Species of Thailand
Viperine sea snake
Hydrophis viperinus, Philipp Schmidt, 1852
(In Thai: งูชายธงท้องขาว, ngu chay thong khao)
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. It is venomous.
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.
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Scientific classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Suborder
- Serpentes
- Family
- Elapidae
- Genus
- Hydrophis
- Species
- Hydrophis viperinus
Common names
- English: Viperine sea snake
- Thai: งูชายธงท้องขาว, ngu chay thong khao
Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN3.1)
Photos

Range Map

- Phuket Coast