Cacophis

Cacophis is a genus of venomous snakes, commonly known as crowned snakes, in the family Elapidae. The genus is endemic to Australia.

Description
All species of Cacophis have a distinct "crown" pattern on the head, which gives them their common names. They are venomous, but not dangerous to people.

Species
The following four species are recognized as being valid.
 * Cacophis churchilli Wells & Wellington, 1985 – northern dwarf crowned snake - ne Queensland
 * Cacophis harriettae Krefft, 1869 – white-crowned snake - e Queensland and ne NSW
 * Cacophis krefftii Günther, 1863 – dwarf crowned snake - se Queensland and e NSW
 * Cacophis squamulosus (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – golden-crowned snake - e Queensland, e NSW and ACT

Nota bene: In the above list, a binomial authority in parentheses indicate that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cacophis.

Distribution and habitat
Species of Cacophis are distributed along eastern Australia. They inhabit a variety of forest types, from woodland to rainforest.

Behaviour
Cacophis species are generally nocturnal and feed on lizards and reptile eggs.