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Laticauda colubrina

(Colubrine Or Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait)

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Banded Sea Krait, Banded Sea Snake, Banded Seakrait, Colubrine Or Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait, Colubrine Sea Krait, Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait

Common Names in German:

Nattern-Plattschwanz

Description

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Physical Description

Species Laticauda colubrina

Sea kraits have a cylindrical body shape with a laterally compressed , paddle-like tail. They are distinctly banded with 20-65 black bands on a usually blue or blue-gray body. These bands extend from the neck area to the tip of the tail. The ventral (bottom ) surface of the body is usually lighter than the top. The black head has yellowish accents.

Sea kraits have many adaptations that enable them to live in both marine and land environments. Large belly scales , similar to those on land snakes, assist them in moving on land and climbing low hanging tree branches. A salt gland under the tongue gives them the ability to expel excess salt absorbed from the marine environment. When they are in the water, nasal valves and close fitting scales around the mouth act as seals to keep them from taking in water. Paddle shaped tails provide propulsion. Lungs that are proportionally much larger than their land based relatives enable them to spend long periods of time under water, from an average of 15-30 minutes to almost two hours. They have the ability to “breath” or exchange gasses through the skin as well as the lungs.

The venom of the sea krait affects both muscles and nerves . It is 10 times more toxic than that of a rattlesnake. Each snake can produce up to 10-15 mg (0.0004-0.0005 oz ) of venom. Only a fraction of the amount produced is a lethal dose .

It is estimated that the skin of the sea krait absorbs 1/5 of its total oxygen needs and eliminates almost all the carbon dioxide the snake produces.

Size/Age/Growth

Adult males can reach 75 cm (30 in). Females are significantly larger than males, reaching 128 cm (50 in) in length .

Habitat

Sea kraits are unique among sea snakes. They are amphibious , able to live on land or in the ocean. However, they are most commonly found in shallow tropical marine environments, coral reefs, and mangrove swamps to a maximum depth of 10 m (33 ft ) On land they inhabit sandy beaches, coral islands, and occasionally low hanging trees .

Biology

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Diet

In their natural habitat , sea kraits feed primarily on eels, but will occasionally prey on small fishes when they are able to trap them in the crevices of a reef.

Because their bodies are larger and can withstand the increased pressure of greater depths, females often hunt in areas not available to the smaller males, which cannot survive at the same depths.

Reproduction

Males reach sexual maturity at about 18 months and females from 18-24 months. Most sea snakes bear their young live in the water, but the banded sea krait lays eggs on land , either on the sand or just under it. Courtship and mating also occur on land. Large, dense populations of the snakes can be found on relatively small islands during the breeding season . These snakes often undertake long migrations to reach their breeding grounds , frequently returning to the same area.

Behavior

Banded sea kraits leave the ocean for land at about 10 day intervals, usually at night, to digest food, engage in courtship , lay eggs , and slough skin . In the breeding season , the movement to land is more frequent. On land, the snakes drink fresh water .

While the venom of these snakes ranks among the most toxic in the world, they are so docile and non-aggressive that humans are rarely bitten , even in situations where the animal feels threatened.

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Anguis Platura LACÉPÈDE 1790 /i> (Fide Heatwole Et Al. 2005)
  2. Coluber laticaudatus LINNAEUS 1758 /i> (Part.)
  3. Coluber platycaudatus Oken 1836
  4. Hydrophis colubrina — Schlegel 1837
  5. Hydrus colubrinus — BEGBIE 1846: 408 /i> (?)
  6. Hydrus colubrinus Schneider 1799: 238
  7. Laticauda colubrina — Cogger 2000: 724
  8. Laticauda colubrina — Cox Et Al. 1998: 33
  9. Laticauda colubrina — Liner 1994
  10. Laticauda colubrina — Peters & Orejas-Miranda 1970: 140
  11. Laticauda colubrina — Smith 1943: 443
  12. Laticauda colubrina — Stejneger 1907: 406
  13. Laticauda frontalis — Cogger & Heatwole 2006
  14. Laticauda scutata CANTOR 1847 /i> (Not of Laurenti 1768)
  15. Platurus colubrinus — Boulenger 1896
  16. Platurus colubrinus Fischer 1884: 50
  17. Platurus colubrinus — Fischer 1888
  18. Platurus colubrinus — Wagler 1830
  19. Platurus fasciatus Latreille 1801
  20. Platurus fasciatus var. colubrina — Fischer 1856
  21. Platurus frontalis De Vis 1905: 48
  22. Platurus laticaudatus var. B. — GÜNTHER 1858 (Part.)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Uetz P.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Laticauda

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 18 species and subspecies in this genus:

L. colobrina · L. colubrina (Colubrine Or Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait) · L. colubrina schneider (Colubrine Or Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait) · L. crockeri (Crocker's Sea Snake) · L. fasciata · L. frontalis · L. guineai · L. laticauda · L. laticaudata (Common Or Blue-Lipped Sea Krait) · L. laticaudata affinis · L. laticaudata laticaudata (Black-Banded Sea Krait) · L. crockeri · L. saintgironsi · L. schistorhynchus (Flat-Tail Sea Snake) · L. scutata · L. semifasciata (Broad-Banded Blue Sea Krait) · L. semifasciata schistorhynchus · L. laticaudata subsp. laticaudata

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 27, 2008:

Identifiers

Last Revised: 7/2/2009