Hydrophis viperinus
Viperine Sea Snake | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Elapidae |
Subfamily: | Hydrophiinae |
Genus: | Hydrophis |
Species: | H. viperinus |
Binomial name | |
Hydrophis viperinus (Schmidt, 1852) | |
Synonyms | |
Praescutata viperina (Schmidt, 1852) Thalassophina viperina (Schmidt, 1852) |
Viperine Sea Snake, Hydrophis viperinus, is a species of Elapidae (Hydrophiinae-sea snake) and Thalassophina viperina is its synonym. It is thought to be naturally rare but widespread.[1] It is venomous.[2]
Diagnostic Characters
Scales hexagonal, juxtaposed, in 27-34 rows on the neck, 37-50 at midbody; ventrals 226-274, anteriorly about half the width of the body, narrowing posterior to about twice the width of the adjacent scales, or slightly less; head shields entire, nostrils superior, nasal shields in contact with one another; prefrontals longer than broad, not in contact with upper labials; 1, rarely 2, pre- and 1-2 postoculars; 7-9 upper labials, 3-5 bordering eye (sometimes only 3-4 or 4-5); usually 1 anterior temporal, occasionally 2 or 3; body color, more or less bicolored, gray above, white below, the 2 usually clearly demarked on the sides, often with 25-35 dark rhomboidal spots, rarely with dark bands. Total length males 925 mm, females 820 mm; tail length males 100 mm, females 80 mm.
Distribution
Northern coasts of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific: from the Persian Gulf to around India to Indonesia and southern China. IUCN lists the following countries: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India (Andaman Is., Nicobar Is.), Indonesia, Iran Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.[1]
External links
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Thalassophina_viperina.jpg
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Thalassophina_viperina_juv.jpg
References
- 1 2 3 Rasmussen, A.; Sanders, K. & Lobo, A. (2010). "Hydrophis viperinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ↑ Praescutata viperina at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 28 October 2012.
- Boulenger,G.A. 1888 Description of two new snakes from Hong Kong, and note on the dentition of Hydrophis viperina. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 2: 43-44
- Murray,J.A. 1887 Three New Species of Hydrophis. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 2: 32-35.
- The Reptile Database (http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Hydrophis&species=viperinus).