Poisonous Snakes of the World 



kilo of lioily wclclil. Sliii'c Ihi- riiliil dosi' for iiii ailiill 

 limil U i-stliimti'il III III' iilioiit l..'i ini;. tiiiil 10 In I.' tiiK- 

 I'liii lit' oliliiliii'<l from II siiiikc of iivt'riiK<' nI/o, this is 

 fU'iirly u iHilfhlliilly iIiiiikci-ous s|i<'rifs, mid il does ii|i- 

 lit'ur III Im' rt's|ionslli|(' fur iiiorr serious and filial liilt'S 

 tliiiii all oilier sea siialxcs riiiiiliiiii'il. Tills iiiii.v lie as- 

 crllird luirlly to Its very loxic Vfiioni. anil |iarlly lo lis 

 aliiindanri' ni-ar liatliiiii: hearlK's and lisliin^ villimcs. 

 It is ordinarily an iniifrciisivt' rcpliU' luit will liito if re- 

 strained. An aiilivenin iiKiiinst tlie venom of this sea 

 snai<e is iirodnreil liy ('ommoiiweailh Serum Ijaiioni- 

 tories, Victoria. Australia. It is reported lo lie effeclive 

 against venoms of the liirfier species of Itiiiliaiiliitt also. 



Olive-brown Sea Snake, A //ii/xiirii\ hiirix \a\- 



repetle. 



Iihnli/iciiliiiii: In sea snaiies of lliis genus the nos- 

 trils are dorsal in position and Ilii- shielils ipii the lop 

 of the liead are small Inil reKular in arran«emeiit. Tlie 

 venlriils are well developed extending at least one-lhird 

 the widtii of llie hody. AiiinnKnix lacris is a very heavy 

 snake, often as thick as a man's arm ; the body is slightly 

 flattened vertically. The head is large and a little wider 

 than the neck ; the end of the tail is usually ragged. 



Adults are uniformly olive hrown or may have a row 

 of dark s|iots on the thinks and helly. 



Maximum lenjitli ahout (! feet : average 4^2 to •"' feet. 



KiiiKirhs: Clumsy on land, it apjiarently does not 

 leave water vuluiilarily although it is often found 

 stranded on beaches. 



Nothing is known of the venom nor are there reliable 

 reports of bites. 



Stokes's Sea Snake, Asti-othi xtokcxii (Gfiiy). 



Iih iitifiriitidii : I,ike the olive-brown sea siinUe (M/iii- 



.111111.1 liiiii.i\ ill lii-iiig of massive liiillil ullli II large 

 head; differs In having veiilials llial iiic friigmenled 

 and not well different luted anil larger head sliielils. Tlie 

 body .scales are large, keeled, iiml sirongly imbricate. 



Color lighl brown, yellowish or orange above wllh 

 broad black rings or bars and spots; belly piilcr: bead 

 olive to yellowish. 



Average ailiill Iciiglli 1'^ lo ."i fed; ma xiiriuiii mImiiiI 

 (i feel ; large specimens are alioiil 10 inches in girth. 



I'(iii(irh.i: .Ml hough generally an uncommon snake 

 there is a report of a vast aggregation sigliled in Ma- 

 lacca St rail OIL I III' lib of May. The snakes were dis- 

 posed in a line .iboui Id I'cei wide ;iiid some (!0 miles 

 long. This appears lo be a snake of moderalely deep 

 open water and is not often taken by native lisliermen. 

 There arc no i-eported bites by this species and its venom 

 has never been studied. 



'I'lio sea snake genus f/i/i/zo/th/.s is u puzzliiio; 

 one from tlie standpoint ol' classKication, and 

 e.xact identilicatioii of most of the 25 or so species 

 n'((iiires expert opinion. Tliese .snakes liave tlie 

 chaiart eristic sea snake features of laterally com- 

 pressed body and tail, nostrils located on the top 

 of the head in nasal shields that are in contact 

 with each olher, small eyes with round |iiipils and 

 ahsence of the loreal sliield. The venlrals are 

 small but (jenerall}' larger than the adjoining 

 scales and foi-m a distinct series that in large 

 adults of many species is transformed into a keel 

 or ridge. The four species described here are 

 common, widely distributed, and show something 

 of the range of variation encountered. 



Figure 114. Stokes's Sea Snake, Astrotia stokesii. 

 Photo by Edward H. Taylor (Preserved specimen). 



Figure ll.j. — Yellow Sea Snake, Hydrophis spii-aUs. 

 Photo by Sherman A. Minton (Preserved specimen). 



Yellow Sea Snake, Ilydrophls Hpiralis (Shaw). 



Identification: Head of moderate size and distinct 

 from the neck which is not particularly slender or elon- 

 gated ; body moderately .slender, not strongly compressed. 

 Head shields large and symmetrical ; the tip of the 

 rostral shows a slight downward prolongation that fits 

 Into a notch in the tip of the lower jaw ; usually one 

 anterior temporal ; body scales smooth or weakly keeled. 

 There is an increase of no more than 8 scale rows be- 



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