Mark O Shea Simon Maddock Popular Books
Mark O Shea Simon Maddock Biography & Facts
The king brown snake (Pseudechis australis) is a species of highly venomous snake of the family Elapidae, native to northern, western, and Central Australia. The king brown snake is the largest terrestrial venomous snake in Australia. Despite its common name, it is a member of the genus Pseudechis (black snakes) and only distantly related to true brown snakes. Its alternative common name is the mulga snake, although it lives in many habitats apart from mulga. First described by English zoologist John Edward Gray in 1842, it is a robust snake up to 3.3 m (11 ft) long. It is variable in appearance, with individuals from northern Australia having tan upper parts, while those from southern Australia are dark brown to blackish. Sometimes, it is seen in a reddish-green texture. The dorsal scales are two-toned, sometimes giving the snake a patterned appearance. Its underside is cream or white, often with orange splotches. The species is oviparous. The snake is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though may have declined with the spread of the cane toad. Its venom is not as potent as those of Australia's other dangerous snakes, but can still cause severe effects if delivered in large enough quantities. Its main effect is on striated muscle tissue, causing paralysis from muscle damage, and also commonly affects blood clotting (coagulopathy). Often, extensive pain and swelling occur, rarely with necrosis, at the bite site. Deaths from its bites have been recorded, with the most recent being in 1969. Its victims are treated with black snake (not brown snake) antivenom. Taxonomy The species was first described by English zoologist John Edward Gray in 1842 from a specimen collected at Port Essington in the Northern Territory. Gray saw little distinction from the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) in his single preserved specimen—excepting the variation in ocular plates—and assigned the name Naja australis. On obtaining a second specimen from the College of Surgeons, Albert Günther of the British Museum recognised an affinity with the Australian species described as Pseudechis porphyriacus, resulting in the current combination as Pseudechis australis in the black snake genus Pseudechis. Scottish-Australian naturalist William Macleay described Pseudechis darwiniensis in 1878, from a more slender specimen that he thought was distinct from P. australis. Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger described P. cupreus in 1896 from a specimen collected from the Murray River, distinguishing P. darwiniensis from P. australis by the shape of the frontal scale. Austrian zoologist Franz Werner described Pseudechis denisonioides from Eradu, Western Australia in 1909. Australian naturalist Donald Thomson obtained a skull of a large specimen with a wide head collected from East Alligator River in Arnhem Land in 1914, naming it Pseudechis platycephalus in 1933. He distinguished it from P. australis on the basis of it having anteriorly grooved palatine and pterygoid teeth, and having blunt ridges and keels on the dorsal scales. In 1955, Australian herpetologist Roy Mackay concluded that several species previously described were synonymous with P. australis, recognising that it was a highly variable taxon. He noted that P. australis had frontal scales of variable shape, and that grooves were present on the teeth of many specimens of Pseudechis, so these features did not support separate species. Australian herpetologists Richard W. Wells and C. Ross Wellington described Cannia centralis in 1985 from a 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) specimen collected 8 km (5 mi) north of Tennant Creek in 1977, distinguishing it on the basis of a narrow head; however, the distinction was not supported by other authors. Two new species and a new genus have been described within this complex by Australian snake-handler Raymond Hoser—the eastern dwarf mulga snake (P. pailsei) from near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, and the Papuan pygmy mulga snake (P. rossignolii), found in Irian Jaya. Hoser later also resurrected the pygmy mulga snake (P. weigeli, originally described as Cannia weigeli by Wells and Wellington in 1987). These descriptions were initially received with skepticism due to the low level of evidence provided in the original descriptions. The species was long regarded as monotypic and highly variable until German biologist Ulrich Kuch and colleagues analysed the mitochondrial DNA of specimens across its range in 2005. They recovered four distinct lineages (clades); clade I (a New Guinea lineage of smaller snakes) diverged from the rest between six and four million years ago (Late Miocene to Early Pliocene), with the other three