Hydrophis belcheri

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Hydrophis belcheri
Hydrophis belcheri - journal.pone.0027373.g005.png
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Hydrophis
Species:
H. belcheri
Binomial name
Hydrophis belcheri
(Gray, 1849)
Synonyms [2]
  • Aturia belcheri
    Gray, 1849
  • Hydrophis belcheri
    Günther, 1864
  • Distira belcheri
    Boulenger, 1888
  • Hydrophis belcheri
    Cogger, 1983
  • Chitulia belcheri
    Kharin, 2005
  • Hydrophis belcheri
    — Cogger, 2014

Hydrophis belcheri, commonly known as the faint-banded sea snake or Belcher's sea snake, is an extremely venomous species of sea snake. It has a timid temperament and would normally have to be subjected to severe mistreatment before biting. Usually those bitten are fishermen handling nets, although only one-quarter of those bitten are envenomated since the snake rarely injects much of its venom. Although not much is known about the venom of this species, [3] its LD50 toxicity in mice has been determined to be 0.24 mg/kg [4] when delivered intramuscularly.

Contents

Belcher's sea snake, which many times is mistakenly called the hook-nosed sea snake ( Enhydrina schistosa ), has been erroneously popularized as the most venomous snake in the world, due to Ernst and Zug's published book Snakes in Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book from 1996. Associate Professor Bryan Grieg Fry, a prominent venom expert, has clarified the error: "The hook nosed myth was due to a fundamental error in a book called 'Snakes in question'. In there, all the toxicity testing results were lumped in together, regardless of the mode of testing (e.g. subcutaneous vs. intramuscular vs intravenous vs intraperitoneal). As the mode can influence the relative number, venoms can only be compared within a mode. Otherwise, its apples and rocks.". [5] Studies on mice [6] [7] [8] and human cardiac cell culture [5] [9] [10] shows that venom of the inland taipan, drop by drop, is the most toxic among all snakes; land or sea. The most venomous sea snake is actually Dubois' seasnake (Aipysurus duboisii).

Description

The belcher's sea snake is of moderate size, ranging from 0.5 to 1 meter (about 20–40 inches) in adult length. Its thin body is usually chrome yellowish in colour with dark greenish crossbands. The dorsal pattern does not extend onto the venter. The head is short and has bands of the same colours. Its mouth is very small but suitable for aquatic life. Its body, when viewed out of water, appears to have a faint yellow colour. Its scales are different from most other snakes in that they overlap each other. Each dorsal scale has a central tubercle. The body is strongly laterally compressed posteriorly. The ventral scales are very narrow, only slightly wider than the dorsal scales.

Taxonomic history

This species was first described and named by John Edward Gray in 1849.

Etymology

Hydrophis comes from Greek ὕδωρ, hydōr = water + ὄφις, ophis = serpent.

The specific name, belcheri, commemorates the Nova Scotian, Royal Navy Captain, later Admiral, Sir Edward Belcher KCB, RN (1799-1877) [11] who collected the holotype. [2]

Common names

H. belcheri is also referred to as Belcher's ocean snake. Belcher's 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 common name for Hydrophis cyanocinctus ).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elapidae</span> Family of venomous snakes

Elapidae is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus Emydocephalus. Many members of this family exhibit a threat display of rearing upwards while spreading out a neck flap. Elapids are endemic to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, with terrestrial forms in Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas and marine forms in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Members of the family have a wide range of sizes, from the 18 cm (7.1 in) white-lipped snake to the 5.85 m king cobra. Most species have neurotoxic venom that is channeled by their hollow fangs, and some may contain other toxic components in various proportions. The family includes 55 genera with around 360 species and over 170 subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrophiinae</span> Subfamily of venomous snakes

Hydrophiinae is a subfamily of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae. It contains most sea snakes and many genera of venomous land snakes found in Australasia, such as the taipans (Oxyuranus), tiger snakes (Notechis), brown snakes (Pseudonaja) and death adders (Acanthophis).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taipan</span> Genus of snakes

Taipans are snakes of the genus Oxyuranus in the elapid family. They are large, fast-moving, highly venomous, and endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Three species are recognised, one of which, the coastal taipan, has two subspecies. Taipans are some of the deadliest known snakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inland taipan</span> Highly venomous snake native to Australia

The inland taipan, also commonly known as the western taipan, small-scaled snake, or fierce snake, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to semiarid regions of central east Australia. Aboriginal Australians living in those regions named the snake dandarabilla. It was formally described by Frederick McCoy in 1879 and then by William John Macleay in 1882, but for the next 90 years, it was a mystery to the scientific community; no further specimens were found, and virtually nothing was added to the knowledge of this species until its rediscovery in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern brown snake</span> Highly venomous snake native to Australia

The eastern brown snake, often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It was first described by André Marie Constant Duméril, Gabriel Bibron, and Auguste Duméril in 1854. The adult eastern brown snake has a slender build and can grow to 2 m (7 ft) in length. The colour of its surface ranges from pale brown to black, while its underside is pale cream-yellow, often with orange or grey splotches. The eastern brown snake is found in most habitats except dense forests, often in farmland and on the outskirts of urban areas, as such places are populated by its main prey, the house mouse. The species is oviparous. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the snake as a least-concern species, though its status in New Guinea is unclear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stokes's sea snake</span> Species of snake

Stokes's sea snake is a large species of sea snake in the family Elapidae. It is sometimes placed in its own genus Astrotia. The species is endemic to tropical Indo-Pacific oceanic waters.

