-4 ISBN 0-7301-0422-2]

ee also

*Australian megafauna

References