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Sea krait

May 05, 2023

Sea kraits are a genus of venomous elapid sea snakes (subfamily: Laticaudinae), Laticauda. They are semiaquatic, and retain the wide ventral scales typical of terrestrial snakes for moving on land, but also have paddle-shaped tails for swimming.[1] Unlike fully aquatic ovoviviparous sea snakes, sea kraits are oviparous and must come to land to digest prey and lay eggs.[2] They also have independent evolutionary origins into aquatic habitats, with sea kraits diverging earlier from other Australasian elapids.[3][4] Thus, sea kraits and sea snakes are an example of convergent evolution into aquatic habitats within the Hydrophiinae snakes. Sea kraits are also often confused with land kraits (genus Bungarus), which are not aquatic.

Sea krait
Laticauda colubrina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Subfamily: Laticaudinae
Cope, 1876
Genus: Laticauda
Laurenti, 1768
Type species
Laticauda laticaudata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Species

Eight, see text

Description

Sea kraits are semiaquatic, so have morphological adaptations to both land and sea. Laticauda species show traits intermediate between those of sea snakes and terrestrial elapids. They have a vertically flattened and paddle-shaped tail (similar to sea snakes) and laterally positioned nostrils and broad, laterally expanded ventral scales (similar to terrestrial elapids).[1][5][6] Their body has a striped pattern, nasal scales are separated by inter-nasals scales, and the maxillary bone extends forwards beyond the palatine bone.[2] Members of Laticauda can grow to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long.[7]

Location

Laticauda species are found throughout the South and Southeast Asian islands spreading from India in the west, north as far as Japan, and southeast to Fiji. The species occasionally wanders south to the Eastern coast of Australia and New Zealand (Laticauda colubrina being the most common example in New Zealand), however no known locally breeding populations are known to exist in these areas.[8] Sea kraits typically live in the littoral zone of coastal waters and are semi-terrestrial, spending time ashore and in shallow waters, as well as around coral reefs.[8][9]

Diet

Laticauda species feed in the ocean, mostly eating moray and conger eels, and some squid, crabs, and fish. They have never been observed feeding on land.

Behavior

Laticauda species are often active at night, which is when they prefer to hunt. Though they possess highly toxic venom, these snakes are usually shy and reclusive, and in New Caledonia, where they are called tricot rayé ("stripey sweater"), children play with them. Bites are rare, but must be treated immediately. Bites are more likely to occur under low light conditions (night), and when the snake is roughly handled (e.g. grabbed "hard") while in the water, or having been abruptly taken from the water. When these snakes are on land, bites are extremely rare. [10] Black-banded sea kraits, numbering in the hundreds, form hunting alliances with yellow goatfish and bluefin trevally, flushing potential prey from narrow crannies in a reef the same way some moray eels do.[11][12] Sea kraits are capable of diving up to 80 m deep in a single hunting trip.[13] They have a remarkable ability to climb up vertical rocks of their coastal limestone habitats.[1]

Breeding

Laticauda females are oviparous, and they return to land to mate and lay eggs.[8] Several males form a mating ball around the female, twitching their bodies in what is termed "caudocephalic waves". Though these animals can occur in high densities in suitable locations, nests of eggs are very rarely encountered, suggesting specific nesting conditions need to be met.

Species and taxonomy

Eight species are currently recognised as being valid.[14][15]

The species L. schistorhyncha and L. semifasciata have been placed in the genus Pseudolaticauda by some authors.[17]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Laticauda.