<i>Hydrophis schistosus</i> Species of snake

Hydrophis schistosus, commonly known as the beaked sea snake, hook-nosed sea snake, common sea snake, or the Valakadeyan sea snake, is a highly venomous species of sea snake common throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific. This species is implicated in more than 50% of all bites caused by sea snakes, as well as the majority of envenomings and fatalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venomous snake</span> Species of the suborder Serpentes that produce venom

Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs. Common venomous snakes include the families Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractaspididae, and some of the Colubridae. The toxicity of venom is mainly indicated by murine LD50, while multiple factors are considered to judge the potential danger to humans. Other important factors for risk assessment include the likelihood that a snake will bite, the quantity of venom delivered with the bite, the efficiency of the delivery mechanism, and the location of a bite on the body of the victim. Snake venom may have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic properties. There are about 600 venomous snake species in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea snake</span> Subfamily of reptiles

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 among seven genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian cobra</span> Species of reptile (snake)

The Egyptian cobra is one of the most venomous species of snakes in North Africa, and has caused many snakebite incidents to humans. It averages roughly 1.4 metres (4.6 ft), with the longest recorded specimen measuring 2.59 metres (8.5 ft).

The Central Ranges taipan, or Western Desert taipan, is a species of taipan that was described in 2007 by Australian researchers Paul Doughty, Brad Maryan, Stephen Donnellan, and Mark Hutchinson. Taipans are large, fast, extremely venomous Australasian snakes. The Central Ranges taipan was named one of the top-five new species of 2007 by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University.

Aipysurus duboisii, also known commonly as Dubois' sea snake and the reef shallows sea snake, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. Its geographic range includes Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and the northern, eastern and western coastal areas of Australia, that is the Coral Sea, Arafura Sea, Timor Sea and Indian Ocean. It lives at depths up to 80 meters in coral reef flats, sandy and silty sediments which contain seaweed, invertebrates and corals or sponges that can serve as shelter. It preys upon moray eels and various fish that live on the seafloor, up to 110 cm in size. A. duboisii is viviparous, giving birth to live young rather than laying eggs. It displays medium aggressiveness, i.e., will bite if provoked, but not spontaneously. The fangs are 1.8 mm long, which are relatively short for a snake, and the venom yield is 0.43 mg. Aipysurus duboisii is a crepuscular species, meaning that it is most active at dawn and dusk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-bellied sea snake</span> Species of snake

The yellow-bellied sea snake is a venomous species of snake from the subfamily Hydrophiinae found in tropical oceanic waters around the world except for the Atlantic Ocean. For many years, it was placed in the monotypic genus Pelamis, but recent molecular evidence indicates it lies within the genus Hydrophis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal taipan</span> Venomous snake species native to Australia

The coastal taipan, or common taipan, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. Described by Wilhelm Peters in 1867, the species is native to the coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia and the island of New Guinea. The second-longest venomous snake in Australia, the coastal taipan averages around 2.0 m (6.6 ft) long, with the longest specimens reaching 2.9 m (9.5 ft) in length. It has light olive or reddish-brown upperparts, with paler underparts. The snake is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Hydrophis zweifeli is a species of snakes found from New Guinea to Australia. In the past they were thought to be Hydrophis schistosus, but after DNA testing are now provisionally identified as Hydrophis zweifeli. DNA test have shown they are not related to Hydrophis schistosus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolution of snake venom</span> Origin and diversification of snake venom through geologic time

Venom in snakes and some lizards is a form of saliva that has been modified into venom over its evolutionary history. In snakes, venom has evolved to kill or subdue prey, as well as to perform other diet-related functions. While snakes occasionally use their venom in self defense, this is not believed to have had a strong effect on venom evolution. The evolution of venom is thought to be responsible for the enormous expansion of snakes across the globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanette Covacevich</span> Australian herpetologist and museum curator

Jeanette Adelaide Covacevich (1945–2015) was a herpetologist in Queensland, Australia. As a senior curator of vertebrates at the Queensland Museum, she discovered and studied many reptiles and frogs in Queensland. Covacevich is most famous for rediscovering and describing the Inland Taipan snake, the world's most venomous snake. In addition, she described over thirty new species and genera including the Cape York striped blind snake, the Nangur spiny skink, and the Bulburin leaf-tailed gecko.

The eastern dwarf mulga snake, also known commonly as the eastern pygmy mulga snake and the false king brown snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species, which is native to Australia, was genetically confirmed as a distinct species in 2017.

References

  1. Rasmussen, A.; Sanders, K. (2010). "Hydrophis belcheri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T176751A7297371. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176751A7297371.en . Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 Species Hydrophis belcheri at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.com.
  3. WCH Clinical Toxinology Resources: Hydrophis belcheri
  4. Tamiya N, Puffer H (1974). Lethality of sea snake venoms. Toxicon, 12:85-87.
  5. 1 2 Fry, Bryan Archived 2014-04-19 at the Wayback Machine (February 08, 2005) Most Venomous Archived 2014-10-17 at the Wayback Machine ,"Q;I was wondering what snakes venom is the most potent to humans A:Drop for drop it is the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), which has a venom more toxic than any other land snake or even the sea snakes." venomdoc.com Forums, Retrieved April 17, 2014
  6. Inland Taipan Venom vs. Sea Snakes Venom (most notable Belcher's sea snake)
  7. Seymour, Jamie, World's Worst Venom, (Min 44.33) "Among the reptiles tested, the most toxic venom belongs to inland taipan, killing over 60% of heart cells in the first 10 minutes" National Geographic Channel Retrieved April 17, 2014
  8. Seymour, Jamie Venom deathmatch "They have the most toxic venom towards humans than any other snake in the world" (min 1:49) National Geographic Channel, Retrieved April 17, 2014
  9. 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. (Hydrophis belcheri, p. 22).
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