Acalyptophis peronii
The spiny-headed seasnake[2] or horned seasnake,[3] Acalyptophis peronii, is a species of sea snake. Like other members of the family, Hydrophiidae or Elapidae, it is venomous.[4]
Description
The spiny-headed seasnake is a medium-size snake, with the diameter of the neck only one third to two fifths the diameter of the thickest part of the body.[5] The head is small and the tail flattened laterally. The supraoculars are raised, and their free borders are pointed.[6] This species reaches a length of about one meter.[7] Dorsally it is grayish, pale olive, or tan, with dark crossbands, which are narrower than the spaces between them and taper to a point on the sides of the belly. Ventrally it is uniform whitish or with a series of dark crossbars alternating with spots.[8]
Distribution and habitat
Acalyptophis peronii is found in the Gulf of Siam, Thailand,[9] Vietnam, the South China Sea, the coast of Guangdong and Strait of Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Coral Sea Islands, Papua New Guinea,[10] and Australia, (North Territory, Queensland, West Australia, & possibly New South Wales). It prefers seas with sandy beds and coral reefs.
Diet
Diet includes small fish.
Reproduction
It is a viviparous species that produce 4 to 10 offspring.
References
- ^ JCVI.org
- ^ JCVI.org
- ^ Gov.au
- ^ Chemcas.com
- ^ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London.
- ^ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London.
- ^ Gov.au
- ^ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III. London.
- ^ Cox, M.J. (1991). The Snakes of Thailand and their Husbandry. Malabar, Florida: Krieger.
- ^ Brongersma, L.D. (1956). Notes on New Guinean reptiles and amphibians V. Proceedings Nederlandse Akademe Wetenschappen. 59C:599-610.
Further reading
- Bauer, A. M. & SADLIER, R. A. (eds.) 2000. The herpetofauna of New Caledonia. Contributions to Herpetology, 17; Society for Study Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca, New York.
- Bauer, Aaron M.;Vindum, Jens V. 1990. A checklist and key to the herpetofauna of New Caledonia, with remarks on biogeography Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 47 (2): 17-45
- Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum, Vol. 3. London (Taylor & Francis), xiv + 727 pp.
- Cogger,H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp.
- Cox, Merel J.; Van Dijk, Peter Paul; Jarujin Nabhitabhata & Thirakhupt,Kumthorn 1998. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Ralph Curtis Publishing, 144 pp.
- Duméril, A. M. C., BIBRON, G. & DUMÉRIL, A. H. A., 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536
- Duméril, ANDRÉ MARIE CONSTANT 1853. Prodrome de la classification des reptiles ophidiens. Mém. Acad. Sci., Paris, 23: 399-536
- Fischer, J.G. 1856. Die Familie der Seeschlangen. Abhandl. Nat. Ver. Hamburg 3: 1-78
- Murphy,J.C.; Cox,M.J. & Voris,H.K. 1999. A key to the sea snakes in the gulf of Thailand. Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 47: 95-108
- Smith, M.A. (1926). Monograph of the sea-snakes (Hydrophiidae). In: British Museum Natural History. Page(s) 130. London: British Museum.
- Storr, G.M., L.A. Smith & R.E. Johnstone (2002). Snakes of Western Australia. Page(s) 309. Perth, Western Australia: Western Australian Museum.
- Taylor,E.H. 1965. The serpents of Thailand and adjacent waters. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 45 (9): 609-1096
- Zhao,E. & Adler,K. 1993. Herpetology of China. SSAR, Oxford/Ohio, 1-522