Parasites

Sea snakes can have parasitic ticks, occasionally with heavy infestations.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wilson, Stephen K.; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Chatswood, New South Wales: New Holland Publishers. p. 564.
  2. ^ a b Cogger, Hal (2000). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Sydney, NSW: Reed New Holland. p. 722.
  3. ^ Pyron, R. Alexander; Burbrink, Frank T.; Colli, Guarino R.; de Oca, Adrian Nieto Montes; Vitt, Laurie J.; Kuczynski, Caitlin A.; Wiens, John J. (2011-02-01). "The phylogeny of advanced snakes (Colubroidea), with discovery of a new subfamily and comparison of support methods for likelihood trees". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 58 (2): 329–342. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.006. ISSN 1095-9513. PMID 21074626.
  4. ^ Keogh, J. Scott (1998-02-01). "Molecular phylogeny of elapid snakes and a consideration of their biogeographic history". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 63 (2): 177–203. doi:10.1006/bijl.1997.0178.
  5. ^ Shine, R.; Shetty, S. (2001-03-01). "Moving in two worlds: aquatic and terrestrial locomotion in sea snakes (Laticauda colubrina, Laticaudidae)". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 14 (2): 338–346. doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2001.00265.x. ISSN 1420-9101. S2CID 82676695.
  6. ^ Brischoux, François; Kato, Akiko; Ropert-Coudert, Yan; Shine, Richard (2010-10-30). "Swimming speed variation in amphibious seasnakes (Laticaudinae): A search for underlying mechanisms". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 394 (1–2): 116–122. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2010.08.001.
  7. ^ Shine, Richard; Shetty, Sohan (2002). "Activity Patterns of Yellow-Lipped Sea Kraits (Laticauda colubrina) on a Fijian Island". Copeia 2002 (1): 77-85.
  8. ^ a b c Gill, B.J.; Whitaker, A.H. (2014). "Records of sea-kraits (Serpentes: Laticaudidae: Laticauda) in New Zealand". Records of the Auckland Museum. 49: 39–42. ISSN 1174-9202.
  9. ^ Wilson, Don E.; Burnie, David. (editors-in-chief) (2005) [2001]. Animal. London & New York: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0-7894-7764-4. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ . Notes du Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (UPR1934 CNRS) (CNRS DR15) (in French). 202. 2016-03-29. Archived from the original on 2017-03-23. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  11. ^ . Archived from the original on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  13. ^ Motani, Ryosuke (19 May 2009). "The Evolution of Marine Reptiles". Evo Edu Outreach. 2 (2): 224–235. doi:10.1007/s12052-009-0139-y.
  14. ^ Heatwole H, Busack S, Cogger H (2005). "Geographic variation in sea kraits of the Laticauda colubrina complex (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae: Laticaudini)". Herpetological Monographs 19: 1-136.
  15. ^ Cogger HG, Heatwole HF (2006). "Laticauda frontalis (de Vis, 1905) and Laticauda saintgironsi n.sp. from Vanuato and New Caledonia (Serpentes: Elapidae: Laticaudinae) – a new lineage of sea kraits?" Records of the Australian Museum 58: 245-256.
  16. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Laticauda guineai, p. 112).
  17. ^ Kharin VE, Czeblukov VP (2006). "A new revision of the sea kraits of family Laticaudidae Cope, 1879 (Serpentes: Colubroidea)". Russian Journal of Herpetology 13: 227-241.
  18. ^ . Tropical Research and Conservation Centre. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2017.

Further reading

  • Laurenti JN (1768). Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum. Vienna: "Joan. Thom. Nob. de Trattnern". 214 pp. + Plates I-V. (Laticauda, new genus, p. 109). (in Latin).

