Hydrophis spiralis

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Hydrophis spiralis

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Hydrophis
Species:
H. spiralis
Binomial name
Hydrophis spiralis
(Shaw, 1802)
Synonyms[2]
  • Hydrus spiralis Shaw, 1802
  • Enhydris spiralis
    - Merrem, 1820
  • Hydrophis spiralis
    - Gray, 1849
  • Lioselasma spiralis
    - Wall, 1921
  • Leioselasma spiralis
    - Kharin, 1984[1]

Hydrophis spiralis, commonly known as the yellow sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae.[3] H. spiralis feeds primarily on eels and is found in muddy, sandy ocean bottoms.[4]

Description[]

This is perhaps the longest species of sea-snake, measuring up to 3.0 metres (9.8 ft); however, most specimens do not exceed 2.0 meters.[4] This marine serpent is cathemeral, i.e., active both by day and night.[5]

Diagnostic characteristics[]

The scales on the thickest part of the 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 about 1.62 metres (5.3 ft), and females 1.83 metres (6.0 ft); tail lengths are 140 millimetres (5.5 in) and 120 millimetres (4.7 in) in males and females respectively.[2]

Geographic range[]

Hydrophis spiralis is found in the Indian Ocean (Persian Gulf, off the coasts of Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. It is also found in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India (incl. Andaman & Nicobar Is.), Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Philippines, China, New Guinea, New Caledonia/Loyalty Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia and Myanmar.[2][6][7] The species has been reported to live in waters as deep as 50m.[4]

Venom[]

The venom of H. spiralis has been studied for its medicinal antitumor properties.[citation needed]

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. ^ Jump up to: a b c The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ "Hydrophis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Yellow Sea Snake". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009-02-15. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  5. ^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331258889_The_sea_snakes_Elapidae_Hydrophiinae_of_Fujairah
  6. ^ https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/176717/7289307
  7. ^ http://www.toxinology.com/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=main.snakes.display&id=SN0580

Further reading[]

  • Frith, C.B. 1977. The sea snake Hydrophis spiralis (Shaw); a new species of the fauna of Thailand. Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. (Bangkok) 26: 339–341.
  • Shaw, G. 1802. General Zoology or Systematic Natural History, Vol. III., Part II. Amphibia. G. Kearsley (Thomas Davison, printer). London. vi + 313–365. (Hydrus spiralis, p. 564.)
  • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(http://oldredlist.iucnredlist.org/details/176717/0).


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