Scott, (and others), I've scanned the 1981 Storr paper in via OCR in terms of the descriptions of A. antarcticus and A. praelongus.
Based on what you (and Aplin) say, there is no separation of WA snakes from the rest, ... hence nomen nudem as even technically speaking this means that the W and W paper does not even purport to separate the taxa.
I've placed it below for you to look at - but excuse the typo errors that I did not correct.
Also, what are the views of you and the others in terms of NW WA Acanthophis as differentiated from Irian Jaya Rugosa and/or other northern Acanthophis?
FROM: G.M. STORR (1981)

GENUS ACANTHOPHIS

Acanthophis antareticus Shaw, 1794

Fig. 2

Boa antaretica Shaw, 1794, The Naturalist's Miscellany, pi. 535. Type locality presumAbly vicinity of Sydney, N.S.W.

Diagnosis
Avery stout Acanthophis with upper head shields smooth or slightly rugose ' anterior dorsal scales weakly keeled or smooth, posterior dorsal scales smooth or very weakly keeled, head deeper than in other species and upper lips more boldly patternc4.

Description
Snout-vent length (mm): 132-585 (N 34, mean 414.8). Length of tail (% SVL): 14.7-25.2 (N 33, mean 20.3).

Prefrontals 2 (N 16), 3 (3) or 4 (3). Preoculars 1 (N 28) or 2 (3). Post-oculars 2 (N 30) or 3 (1). Suboculars 2 (N 17) or 3 (14). Upper labials 6 (N 32). Temporals: primaries 3 (N 33); secondaries 3 (N 26), 4 (5) or 5 (1). Dorsal scale rows: 21 (N 34) or 23 (1) at midbody; seldom reducing on neck, i.e. usually not changing or increasing by 2 rows; usually reducing to 17 before vent. Ventrals 110-124 (N 25, mean 116.6). Subcaudals 36-50 (N 33, mean 45.4), 16-31 single (mean 23.6), 17-26 paired (mean 21.8).



Dorsal ground colour dark greyish-brown or dark brownish-grey. Back and tail with 40-50 pale grey or pale brown cross-bands; on posterior edge of bands usually a series of black spots (apices and Posterior edges of scales). On back of head 1 or 2 pale oblique streaks, converging anteriorly. Snout pale brown peppered with blackish-brown. Often a broad blackish streak from orbit back through lower temples. Lips whitish barred with black or brown. Rest of lower surfaces whitish except for black or dark brown centres to gulars, anterior ventrolaterals (dorsals nearest to ventrals) and sub-caudals, and occasionally for brown flecks on ventrals.

Distribution

Patchily distributed in southern Western Australia: the northern Darling Range, central Wheat Belt, Esperance district (including the Archipelago of the Recherche) and southern edge of Nullarbor Plain (Fig. 1).

Material

South-West Division (W.A-): Cadoux(19124); Lion Mill (248); Crystal Falls, Lesmurdie ok (58779); Bwtons Mill (8823); K@a-ing Dam (5948, 19804,
Byford (13693, 20577)
ngelin (8646); 14-rnile

Bucia Division (W.A.): Esperance (28096); Boxer 1. (10102-3); North Twin Peak I.
(53096); Caiguna (40197) and 22 km 5 (51814); Twilight Cove (44975); Euela (2160).




Acanthophis praelongus Ramsay, 1877
Fig. 4

Acanthophis praelongus Ramsay, 1877, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 2: 72. Cape York, Qld.
Acanthophis antarcticus rugosus Loveridge, 1948, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 101: 392.
Merauke, south-eastern West Irian.

Diagnosis

A moderately stout Acanthophis, intermediate between A. antarcticus and A. pyrrhus in several respects (coloration, habit, rugosity of head shields, keeling of dorsals and number of ventrals and subeaudals). Distinguishable from A. pyrrhus by darker coloration, stronger colour pattern, smooth or nearly smooth posterior dorsals, undivided prefrontals, and more numerous midbody scales (usually 23, v. usually 19 or 21). Distinguishable from A. antarcticus by head shields more rugose, strongly keeled anterior dorsals, free edge of supraocular often raised, lower fourth labial (not much higher than wide), and dorsal scale rows usually fewer on neck than at midbody.

Description
Snout-vent length (mm): 166-492 (N 14, mean 361.1). Length of tail (% SVL): 19.0-25.2 (N 13, mean 21.5).

Prefrontals 2 (N 13). Preocular single (N 13). Postoculars 2 (N 11) or 3 (2). Suboculars 2 (N 9) or 3 (4). Temporals: primaries 3 (N 13) or 4 (1); secondaries 3 (N 11), 4 (2) or 5 (1). Upper labials 6 (N 14). Dorsal scale rows: 21 (N 2) or 23 (12) at midbody; usually reducing by 2 or 4 rows on neck; usually reducing to 17 before vent. Ventrals 122-134 (N 12, mean 126.9). Subeaudals 47-57 (N 15, mean 50.5), 19-39 single (mean 28.3), 14-29 paired (mean 22.2).

Dorsal ground colour dark brown to dark reddish-brown. Body and tail with about 50 cross-bands; scales mostly pale reddish-brown but sometimes intermixed with brownish-white scales; bands occasionally edged with very dark brown. Upper lips dark brown or dark reddish-brown, the lower halves of scales sometimes edged with brownish-white. Lower surfaces whitish except for black, blackish-brown or dark reddish-brown spot on mental, lower labials, two or three lowest scale rows on side of neck, lowest scale row on body and lateral edge of each ventral and subcaudal.

Distribution
Subhumid and semi-arid zones of Kimberley Division, south to the Yampi Peninsula and nearly to Halls Creek (Fig. 1). Also north of Northern Territory, northern Queensland and southern New Guinea.

Remarks
A. praelongus has hitherto been considered conspecific with A. antarcticus. However, A. praelongus appears to be no closer to A. antareticus than to A. pyrrhus. As the latter is almost certainly a full species, it seems advisable to treat A. praelongus too as a full species until hybrids or intergrades are found between it and other species.

Material
Kimberley Division (W.A.): Gibson Point, Pany Harbour (70968); Kalumburu (34078-g); Bigge I. (41457); Prince Regent River Reserve in 15020'S, 124056'E (46836); Kunmunya (5709); Koolan 1. (37761-4); Wotjulum (11241); Wyndham (10628); 45 km NNE of Halls Creek (70690).

Northern Territory: Yirkala (13517a-b); Ranken River (21519).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful to Dr S.B. MCDowell for information on Acanthophis in New Guinea.

Feeding Death Adders

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