External links

May 05, 2023
krait, genus, venomous, elapid, snakes, subfamily, laticaudinae, laticauda, they, semiaquatic, retain, wide, ventral, scales, typical, terrestrial, snakes, moving, land, also, have, paddle, shaped, tails, swimming, unlike, fully, aquatic, ovoviviparous, snakes. Sea kraits are a genus of venomous elapid sea snakes subfamily Laticaudinae Laticauda They are semiaquatic and retain the wide ventral scales typical of terrestrial snakes for moving on land but also have paddle shaped tails for swimming 1 Unlike fully aquatic ovoviviparous sea snakes sea kraits are oviparous and must come to land to digest prey and lay eggs 2 They also have independent evolutionary origins into aquatic habitats with sea kraits diverging earlier from other Australasian elapids 3 4 Thus sea kraits and sea snakes are an example of convergent evolution into aquatic habitats within the Hydrophiinae snakes Sea kraits are also often confused with land kraits genus Bungarus which are not aquatic Sea kraitLaticauda colubrinaScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataSuborder SerpentesFamily ElapidaeSubfamily LaticaudinaeCope 1876Genus LaticaudaLaurenti 1768Type speciesLaticauda laticaudata Linnaeus 1758 SpeciesEight see text Contents 1 Description 2 Location 3 Diet 4 Behavior 5 Breeding 6 Species and taxonomy 7 Parasites 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksDescription EditSea kraits are semiaquatic so have morphological adaptations to both land and sea Laticauda species show traits intermediate between those of sea snakes and terrestrial elapids They have a vertically flattened and paddle shaped tail similar to sea snakes and laterally positioned nostrils and broad laterally expanded ventral scales similar to terrestrial elapids 1 5 6 Their body has a striped pattern nasal scales are separated by inter nasals scales and the maxillary bone extends forwards beyond the palatine bone 2 Members of Laticauda can grow to 1 5 m 4 9 ft long 7 Location EditLaticauda species are found throughout the South and Southeast Asian islands spreading from India in the west north as far as Japan and southeast to Fiji The species occasionally wanders south to the Eastern coast of Australia and New Zealand Laticauda colubrina being the most common example in New Zealand however no known locally breeding populations are known to exist in these areas 8 Sea kraits typically live in the littoral zone of coastal waters and are semi terrestrial spending time ashore and in shallow waters as well as around coral reefs 8 9 Diet EditLaticauda species feed in the ocean mostly eating moray and conger eels and some squid crabs and fish They have never been observed feeding on land Behavior EditLaticauda species are often active at night which is when they prefer to hunt Though they possess highly toxic venom these snakes are usually shy and reclusive and in New Caledonia where they are called tricot raye stripey sweater children play with them Bites are rare but must be treated immediately Bites are more likely to occur under low light conditions night and when the snake is roughly handled e g grabbed hard while in the water or having been abruptly taken from the water When these snakes are on land bites are extremely rare 10 Black banded sea kraits numbering in the hundreds form hunting alliances with yellow goatfish and bluefin trevally flushing potential prey from narrow crannies in a reef the same way some moray eels do 11 12 Sea kraits are capable of diving up to 80 m deep in a single hunting trip 13 They have a remarkable ability to climb up vertical rocks of their coastal limestone habitats 1 Breeding EditLaticauda females are oviparous and they return to land to mate and lay eggs 8 Several males form a mating ball around the female twitching their bodies in what is termed caudocephalic waves Though these animals can occur in high densities in suitable locations nests of eggs are very rarely encountered suggesting specific nesting conditions need to be met Species and taxonomy EditEight species are currently recognised as being valid 14 15 Laticauda colubrina Schneider 1799 yellow lipped sea krait Laticauda crockeri Slevin 1934 Crocker s sea snake Laticauda frontalis De Vis 1905 Laticauda guineai Heatwole Busack amp Cogger 2005 Guinea s sea krait 16 