Distributed range & status
This is a seldom encountered species off the coasts of Sri Lanka in north, west, south & east. (Beruwala, Potuwil, Ussangoda, Trincomalee). Also they are highly common along the Indian Coast & Persian Gulf to the Malay Peninsular.
Scales
rostral |
Touches 4 shields and slightly protrudes downwards. |
frontal |
Blunt anteriorly and sharp posteriorly with curved sides |
supraoculars |
Broad and short. |
parietals |
Relatively slender and highlly elongated. |
prefrontals |
As broad as the Frontal-Supraocular system but heavily compressed. |
nasals |
Large and the nostrils are situated at the outer rear corner of the shield. Undivided. |
internasals |
Absent |
loreals |
Absent |
preoculars |
Entire 1 |
postoculars |
Entire 1 |
temporals |
Divided into two equal progressive shields 1+1 |
Supralabials |
6 pairs of which the second pair is the largest. (3 & 4 pairs touch the eye.) |
mental |
Stereotype in form |
infralabials |
4 pairs of which the first pair is characteristically larger and has an exceptionally long line of contact. The remaining pairs are also elongated. |
sublinguals |
Both pairs are equal in size. The Anterior pair touches the first, second and third pairs of Infralabials while the Posterior pair touches the third and fourth pairs of Infralabials. |
coastals |
Hexagonal with a slightly curved lower edge. Two indentations present at the centre. |
ventrals |
210-360 rows poorly developed. Posterioly they divide in to 2 by a mid line. 2 spines face back wards & sharp keel present. |
anal |
|
subcaudals |
32-38 |
There are 29-43 mid body scale rows. Posterior body scales are hexagonal & presence of 2-3 tubercles in a row.
Characteristics
It is a small snake with a slender body which becomes somewhat distended towards the rear. Posteriorly the body gets laterally flattened. Indistinct neck with protrudes snout. Head is small & not flattened. They have a laterally flattened paddle like tail. Hemipenis closer to the free end is divided & whole consists of spines.
Colour
These snakes are dorsally bluish grey with black or grey bands. In young they are 40-60 rings. These are clear in the anterior body. Body scales bear a thin black edge. The head is olive or dark grey in an adult but black in a young. Its ventral area is pale yellow.
Venom
They are highly venomous snakes but a death has never been recorded from Sri Lanka.
It is best that bites from this snake should be treated with Enhydrina schistosa antivenin.
Dentition
Maxillary: 5 to 6, Palatine: 8, Pterygoid: 9 to 12, Mandibular: 12 to 13
Behavior
These are inoffensive snakes. They frequent rocky beaches and coral reefs.
Breeding
These snakes are ovoviviparous and less prolific species with a brood that varies from 1 to 6. Often the size of the brood is towards the lower end. Around Sri Lankan and Indian waters this snake gives birth during the months of July and August however the exact period of gestation is not precisely known.
Growth
The young often measure in the range of 330-380mm upon birth. Females reach sexual maturity once 700mm long while the maximum length for this specie is over 900-1000mm.
Food
They are confined to a strict diet on fish & eels.
Identification
This snake can be identified by its colouration with relative ease to the trained eye. However in order to precisely verify this species it should be noted that it has 17 to 21 rows of Costals two head lengths behind its head and 217 to 290 rows of overlapped Ventrals. Also these are divided by a line. This snake has a very small head & the body gets larger eventually.
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