Hydrophis fasciatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Hydrophis
Species:
H. fasciatus
Binomial name
Hydrophis fasciatus
(Schneider, 1799)
Synonyms

Hydrophis fasciatus, commonly known as the striped sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae (Hydrophiinae).[3]

Description

Hydrophis fasciatus has a small head, long body and is slender anteriorly. The scales on thickest part of body are subquadrangular or hexagonal in shape, juxtaposed or slightly imbricate. It has 5-6 maxillary (upper jaw bone) teeth behind fangs and 2 anterior temporals.

Body scales in 28-33 rows around the neck, 47-58 around midbody (increase in number of rows from neck to midbody 20–27); ventral scales 414-514 (average 460).

Anterior part of body including head and neck dark olive to black with pale oval yellowish spots on sides, sometimes connected as crossbars; posterior, grayish; below whitish; dark rhomboidal spots may extend down the sides of the body and form complete annuli in young.

Total length males 1100 mm, females 990 mm; tail length males 100 mm, females 75 mm.

Distribution

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. 281-282.
  2. ↑ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ↑ "Hydrophis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 7 September 2007.

Further reading

  • Bergman, R. A. M. 1962 The anatomy of Hydrophis fasciatus atriceps. Biol. Jaarb. 30: 389-416
  • Schneider, J.G. 1799. Historiae Amphibiorum naturalis et literariae Fasciculus Primus continens Ranas, Calamitas, Bufones, Salamandras et Hydros in genera et species descriptos notisque suis distinctos. Jena. 266 pp. (Hydrus fasciatus, pp. 233–238, 240–241.).
  • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(tm)(http://oldredlist.iucnredlist.org/details/176744/0).


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