Thai National Parks

The blue-lipped sea krait (Laticauda laticaudata) is a species of venomous sea-snakes Elapidae (Laticaudinae-sea snake) found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Taxonomy

The blue-lipped sea krait was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his Systema Naturae, where it was given the binomial name of Coluber laticaudatus.

Description

Ventral scales of this snake are large, one-third to more than one-half the width of the body; the nostrils are lateral; nasal scales are separated by internasals; 19 longitudinal rows of imbricate scales are found at midbody; no azygous prefrontal shield is present; rostral scales are undivided; ventrals number 225-243; subcaudals number 38–47 in males, females have 30–35 (ventral and subcaudal counts after Smith 1943:443). The upper lip is dark brown. Total length varies with sex: males are 910 mm, females are 1070 mm; tail lengths are similar: 110 mm.

Distribution and habitat

This species is found in the Indian Ocean (Bangladesh, East India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines), off the coasts of Fujian and Taiwan (R.O.C), Andaman Islands, Bay of Bengal, coasts of Malay Peninsula to New Guinea, Japan, Polynesia, Melanesia, Solomon Islands 2006, Timor-Leste and New Caledonia.

Special features

This snake is known to warm up in wedge-tailed shearwater burrows.

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