Kingdom Animalia Order Squamata Family Elapidae Scientific name Laticauda laticaudata Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Suborder Serpentes Subfamily Laticaudinae Higher classification Laticauda | |
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Similar Coral reef snakes, Snake, Laticauda, Laticauda colubrina, Black‑banded sea krait | ||
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.
Contents
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 (36 in), females are 1,070 mm (42 in); tail lengths are similar: 110 mm (4.3 in).
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 [McCoy 2006], Timor-Leste and New Caledonia.
Special features
This snake is known to warm up in wedge-tailed shearwater burrows.