Crocker's sea snake | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Elapidae |
Genus: | Laticauda |
Species: | L. crockeri |
Binomial name | |
Laticauda crockeri Slevin, 1934 | |
Crocker's sea snake (Laticauda crockeri) is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Laticaudinae of the family Elapidae. The species is native to Oceania.
The specific name, crockeri, is in honor of American railroad magnate Charles Templeton Crocker (1885-1948), who allowed the California Academy of Sciences to use his yacht, the Zaca, for scientific expeditions. [2]
L. crockeri is endemic to Lake Te-Nggano, a brackish lake on Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands. [3]
L. crockeri is sexually dimorphic, with females growing to be longer and heavier than males. [1] Females may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 80 cm (31 in), but males may attain only 62 cm (24 in) in SVL. [4] Maximum tail length is about 9 cm (3.5 in) in both sexes. [4]
L. crockeri is currently listed as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to the extremely limited distribution of the species. [1]
The yellow-lipped sea krait, also known as the banded sea krait or colubrine sea krait, is a species of venomous sea snake found in tropical Indo-Pacific oceanic waters. The snake has distinctive black stripes and a yellow snout, with a paddle-like tail for use in swimming.
Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are elapid snakes that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. They belong to two subfamilies, Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae. Hydrophiinae also includes Australasian terrestrial snakes, whereas Laticaudinae only includes the sea kraits (Laticauda), of which three species are found exclusively in freshwater. If these three freshwater species are excluded, there are 69 species of sea snakes divided between seven genera.
Hydrophis semperi, commonly known as the Lake Taal snake, Garman's sea snake, the Philippine freshwater sea snake, and the Luzon sea snake, is a rare species of venomous sea snake found only in a single lake on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is noted for being one of two known species of sea snakes that are known to be found almost-exclusively in freshwater. The other freshwater sea snake species is Laticauda crockeri.
Sea kraits are a genus of venomous elapid sea snakes, 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. Unlike fully aquatic ovoviviparous sea snakes, sea kraits are oviparous and must come to land to digest prey and lay eggs. They also have independent evolutionary origins into aquatic habitats, with sea kraits diverging earlier from other Australasian elapids. 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 , which are not aquatic.
The katuali or flat-tail sea snake is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae. The species is found only in the waters of the Pacific Islands nation of Niue.
The black-banded sea krait, also known commonly as the Chinese sea snake, is a largely amphibious species of venomous marine reptile in the subfamily Laticaudinae, family Elapidae. It is found in much of the western Pacific Ocean and some of the Sea of Japan. In Japan, it is known as erabu umi hebi ; in Okinawa, it is known simply as irabu.
Atractaspis duerdeni, commonly known as the beaked burrowing asp, Duerden's burrowing asp, and Duerden's stiletto snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Atractaspididae. The species is native to southern Africa.
Leptophis diplotropis, commonly known as the Pacific Coast parrot snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Mexico.
Dasypeltis medici, known commonly as the East African egg-eater and the eastern forest egg-eater, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Africa.
Emydocephalus ijimae, also called Ijima's sea snake and turtleheaded sea snake, is a species of snake in the family Elapidae. The species occurs in East Asia, in the shallow coastal waters of the Northwest Pacific Ocean. E. ijimae feed exclusively on the eggs of coral reef fishes, which makes them an important predator for maintaining a healthy coral reef ecosystem.
Telescopus beetzi, commonly known as Beetz's tiger snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southern Africa.
Dibamus vorisi is a species of legless lizard in the family Dibamidae. The species is endemic to Borneo.
The New Caledonian sea krait is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Laticaudinae of the family Elapidae. The species is native to the waters around New Caledonia.
The black file snake, also known commonly as the dwarf file snake or the Nyassa file snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Lamprophiinae of the family Lamprophiidae. The species is endemic to Africa.
Charles Templeton Crocker was an American philanthropist, art patron and yachtsman. He was a past president of the California Historical Society and a member of the board of directors for over twenty years. He also wrote the libretto to the first American opera that was produced in Europe; helped popularize French Art Deco in America; and funded and headed expeditions with the California Academy of Sciences and other academic institutions aboard his personal yacht Zaca. The town of Templeton is named after him.
Anolis cooki, also known commonly as Cook's anole, Cook's pallid anole, and the Guanica pallid anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico.
Anolis gadovii, also known commonly as Gadow's anole and el abaniquillo de Gadow in Mexican Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Mexico.
Atractus emmeli, also known commonly as Emmel's ground snake and Boettger's ground snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to northwestern South America.
Atractus gaigeae, also known commonly as Gaige's ground snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Ecuador.
Elapsoidea guentherii, also known commonly as Günther's garter snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central Africa.