Poisonous Snakes of ihe World 



KEY TO GENERA (continued) 



lllllcrior lialf uf IkhIv. A\'iilcly disl rilnilcd, 

 ai>tinil;(nl s|)i'ci('s most (l;ui);;i'i()iis of sea 



simki's l\' nil 1/(1 (inn 



I'l Miiit;il sliield noinial ; voiitrnls well (lillVrciitiatocl 



iIh' ('iilir(< liMii^lli (if llic lidily 7 



7. A. IIi'.-kI sliiflds iMilirc; ikismI shields ii\ coiiImcI willi 



each ollii'i' 8 



n. I Feud shields more or less divided 11 



8. A. I'lvociihir sliii'ld aliscnl ; tail iiol shoiiji'ly iKuhHc- 



shaped; \eiilrals aliiiosi oiu^ I'oiiilli width of 

 helly. Siiiirle, small, hrifjjhtjy colored s|)e('ies; 



iKit li('li('\('d daiiii'ci'oiis II (jil i(U( ps 



75. Pi('()( ular shield piesent ; tail distinctly paddle- 

 lik(>; veiitrals smaller, at least on posterior half 

 (.r helly 9 



9. A. Scale rows around iiii<lille (if liody 19-'2o. Siiifjle 



species found in Indo-.Malaysian waters and 

 locally plentiful. JVites liave heen rei)orted, but 



are not serious KerUla 



V>. Scale rows around middle of hody "25 or more 10 



Id .\. VeiUrals decidedly larp'e on anterior f[uarter of 

 hody, nnich smaller jjosteriorly. Sin<>'Ie s])ecies, 



widely distriliuted, \-enom unknown PraCKCdtntd 



Vk Ventrals more or less same size entire leuij-th of the 

 body. Twenty-two species widely distrilnited; 

 in several species bite produces death Ili/rlropJus 



11. A. Xasals cont;\ct each other. Scales aroinid eye with 



spiny ])rojections; hody scales with pointed 

 keels. Single rare species; large and consid- 

 ered dangerous .1 cah/pfopli is 



7?. Xasals separated by iuternasals; no sjjines on head; 



body scales without jiointed keels 1'2 



12. A. Dorsal scales in 31-35 regular rows at midbody. 



Single species Tli (dasfoph is 



V>. Dorsal scales very small, in 75-03 irregular rows 



at midbody. Single species Kolpophis 



13. A. Head very small, neck long and slender. Two 



species, one widely distributed Mic core phalo phis 



B. Body form not as above 14 



14. A. Dorsal scales overlapping (imbricate). Single 



large species Astrotia 



B. Dorsal scales juxtaposed 15 



15. A. Head elongated, flat ; all body scales quadrangular, 



generally equal in size. Single species with 



widest distribution of any sea snake Pelamis 



162 



