Kingdom Animalia Suborder Serpentes Subfamily Hydrophiinae Scientific name Microcephalophis cantoris Higher classification Microcephalophis Order Scaled reptiles | Subphylum Vertebrata Family Elapidae Genus Hydrophis Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Similar Hydrophis, Hydrophis gracilis, Hydrophis lapemoides, Hydrophis caerulescens, Hydrophis spiralis | ||
Hydrophis cantoris is a species of venomous sea snake found in the Indian Ocean and its seas, bays and gulfs.
Contents
Etymology
The specific name, cantoris, is in honor of Danish zoologist Theodore Edward Cantor.
Description
Diagnostic characters: Head small, body long and slender anteriorly; scales on thickest part of body juxtaposed; 5-6 maxillary teeth behind fangs; 23-25 (rarely 21) scale rows around neck, 41-48 around thickest part of body (increase from neck to midbody 18-24); ventrals divided by a longitudinal fissure; prefrontal in contact with third upper labial; ventrals 404-468.
Total length males 1,450 mm (57 in), females 1,880 mm (74 in); tail length males 120 mm (4.7 in), females 140 mm (5.5 in).
Geographic range
Indian Ocean (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand, Malaysia), Andaman Islands.