Hydrophis belcheri

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Faint-banded Seasnake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Elapidae Genus: Hydrophis Species: H. belcheri
Binomial name
Hydrophis belcheri (Gray, 1849)

The Faint-banded Sea snake (Hydrophis belcheri, also known as the Belcher's sea snake) is a species of sea snake. It has a friendly temperament and would normally have to be subjected to severe mistreatment before biting. Usually those bitten are fishermen handling nets, although only a quarter of those bitten are envenomated since the snake rarely injects much of its venom. Because of this, and its docile nature, it is generally not regarded as very dangerous. The toxicity of this species' venom have many times been called into question, with some herpetologists and snake enthusiasts naming either the beaked sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa) or the Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) as having the most toxic venom.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]}

Contents 1 Distribution 2 Taxonomic history 3 References 4 Bibliography

[edit] Distribution

Indian Ocean (Philippines: Visayan area, Panay; New Guinea), Gulf of Thailand, Australia (North Territory?, Queensland?), Solomon Islands [McCoy 2000]. Especially around the Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea off northwest Australia.

[edit] Taxonomic history

The scientific name commemorates the British explorer Sir Edward Belcher, and was named by John Edward Gray in 1849. It was independently discovered and named by Charles Darwin in 1851, though he retracted his claim upon being provided with a copy of Belcher's work.^{[citation needed]}

The faint-banded sea snake has been mistakenly called the "hook-nosed sea snake" (which is actually Enhydrina schistosa) and in one instance was called the "blue-banded sea snake" (which is actually one name for Hydrophis cyanocinctus).

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• McCarthy,C.J. & Warrel,D.A. 1991 A collection of sea snakes from Thailand with new records of Hydrophis belcheri (Gray). Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Zool.) 57 (2): 161-166
• McCoy, M. 2000 Reptiles of the Solomon Islands. ZooGraphics, Kuranda (Australia), CD-ROM.