Hydrophis spiralis

Hydrophis spiralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Hydrophis
Species: H. spiralis
Binomial name
Hydrophis spiralis
(Shaw, 1802)
Synonyms
  • Hydrus spiralis Shaw, 1802
  • Enhydris spiralis
    - Merrem, 1820
  • Hydrophis spiralis
    - Gray, 1849
  • Lioselasma spiralis
    - Wall, 1921
  • Leioselasma spiralis
    - Kharin, 1984[1][2]

Hydrophis spiralis, commonly known as the yellow sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae.[3]

Description

This is perhaps the longest species of seasnake, up to 2.75 metres (9.0 ft).

Diagnostic characteristics

The scales on thickest part of body have rounded or pointed tips, and are imbricate. Six or seven maxillary teeth are found behind the fangs. The species has 25-31 scale rows around its neck, 33-38 around its midbody, and ventrals number 295-362, and are distinct throughout and about twice as broad as adjacent body scales. Its color is yellowish or yellowish-green above; the dorsal scales are edged with black, and 41-46 narrow black bands encircle the body; the bands are usually less than one-third the width of the lighter interspaces. The head, in the young, is black, with a yellow horseshoe-shaped marking; in the adult, the head is usually yellow. Total length in males is about1.62 metres (5.3 ft), and females 1.830 metres (6.00 ft); tail lengths are 140 millimetres (5.5 in) and 120 millimetres (4.7 in) in males and females, respectively.[2]

Geographic range

H. spiralis is found in the Indian Ocean (Persian Gulf off Bangladesh, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, New Guinea), and New Caledonia/Loyalty Islands.

References

  1. Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ),... Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). London. pp. 273-274.
  2. 1 2 The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. "Hydrophis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 7 September 2007.

Further reading


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