Hydrophis jerdonii (GRAY, 1849)
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Higher Taxa | Elapidae (Hydrophiinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
Subspecies | Hydrophis jerdonii jerdonii (GRAY 1849) Hydrophis jerdonii siamensis (SMITH 1917) |
Common Names | E: Saddle-backed sea snake, Jerdon's Sea Snake Chinese: 截吻海蛇 |
Synonym | Kerilia Jerdonii GRAY 1849: 57 Hydrophis jerdonii — ANDERSON 1871: 190 Distira jerdonii BOULENGER 1896 Hydrophis jerdonii — BOULENGER 1912: 186 Kerilia jerdonii — WALL 1921: 386 Kerilia jerdonii — SMITH 1943: 447 Kerilia jerdoni — MURPHY, COX & VORIS 1999 Kerilia jerdonii — RASMUSSEN et al. 2011 Hydrophis jerdonii — SANDERS et al. 2012 Kerilia jerdonii — WALLACH et al. 2014: 353 Kerilia jerdonii — CHAN-ARD et al. 2015: 267 Kerilia jerdonii siamensis SMITH 1917 Hydrophis siamensis SMITH 1917: 341 Kerilia jerdoni siamensis SMITH 1926: 32 Kerilia jerdonii siamensis — KHARIN 2005 Kerilia jerdonii siamensis — RASMUSSEN et al. 2011 Hydrophis jerdonii siamensis — SANDERS et al. 2012 (by implication) |
Distribution | Indian Ocean (Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar (= Burma), Mergui Archipelago) Coast of Taiwan (China), South China Sea Bay of Bengal (to Sri Lanka Lanka) Along coasts of W Malaysia to Gulf of Thailand Gulf of Siam, Indonesia (Borneo) jerdoni: India, Sri Lanka, Andaman Sea, and from Strait of Malacca to Singapore siamensis: Vietnam, from East Malaysia, Gulf of Thailand to China and Taiwan. Type locality: Madras, India |
Reproduction | ovovivparous |
Types | Holotype: BMNH III.8.1.a Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.3.78, collected by M.A. Smith, 1917 [siamensis] |
Diagnosis | DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTERS (DIAGNOSIS).— Body subcylindrical, nearly uniform diameter throughout; scales keeled and imbricate, in 17–23 longitudinal rows, 17 on neck, 21–23 (19–21 for the Bay of Bengal) at midbody; head short; pre-frontals usually not in contact with upper labials; 6 upper labials, 3–4 bordering eye; 1 pre- and 1 postocular; 1 large anterior temporal; ventrals 225–253 for the Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Siam (247–278 further east), small, distinct throughout, usually entire; olive above, yellowish or white below, with black dorsal spots of crossbars that form complete bands, especially in young. Total length 1000 mm, tail length 100 mm. [after LEVITON 2003] |
Comment | Venomous! History: Smith described siamensis twice as new; in 1917 as a species and in 1926 as subspecies (see synonymy). Subspecies: The status of the two subspecies is questioned by several authors (see Rasmussen & Andersen 1990) Type species: This species is the type species of the genus Kerilia Gray, 1849. Habitat: marine. |
Etymology | Named after Thomas Claverhill Jerdon (1811-1872), British physician, zoologist, and botanist who became an Assistant Surgeon in the East India Company. |
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