As an interesting aside, these snakes can't hear sounds. That's right, the death adder is deaf. Indeed, many people think that the snake's common name is simply a misunderstanding of the original name, which may have been “deaf adder.”

Is an adder deaf?

This caused early European settlers of Australia to think that they couldn't hear (no snakes truly hear), giving rise to the name "deaf adder," which later morphed into death adder, according to the CSL Antivenom Handbook. Death adders will strike quickly if stepped on or otherwise threatened.

What eats a death adder?

Large death adders are eaten by large lizards called Goannas or Varanids (Varanidae). Small death adders are probably taken by a number of predators, including Kookaburra birds.