| Travelling Australia http://www.travelling-australia.info |
|
 | |
| HOME REGION | BACK |
| Elegant sea snake - Hydrophis elegans | |
| |
| Hydrophis elegans showing the slimmer front half, thicker more
solid rear part and flattened tail. Judging by the relatively prominent markings this is a juvenile. The snake was stranded on the Eighty-Mile Beach by the retreating tide; probably too busy catching and eating the eel in its mouth to notice the dropping water level. | |
 | |
|
The Elegant Sea-Snake (Hydrophis elegans) is an elongated snake (average length 1.7 metres, maximum recorded length is 2 metres) with slender front half and robust, laterally compressed rear half. Tail flattened vertically. Pale brown marked with black head and 35 to 55 blackish bands, widest on top and bottom and narrowest or broken on the sides. Narrower, pale bands often present in pale spaces between main bands. Adults are paler with diffuse pattern of markings. Males and females are similar in appearance but females are longer.
This is one of the most widespread and abundant sea snakes in tropical Australian waters. The range extends from the south-west of Western Australia through tropical waters to north-eastern New South Wales; generally found in southern temperate waters only during warmer summer months. Found from the surface to a depth of at least 30 metres. Lives around coral reefs in shallow coastal waters or between reefs where shelf waters are deeper than 30 metres. Also found in shallow inshore moderately turbid waters over sand or muddy substrate and in river estuaries at high tide. Movement between inshore and offshore waters may be linked to breeding cycles. H elegans feeds primarily on eels and elongated fish but shrimp have been found in the gut of at least one specimen. |
| |
| Hydrophis elegans showing the dark head body markings and flattened tail. | |
|
This species breeds once every two to three years. Mating takes place in autumn and winter and 12 to 23 live offspring about 30 - 35 cm long are produced in summer. Juveniles grow quickly and reach maturity in two years.
H elegans is frequently taken in trawl nets; it bites ropes and fish suggesting that it would bite in self-defence if grasped. Fangs are on average 2.6 mm long and the venom is deadly. |
| Elegant Sea-snake - page 2 | ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
|
This snake is DANGEROUSLY VENOMOUS.
|
|
|
Information. ¶ A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia by Steve Wilson and Gerry Swan, published by Reed New Holland, 2003, pg 460-1 ¶ Family Hydrophiidae by Harold Heatwole and Harold G Cogger, pp310-318 in Fauna of Australia, Vol 2A Amphibia and Reptilia, eds C.J.Glassby, G.J.B. Ross and P.L.Beesley, published by Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, ACT. |
|
| 15 May 2007 |
|
| TOP |
|