Laticauda laticaudata Linnaeus 1758 blue lipped sea krait Laticauda saintgironsi Cogger amp Heatwole 2006 New Caledonian sea krait Laticauda schistorhyncha Gunther 1874 katuali or Niue sea krait Laticauda semifasciata Reinwardt in Schlegel 1837 black banded sea kraitThe species L schistorhyncha and L semifasciata have been placed in the genus Pseudolaticauda by some authors 17 Nota bene A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Laticauda Parasites EditSea snakes can have parasitic ticks occasionally with heavy infestations 18 References Edit a b c Wilson Stephen K Swan Gerry 2013 A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia Chatswood New South Wales New Holland Publishers p 564 a b Cogger Hal 2000 Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia Sydney NSW Reed New Holland p 722 Pyron R Alexander Burbrink Frank T Colli Guarino R de Oca Adrian Nieto Montes Vitt Laurie J Kuczynski Caitlin A Wiens John J 2011 02 01 The phylogeny of advanced snakes Colubroidea with discovery of a new subfamily and comparison of support methods for likelihood trees Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58 2 329 342 doi 10 1016 j ympev 2010 11 006 ISSN 1095 9513 PMID 21074626 Keogh J Scott 1998 02 01 Molecular phylogeny of elapid snakes and a consideration of their biogeographic history Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 63 2 177 203 doi 10 1006 bijl 1997 0178 Shine R Shetty S 2001 03 01 Moving in two worlds aquatic and terrestrial locomotion in sea snakes Laticauda colubrina Laticaudidae Journal of Evolutionary Biology 14 2 338 346 doi 10 1046 j 1420 9101 2001 00265 x ISSN 1420 9101 S2CID 82676695 Brischoux Francois Kato Akiko Ropert Coudert Yan Shine Richard 2010 10 30 Swimming speed variation in amphibious seasnakes Laticaudinae A search for underlying mechanisms Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 394 1 2 116 122 doi 10 1016 j jembe 2010 08 001 Shine Richard Shetty Sohan 2002 Activity Patterns of Yellow Lipped Sea Kraits Laticauda colubrina on a Fijian Island Copeia 2002 1 77 85 a b c Gill B J Whitaker A H 2014 Records of sea kraits Serpentes Laticaudidae Laticauda in New Zealand Records of the Auckland Museum 49 39 42 ISSN 1174 9202 Wilson Don E Burnie David editors in chief 2005 2001 Animal London amp New York Dorling Kindersley ISBN 978 0 7894 7764 4 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a first2 has generic name help La Lettre de la Delegation n 202 Notes du Centre d Etudes Biologiques de Chize UPR1934 CNRS CNRS DR15 in French 202 2016 03 29 Archived from the original on 2017 03 23 Retrieved 2017 03 23 Black banded sea krait photo Laticauda semifasciata G78940 Archived from the original on 2012 10 08 Retrieved 2011 07 30 BBC Earth Programmes Planet Earth Archived from the original on 2012 03 11 Retrieved 2015 08 18 Motani Ryosuke 19 May 2009 The Evolution of Marine Reptiles Evo Edu Outreach 2 2 224 235 doi 10 1007 s12052 009 0139 y Heatwole H Busack S Cogger H 2005 Geographic variation in sea kraits of the Laticauda colubrina complex Serpentes Elapidae Hydrophiinae Laticaudini Herpetological Monographs 19 1 136 Cogger HG Heatwole HF 2006 Laticauda frontalis de Vis 1905 and Laticauda saintgironsi n sp from Vanuato and New Caledonia Serpentes Elapidae Laticaudinae a new lineage of sea kraits Records of the Australian Museum 58 245 256 Beolens Bo Watkins Michael Grayson Michael 2011 The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press xiii 296 pp ISBN 978 1 4214 0135 5 Laticauda guineai p 112 Kharin VE Czeblukov VP 2006 A new revision of the sea kraits of family Laticaudidae Cope 1879 Serpentes Colubroidea Russian Journal of Herpetology 13 227 241 Sea snake parasites 1 Tropical Research and Conservation Centre 8 March 2011 Archived from the original on 2 April 2012 Retrieved 9 October 2017 Further reading EditLaurenti JN 1768 Specimen medicum exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum Vienna Joan Thom Nob de Trattnern 214 pp Plates I V Laticauda new genus p 109 in Latin External links EditSea krait slithering on coastal rocks https www youtube com watch v KAe69AlIvR4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sea krait amp oldid 1115031417, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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