diverging in the Pleistocene. Clade II corresponded to a lineage of large snakes found across Australia, clade III was a dwarf form from the Kimberley, and clade IV contained two dwarf forms from northwestern Queensland and the Northern Territory, each of which was likely to be a distinct species. In 2017, British herpetologist Simon Maddock and colleagues published a genetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA on the genus, and confirmed clade I was P. rossignoli, clade II was P. australis, clade III is an as yet unnamed dwarf species, and clade IV is P. pailsi and P. weigeli. They also determined that P. australis was most closely related to P. butleri, the spotted mulga snake. Australian medical researcher Struan Sutherland pointed out that the name "king brown snake" is a problem, as its venom is not neutralised by brown snake antivenom, which could endanger snake bite victims; he recommended dropping the name and the old term "Darwin brown snake", and using "mulga snake", instead. Further complicating the issue, the term "king brown snake" has been applied to any large brown snake. Australian snake expert Glenn Shea has also pointed out that "mulga snake" has issues in that the species lives in a wide range of habitats in addition to mulga. It has also been called the "Pilbara cobra". Australian zoologist Gerard Krefft called it the orange-bellied brown snake. In the Kaytetye language spoken in Central Australia, it is known as atetherr-ayne-wene, "budgerigar-eater". The term "king brown" refers to the great size of individuals in the north and northwest of Australia, which can exceed 3 m (10 ft) in length; it is the largest and most dangerous elapid of those regions. In Southwest Australia, where the species is up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in), it is also known as the common mulga snake, distinguishing it from the spotted mulga snake Pseudechis butleri. Description Australia's largest venomous snake, the king brown snake can reach 2.0 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) in length with a weight of 3 to 6 kg (6.6 to 13.2 lb), with males around 20% larger than females. The longest confirmed individual was 3.3 m (11 ft) in length. The king brown snake is robust, with a head slightly wider than the body, prominent cheeks and small eyes with.... Discover the Mark O Shea Simon Maddock popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Mark O Shea Simon Maddock books.
Best Seller Mark O Shea Simon Maddock Books of 2024
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan DoyleAn Apple Books Classic You get not one, not two, but 25 gripping mysteries in Arthur Conan Doyle’s first of five collections of Sherlock Holmes short stories. Follow the brilliant ...
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Beautiful Storm
Barbara Freethy“ "Barbara Freethy’s Romantic Suspense books are explosively good!"  –New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson. From #1 NY Times Bestsel...
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Sunrise at Crystal Bay
Mia KentA decadelong secret. A devastating betrayal. And a chance to return to the placeand the boyshe left behind. Leah Turner had it alla happy marriage of twentyfive years, two grown ch...
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Against the Boards
Cynthia GundersonPeople say opposites attract, but now I have proof. There's zero rationale for why I would fall for Tyler Bowen. I mean, he's the star winger of my brother's hockey ...
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Little Women
Louisa May AlcottAn Apple Books Classic edition. Meet the Marches! Louisa May Alcott’s classic introduces us to four unforgettable sisters: beautiful Meg, tomboyish Jo, delicate Beth, and Amy, the ...
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Boy Toy
S. E. LundTate McNaughton. 24 years old. Gorgeous. An artist independenly wealthy and the heir to a huge fortune. He's way too hot for my own good and seems intent on doing eve...
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Mischief after Midnight
Jennifer BernardBartender Toni Del Rey is the quickwitted queen of the Olde Salt Saloon, famous for trading barbs with grizzled fishermen and putting rowdy customers in their place. Independent an...
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The Duke Who Knew Too Much
Grace CallawayA #1 National Bestselling Regency Romance He's a rake accused of murder. She's the spinster accusing him. Enemies make the hottest lovers. "Readers looking for a goo...
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The Three Little Pigs
Mark LeskyClassic fairy tales, legends and folk stories in short version without violence retold with lovely illustrations in simple language. Perfect for reading aloud to small chi...
