Hydrophis schistosus
| Beaked seasnake | |
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| Species: | E. schistosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Enhydrina schistosa (Daudin, 1803)
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Beaked seasnake (Enhydrina schistosa, also known as the hook-nosed sea snake, the common sea snake, and the Valakadyn sea snake ) is a species of sea snake. Sea snakes are equipped with glands to eliminate excess salt. It is commonly regarded by snake experts the "most venomous snake in the world". The name valakadyn is from the Malayalam and Tamil word Vala kadiyan meaning net biter.[1]
Description
A relatively large sea snake, adults may reach 1.2 metres (4 ft) in length with a maximum length of 1.5 metres (5 ft). Rostral scale projects down past supralabial scales. It has a distinct head and a large mouth. The body is slim but with thick skin, scales are imbricate or juxtaposed.
Body color of juveniles is dark grey above and whitish below, with dark gray or black annuli on the back. As the snakes grow up, the patterns diminished, making the adults look uniformly grey. Like other sea snakes, the tail of the Beaked Sea Snake is oak-like, making it more adaptable to marine-life.
Distribution and habitat
It is a widely spread sea snake. It can be found in as east as coastal waters of Queensland, Australia and western coast of New Guinea, and as west as the Persian Gulf and Madagascar and the Seychelles. It can also be found in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the South China Sea.
This species inhabits near coast, shallow water and estuaries. It is sometimes found in freshwater river.
Behavior
They are active both during the day and at night. They are able to dive up to 100 m and stay underwater for a maximum of five hours before resurfacing.
Venom
The venom of this snake is rated four to eight times as toxic as cobra venom[2]. About 1.5 milligrams of its venom is estimated to be lethal.[3]
Diet
The principal food is fish.
Life with human
The snake is also eaten as meat by Hong Kong and Singapore fishermen and locals alike.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Smith, M. A. 1941. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.
- ^ Relative Toxicity of Australian Snakes
- ^ Relative toxicity of snake venoms
Other sources
- Voris, Harold K. 1985 Population size estimates for a marine snake (Enhydrina schistosa ) in Malaysia Copeia 1985 (4): 955-961
- Romulus Whitaker (1978). Common Indian Snakes: A Field Guide. Macmillan India Limited.
External links
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