Species of Thailand
Yellow sea snake
Hydrophis spiralis, George Shaw, 1802
(In Thai: งูแสมรังเหลือง, ngu saem rang leuang)
Hydrophis spiralis, commonly known as the yellow sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae.
Description
This is perhaps the longest species of seasnake, up to 2.75 m.
Diagnostic Characters- Scales on thickest part of body with rounded or pointed tips, imbricate; 6-7 maxillary teeth behind fangs; normally 1 anterior temporal; 6-8 upper labials; 25-31 scale rows around neck, 33-38 around midbody (increase from neck to midbody 4-8); ventrals 295-362, distinct throughout, about twice as broad as adjacent body scales; yellowish or yellowish-green above, dorsal scales edged with black, 41-46 narrow black bands encircle body, the bands usually less than one third the width of the lighter interspaces; head in young black, with a yellow horseshoe-shaped marking; in adult head usually yellow. Total length, males 1620 mm, females 1830 mm; tail length, males 140 mm, females 120 mm.
Geographic range
Indian Ocean (Persian Gulf, Bangladesh, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, New Guinea), New Caledonia/Loyalty Islands.
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Scientific classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Suborder
- Serpentes
- Family
- Elapidae
- Genus
- Hydrophis
- Species
- Hydrophis spiralis
Common names
- English: Yellow sea snake
- French: Hydrophide-spirale
- Thai: งูแสมรังเหลือง, ngu saem rang leuang
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN3.1)
Photos
Range Map
- Phuket Coast