| black-banded sea krait | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Hydrophiidae or Elapidae |
| Genus: | Laticauda |
| Species: | L. semifasciata |
| Binomial name | |
| Laticauda semifasciata (Reinwardt in Schlegel, 1837) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Platurus semifasciatus Reinwardt in Schlegel, 1837 |
|
The black-banded sea krait, Laticauda semifasciata, known in Okinawa as the erabu, is a member of the Laticauda genus of sea snakes. It is found in most of the warm waters of the western Pacific Ocean.
This venomous snake frequents coral reef areas. It has a short head, thick trunk, and no neck to speak of. The tail is simply extended skin, spread wide like a fin, and unsupported by any projection. The stomach is comparatively wide. Massing together near the shore, they breed between narrow cracks in the reef and in caves. It is a nocturnal snake that is rarely seen during the day. It requires oxygen to breathe and so breaks the surface every six hours.
They are too slow to catch fish in a straight chase, so they hunt for fish hiding in the coral. Their bite is highly venomous and paralyzes their prey. They lay their eggs on land. Generally found in Fiji, Southern Japan and Singapore their venom is ten times stronger than that of a cobra, making them extremely dangerous. Fortunately, this snake does not bite humans unless it feels threatened.
The erabu snake is a winter staple in southern Japan where it is believed to replenish a female's womanhood. Erabu soup is said to taste like misu and a bit like tuna.
Schlegel, Hermann. 1837. Essai sur la Physionomie des Serpens, Volume 1. Schonekat. Amsterdam. p. 516.