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The Odyssey
HomerAn Apple Books Classic edition. Homer’s eighthcentury epic poem is a companion to The Iliad . It tells the story of Odysseus, who journeys by ship for 10 years after the Trojan War...
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Meditations
Marcus AureliusWritten in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challen...
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The Grumpy Dinosaur
Michael GordonEmotions & Feelings Series Book 2 A little Dinosaur gets annoyed easily, sometimes for no reason at all! Anger is a normal, healthy emotion. It's OK to feel a...
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Finding Cinderella
Colleen Hoover#1 New York Times bestselling author of It Starts with Us and It Ends With Us writes a free novella about the search for happily ever after. A chance encounter in the dark leads ei...
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A Tempest of Discovery
Sarah M. Cradit“Absolutely riveting!” "Cradit's delivery of mystery and intrigue is flawless." "Be still my heart. Nicolas Deschanel is back and better than ever." “A mus...
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The Wedding Bet
Susan HatlerA fun and uplifting story that will make you swoon and smile as two best friends fall in love. Kennedy needs to slow down, which is why her last boyfriend broke up with her. No mat...
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A Light in the Window
Marion KummerowMargarete stumbles out of the bombedout house, the dust settling around her like snow. Mistaking her for the dead officer’s daughter, a guard rushes over to gently ask her if she i...
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Dream Psychology
Sigmund FreudAn Apple Books Classic edition. Written by the founding father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud’s 1899 book is the definitive text on learning to interpret dreams. Freud’s groundbr...
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The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel HawthorneAn Apple Books Classic edition. Hester Prynne lives in infamy. After committing adultery and bearing a child with a man whose name she refuses to divulge, the heroine of Nathaniel ...
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Imperfect Chemistry
Mary FrameShe's never understood the point of romance, but now he's going to show her. Lucy London puts the word genius to shame. Having obtained her PhD in microbiology by the age...
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Winnie-the-Pooh
A.A. MilneAn Apple Books Classic edition. If you haven’t met Winnie the Pooh yet, stop reading this, and start reading the bookyou’ll be so glad you did. The jovial stuffed bear and his ragt...
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Wormwood Abbey
Christina BaehrAs a Victorian clergyman's daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estrang...
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You Are Kind
Michael GordonA little kindness goes a long way. How can you help encourage your kids to be kind from a young age? Teach kindness to preschoolers Acts of kindness can be fun, easy, and make a ...
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Scorned Queen
Lisa Renee JonesThe protégé king wants the king unseated but it will be war, and a bloody one. And you can only push a future queen so far before she says enough, and proves she's as worthy f...
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The Power of Unlimited Faith
Kynan BridgesTake The Limits Off Your Faith! Do you ever hear people talk about “getting more faith” or “increasing their faith?”  When we buy into this idea, we never have enough. Tho...
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Pride and Prejudice
Jane AustenAn Apple Books Classic edition. Jane Austen’s beloved classic opens with this witty and very memorable line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possessio...
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The Girls on Chalk Hill
Alison BelshamThey lie on the hillside, wearing matching white dresses, tiaras in their blonde hair. Each of them clutches a red rose. They could be sleeping, but frost shines on the lashes of t...
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Silent Scream
Angela MarsonsFive figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made....
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Doubly Claimed
C.D. GorriWill this curvy redhead find her match with two smexy shifters? Needing a break from her nightmare boss, Ginger is more than ready for the Freeman sisters' annual vacation. Sh...
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The Next Girl
Carla KovachIF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK THIS YEAR, MAKE IT THE NEXT GIRL... You thought he’d come to save you. You were wrong. ‘ Absolutely the best thriller I’ve read this year! ’ Goodreads Rev...
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Game Changer
Piper LawsonA steamy, grumpy sunshine sports romance featuring a woman down on her luck, a star basketball player with a filthy mouth, and a connection neither of them can deny. After being du...
