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Poisonous animals
 
Cnidarians (Jellyfish, Corals and Anemones)
 
Venomous fish
 
Scorpions
 
Spiders
 
Hymenopterans (Bees, Wasps and Ants)
 
Sea snakes
 
Terrestrial snakes
 
Miscellaneous animals
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Genus/Species

 

Other sea snake genera

Clinical entries

For clinical data see section “Risk” below

Species

  1. Acalyptophis
  2. Aipysurus 
  3. Disteira
  4. Emydocephalus
  5. Ephalophis
  6. Hydrelaps 
  7. Kerilia
  8. Kolpophis
  9. Lapemis
  10. Laticauda
  11. Microcephalophis
  12. Parahydrophis
  13. Pelamis
  14. Praescutata
  15. Thalassophis

 

The genera Acalyptophis, Disteira, Kerilia, Kolpophis, Lapemis, Microcephalophis, Pelamis, Praescutata and Thalassophis are placed in the genus Hydrophis by some authors (Leviton et al. 2014, Sanders et al. 2012, and Rasmussen et al. 2011).

Taxonomy

Serpentes; Elapidae; Hydrophiinae or Laticaudinae (10.)

Common names

Distribution

Sea snakes in general (excluding Pelamis): from the Persian Gulf to the coastal waters of Japan. Southwards to the Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and Australia. Islands in the Pacific as far as Polynesia and northern New Zealand. Sometimes also at river mouths and further upstream.

 

Pelamis platurus: in coastal regions and on the open sea in the Indian and Pacific Ocean: in the west from the entire coast of Africa, in the east to the Pacific Coast of Central and South America (as far as Ecuador).

 

Laticauda crockeri: only in Lake Tegano (freshwater!) on Rennell Island, Solomon Islands.

 

 

Map 9 Hydrophiinae (including Laticaudinae, excluding Pelamis platurus).

 

 

Map 10 Pelamis platurus.


 


Fig. 4.51 Pelamis platurus.

 

Biology

See General information on sea snakes.

Risk

Accidents appear to be rare. There are no case reports on conclusively identified species. A report from northwest Malaysia has connected one fatality with Lapemis hardwickii and another fatality with Microcephalophis gracilis (Reid and Lim 1957).

 

Literature (biological)

Cogger 1975, 1987, 2000, Dunson 1975b, Gasperetti 1988, Leviton et al. 2014, Limpus 1975, 1987, Kropach 1975, Minton 1975, O'Shea 2005, Sanders et al. 2012, Rasmussen et al. 2011

The Reptile Database