Desert death adders are members of the genus Acanthophis, highly venomous elapids with short and thick bodies, triangular heads, mobile fangs, and a thin tapering tail.

[3] Desert death adders are coloured brick-red, or yellow-reddish, with strong or inconspicuous yellow bands which are camouflaged with their surroundings.

[4] The desert death adder occurs from the coast of Western Australia, to central regions as far south as Kalgoorlie and into the Northern Territory.

Desert death adders are found living in remote areas, amongst porcupine grass, stony flats, sandy ridges and rocky outcrops of Central and Western Australia.

[3] They are attracted to the snake, which may lie in a patient ambush for days, by the wiggling of the lure at the tip of the tail like its sister species, the common death adder.