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The Cottage on Nantucket
Jessie NewtonAfter their mother dies, two sisters return to the cottage where they spent their summers growing up. Nantucket Point is exactly the same: charming, warm, and filled with memories ...
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Serendipity
Carly PhillipsHe’s from the wrong side of the tracks. She lived in the house on the hill. Now their fortunes have reversed…but their longago attraction still burns. From high school golden girl ...
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Teach Me The Ropes
Vanessa ValeMeet the Manning brothers in this steamy small town cowboy series from USA Today Bestselling author Vanessa Vale! A bachelor auction. I was in a fing bachelor auction. I wasn'...
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Silver Hunter
Lacey SilksThey call her a cougar, but he calls her, his Queen. Grace Brooks, Manhattan's most soughtafter hair stylist, never expected Hunter, the young handyman with a knack for fixing...
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The Art of War
Sun TzuAn Apple Books Classic edition. It’s believed that Sun Tzu wrote this Chinese military primer during the 5th century BChundreds of years before the Bible. The book’s 13 chapters ex...
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Wuthering Heights
Emily BrontëAn Apple Books Classic edition. If you’ve only ever seen Wuthering Heights on screen, you may have an image of Catherine and Heathcliff as the ultimate starcrossed lovers. But that...
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Behind Closed Doors
Sherri HayesFalling For His New Neighbor Was Never Part of the Plan  Chris Daniels is single, and he prefers to keep it that way. Women are trouble. One look at his new neighbor has a...
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Make Me Forget
Anna BrooksOne lie can destroy everything... After enduring years of manipulation and an immeasurable amount of loss, Charlotte Kelly makes one last ditch effort to change her life and try to...
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Rascal
Katie McCoy"My hot new neighbor is keeping me up all night..." Discover the fakedating steamy romance, perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, Elle Kennedy, and Hannah Grace! Emerson Haye...
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Frankenstein
Mary ShelleyAn Apple Books Classic edition. Mary Shelley was just 18 when she had a nightmare vision: “I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. ...
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Heartbreaker
Melody GraceDiscover the steamy smalltown romance now a USA Today bestseller! Perfect for fans of Elsie Silver and Lucy Score. They say that time heals a broken heart, but you try moving on w...
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank BaumAn Apple Books Classic edition. You’ve seen the iconic 1939 movie, but do you know about the talking field mice, the Winkies, and the Witch of the North that appear in the original...
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Last Resort
Jill SandersWhen Cassey's business is in jeopardy, she gets an interesting offer from a local hotel owner. He has been trying to run her business into the ground so his family can snat...
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Secrets of the Cottage by the Sea
Rebecca Alexander‘Heartwrenching… a delightful page turner’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absolutely spectacular’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Heartbreaking… stunning’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐   As Ellie stood on the boat, watching...
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The Hookup Equation
Roxie NoirTeach me everything. My whole life, I’ve been a good girl. I follow rules like nobody’s business. I obey guidelines like I was born to it. Show me a line, and I’ll toe it. I’m even...
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Beautiful Darkness
Autumn GazeYou can have anything you want in life... You just can't have everything you want... Gareth is Fae. Sort of. His mother was a Nymph, and with that cross, he finds himself to b...
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Protect Me
Margaret WatsonPolice officer Mia Donovan is studying for the detective's exam when her captain offers her an assignment – be Finn O'Rourke's personal bodyguard for the next three ...
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Ice Crown
Kay L MoodyThe competition could save her life... But only if she wins. Talise can manipulate the elements with ease. Water, air, earth, and fire all bend to her will. As a citizen of the Sto...
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The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage
Halima KhatunWinner of the 2021 Bookbrunch Selfie Award for Best Adult I know I'll land a husband… but will he be the one? The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage – A Hilarious Romcom Tha...
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Wrong Places
Teralyn MitchellSometimes the path to happily ever after runs through all the wrong places… Romance never did Maggie Anthony any favors. So now that she’s back in her small hometown as a divorced ...